Arkansas General Assembly

Arkansas General Assembly

Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Senate House of Representatives
Leadership
President Pro Tem of the Senate	Jonathan Dismang (R) Since January 12, 2015
Speaker of the House	Jeremy Gillam (R) Since January 8, 2015
Structure
Seats	135
Political groups	Republican Party Democratic Party
Elections
Last election	November 4, 2014
Meeting place

Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock
Website
www.arkleg.state.ar.us

The Arkansas General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 members. All 135 representatives and state senators represent an equal amount of constituent districts. The General Assembly convenes on the second Monday of every other year. A session lasts for 60 days unless the legislature votes to extend it. The Governor of Arkansas can issue a "call" for a special session during the interims between regular sessions. The General Assembly meets at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock.

History

The Arkansas General Assembly is authorized by the Arkansas Constitution, which is the state's fifth constitution. The first was constitution was ratified on January 30, 1836, and the current constitution was adopted in 1874.^[1] The constitution has also been amended throughout the state's history since 1874.^[1]

Originally, legislators met biennially, but today meet annually.^[2]

In 1922, Frances Hunt became the first woman elected to a seat in the Arkansas General Assembly when she was elected to a seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives.^[3]

Powers and process

The Arkansas General Assembly is responsible for making and amending the laws of Arkansas. The legislative process is similar to that of other state legislatures in the United States. Bills undergo committee review and three readings on the floor of each house of the legislature. The governor has veto power, but a simple majority of both houses of the legislature can override that veto.^[4]

Legislators also select 20 state representatives and 16 state senators to serve on the Arkansas Legislative Council, which oversees the Bureau of Legislative Research and acts as an organizing committee for the legislature.^[2]

Terms and term limits

Amendment 73 of the Arkansas Constitution, approved by voters in the 1992 state general elections, sets term limits for Representatives and Senators. Representatives are limited to three two-year terms (six years); Senators are limited to two four-year terms (eight years). (Amendment 73 also set term limits for U.S. Senators and Representatives. That part of the Amendment was found unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton. Section 4 of the Amendment included a severability clause so the remainder of the amendment remained in force.)

References

1 2 Arkansas General Assembly, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture (accessed April 28, 2013)
1 2 Arkansas Legislative Council, Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture (accessed April 28, 2013)
↑ "Women". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Arkansas: The Central Arkansas Library System. 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
↑ http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/BOSTable3.16.pdf

External links

Arkansas General Assembly official website

State of Arkansas

Little Rock (capital)

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Society	Crime Culture Demographics Economy Education Politics

Regions	Arkansas River Valley Ark-La-Tex Bayou Bartholomew Boston Mountains Central Arkansas Crowley's Ridge Delta Four State Area Mississippi Alluvial Plain New Madrid Seismic Zone Northwest Arkansas Ouachita Mountains Ozarks Piney Woods South Arkansas Timberlands

Metros	Central Arkansas Northwest Arkansas Fort Smith Texarkana Jonesboro Pine Bluff Hot Springs Tri-State

Largest cities	Little Rock Fort Smith Fayetteville Springdale Jonesboro North Little Rock Conway Rogers Pine Bluff Bentonville Hot Springs Benton Texarkana Sherwood Jacksonville Russellville Bella Vista West Memphis Paragould Cabot

Counties	Arkansas Ashley Baxter Benton Boone Bradley Calhoun Carroll Chicot Clark Clay Cleburne Cleveland Columbia Conway Craighead Crawford Crittenden Cross Dallas Desha Drew Faulkner Franklin Fulton Garland Grant Greene Hempstead Hot Spring Howard Independence Izard Jackson Jefferson Johnson Lafayette Lawrence Lee Lincoln Little River Logan Lonoke Madison Marion Miller Mississippi Monroe Montgomery Nevada Newton Ouachita Perry Phillips Pike Poinsett Polk Pope Prairie Pulaski Randolph Saline Scott Searcy Sebastian Sevier Sharp St. Francis Stone Union Van Buren Washington White Woodruff Yell

