Bob Johnson (Arkansas state representative)

Robert "Bob" Johnson
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 42nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2015
Preceded by	Mark W. Perry
Personal details
Born	Age unavailable Place of birth missing
Political party	Republican-turned-Democrat (2013)
Spouse(s)	Laurie Anne Johnson
Children	Five children
Residence	Jacksonville, Pulaski County Arkansas, USA
Alma mater	University of Central Arkansas University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
Occupation	Certified Public Accountant Former Pulaski County Justice of the peace
Religion	Baptist

Robert Johnson, known as Bob Johnson, is a Certified Public Accountant from Jacksonville, Arkansas, who is a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 42 in a portion of Pulaski County outside the capital city of Little Rock.^[1]

Background

Robert "Bob" Johnson, was born August 1, 1953, to Dr. and Mrs. J Albert Johnson of Jacksonville, Arkansas. A 1971 graduate of Jacksonville High School. He is not the other Bob Johnson, a Democrat who served in both the Arkansas House from 1995 to 2000, including a term as House Speaker, and the Arkansas State Senate from 2001 to 2011.

Bob Johnson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in Faulkner County and a Master of Science in accounting at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Since 1990, he has maintained a Certified Public Accounting practice in Jacksonville, where he resides with his wife, Laurie Anne Johnson (born c. 1963),^[2] and their five children, Baxter, Taylor, Aaron, Nick and Ben. He is affiliated with Rotary International, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Chamber of Commerce, the Sertoma Club, and Ducks Unlimited. He is a member of the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Arkansas. .^[1]

Political life

Johnson was a lifelong Republican and serve 10 years as a justice of the peace in the Pulaski County Quorum Court until 2014, when in 2013 he switched parties to seek the state legislative seat being vacated by the term-limited Mark W. Perry. He was unopposed for the Democratic nomination and in the November 4, 2014 general election for the House race.^[3]

Johnson calls himself a Moderate Republican turned Conservative Democrat. He criticized the majority of Arkansas legislative Republicans for their conservative positions on issues. Johnson said that his father had been a supporter of former Governor Winthrop Rockefeller, a two-term Moderate Republican who was unseated in 1970 by the Democrat Dale Bumpers. In making his party switch, Johnson gained the backing of Will Bond, the Democratic state chairman who had preceded Mark Perry in the District 42 House seat.^[4]

Representative Johnson holds these committee assignments: (1) Public Transportation (2) Aging, Children, and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs, and (3) Joint Committee on Public Retirement and Social Security Programs.^[1] In the 2015 legislative session, Johnson supported an increase in public school teacher pay but did not vote on the religious freedom legislation, House Bill 1228, offered by Republican Bob Ballinger of Carroll County.^[5] The measure was revised and subsequently passed by a large margin in the House, supported by Johnson and signed into law in revised form, SB 975, by Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson.^[6]

References

1. "Bob Johnson". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
2. "Laurie Anne Johnson". intelius.com. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
3. "District 42". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
4. Max Brantley. "Republican JP Bob Johnson switches parties to run for state House as Democrat". The Arkansas Times. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
5. "Bob Johnson's Voting Records". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
6. "Gov. Hutchinson signs revised religious freedom bill; HB 1228 recalled". Little Rock: KTHV-TV. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.