Special Session Over: Primary Move Only Item Of Contention, $87 Million Incentive Approved

The first special session of Governor Asa Hutchinson’s time in office came to a close Thursday. 

Every item backed by Hutchinson passed, though there was some trouble for Republican leadership advancing a bill to move up the date for primary elections. The bill headed to the governor’s desk would move the primary to March 1st for one election cycle, 2016.

The stated reason for the special session – an $87 million state aid package to assist Lockheed Martin’s bid to land a federal military contract – easily passed both the state House and Senate. The House passed a Senate version of the bill 90-0. The Senate was not unanimous in support but was close to it in a 30-2 vote on an identical House version of the legislation.

The bond issue is intended to support the creation of 600 jobs and preserve an existing 500 at a Lockheed Martin facility in south Arkansas. The superproject for an industrial park east of Camden in Calhoun County never appeared vulnerable through the three day special session.

However, a bill to move the state’s primary date from late May to early March faced bi-partisan pockets of resistance in both chambers. The final version of the legislation was amended to only move the primary date for one election cycle, 2016.

House Minority Leader Eddie Armstrong (D-Little Rock) voted against the bill but said the amendment was a rare bright spot in the process.

“I won’t call it a win, let’s just say that I’m encouraged by the political compromise,” said Armstrong.

Bill sponsor Andy Davis (R-Little Rock) accepts the compromise made the previous evening in a Senate committee previously split along partisan lines but said he hopes the primary date change will be made permanent in future legislative sessions.

“It is what it is at this point. I expect we’ll see higher voter turnout, we’ll see higher voter engagement due to the fact Arkansas will be playing a more prominent role in the election. If we see those things I think we can make a stronger argument for making it a permanent change,” said Davis.

State Representative Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) opposed the bill and saw a different motivating factor behind some backers of the bill.

“You’ve got what is it 19, 20, 21 Republicans running for President right now. If our primary is up earlier and more of those individuals need to pay the $25,000 filing fee to be on the ballot that’s quite a haul for our Republican friends. And I’m quite certain if there were 20 candidates on the Democratic side then the DPA would be pushing for it too. So I don’t think this is a partisan issue,” said Leding.

State Rep. Nate Bell (R-Fayetteville) attempted from the onset of the session to prevent an immediate primary move, routinely favoring more study of the issue. Bell expressed his opposition in a string of tweets after the session adjourned.

The final vote on the House floor was preceded by last minute parliamentary procedure maneuvers in a committee chaired by Rep. Bell that would have halted a vote Thursday. In the House State Agencies committee Thursday morning State Rep. Camille Bennett (D-Lonoke) called a point of order and requested a fiscal impact statement.

Under normal special session rules that would have required 24 hours to pass until the bill could be considered against. Ostensibly to give members time to analyze the fiscal impact statement.

Republican Representative Josh Miller of Heber Springs was supportive of his Democratic colleague’s committee request for a fiscal statement. But he later voted in the full House to suspend the rules to waive the 24 hour wait period.

“I don’t doubt her sincerity in wanting to see a fiscal impact and admire it. I actually joined in with her because we don’t want to rush in to bills financially. But also on the flipside of that, I think we can do it in a timely manner. Do it today. Get back in here and vote one way or the other today,” said Miller.

The rules suspension cleared the way for votes later Thursday afternoon on the primary move. Rep. Miller was one of 64 voting for the amended primary move, placing Arkansas for one election in a so-called SEC Primary. 54 Republicans vote for it, 2 against. 10 Democrats were in favor and 16 against. 13 legislators chose not to vote.

A companion bill moving the fiscal session was also approved along with a slate of other bills addressing state agency mergers, DWI laws, and exempting some highway regulations for agricultural equipment.