Members of the Arkansas State Senate

90th General Assembly (2015)

President of the Senate and Lieutenant Governor: Tim Griffin (R)
President Pro Tempore: Jonathan Dismang (R)
Majority Leader: Jim Hendren (R)
Minority Leader: Keith Ingram (D)

Bart Hester (R)
Jim Hendren (R)
Cecile Bledsoe (R)
Uvalde Lindsey (D)
Bryan King (R)
Gary Stubblefield (R)
Jon Woods (R)
Jake Files (R)
Terry Rice (R)

Larry Teague (D)
Jimmy Hickey, Jr. (R)
Bruce Maloch (D)
Alan Clark (R)
Bill Sample (R)
David J. Sanders (R)
Greg Standridge (R)
Scott Flippo (R)
Missy Irvin (R)

Members of the Arkansas House of Representatives

90th General Assembly (2015) Speaker of the House: Jeremy Gillam (R) Speaker Pro Tempore: Jon Eubanks (R) Majority Leader: Ken Bragg (R) Minority Leader: Eddie Armstrong (D)

Prissy Hickerson (R) Lane Jean (R) Brent Talley (D) DeAnn Vaught (R) David Fielding (D) Matthew Shepherd (R) John Baine (D) Jeff Wardlaw (D) Vacant Mike Holcomb (R) Mark McElroy (D) Chris Richey (D) David Hillman (D) Camille Bennett (D) Ken Bragg (R) Ken Ferguson (D) Vivian Flowers (D) Richard Womack (R) Justin Gonzales (R) Nate Bell (I) Marcus Richmond (R) Mickey Gates (R) Lanny Fite (R) Bruce Cozart (R) John Vines (D) Laurie Rushing (R) Julie Mayberry (R) Kim Hammer (R) Fredrick Love (D) Charles Armstrong (D) Andy Davis (R) Jim Sorvillo (R) Warwick Sabin (D) John Walker (D) Clarke Tucker (D) Charles Blake (D) Eddie Armstrong (D) Donnie Copeland (R) Mark Lowery (R) Douglas House (R) Karilyn Brown (R) Bob Johnson (D) Tim Lemons (R) Joe Farrer (R) Jeremy Gillam (R) Les Eaves (R) Michael John Gray (D) Reginald Murdock (D) Marshall Wright (D) Milton Nicks (D) Deborah Ferguson (D) Dwight Tosh (R) Dan Sullivan (R) Dave Wallace (R) Monte Hodges (D) Joe Jett (D) Mary Broadaway (D) Brandt Smith (R) Jack Ladyman (R) James Ratliff (D) Scott Baltz (D) Michelle Gray (R) James Sturch (R) John Payton (R) Rick Beck (R) Josh Miller (R) Stephen Meeks (R) Trevor Drown (R) Betty Overbey (D) David Meeks (R) Kenneth Henderson (R) Stephen Magie (D) Mary Bentley (R) Jon Eubanks (R) Charlotte Douglas (R) Mathew Pitsch (R) Justin Boyd (R) George McGill (D) Gary Deffenbaugh (R) Charlene Fite (R) Justin Harris (R) Vacant David Branscum (R) Charlie Collins (R) David Whitaker (D) Greg Leding (D) Robin Lundstrum (R) Lance Eads (R) Micah Neal (R) Jana Della Rosa (R) Dan Douglas (R) Kim Hendren (R) Jim Dotson (R) Rebecca Petty (R) Sue Scott (R) Grant Hodges (R) Bob Ballinger (R) Ron McNair (R) Vacant Nelda Speaks (R)

Republican (62) Democratic (34) Independent (1) Arkansas General Assembly Arkansas House of Representatives Arkansas State Senate

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Coordinates: 34°44′48″N 92°17′21″W / 34.74657°N 92.28908°W / 34.74657; -92.28908

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