Arkansas Politics

The Arkansas Attorney General’s office is considering the wording of campaign finance reform proposal that one grassroots group would like to get on the 2016 general election ballot. The ballot question was submitted Monday.

KUAR’s Jacob Kauffman sat down with the Chairman of Regnat Populus, Paul Spencer, at a bakery in Little Rock and asked him what the proposal seeks to change about elections.

Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson cautioned Arkansans to not seek premature conclusions about his decision Tuesday to seek a new Surgeon General for his administration. The sitting Arkansas Surgeon General Joe Thompson is an advocate for the state’s version of Medicaid expansion – the private option – and has served in the position since 2007.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol Governor-elect Hutchinson said the decision is about getting a new set of eyes to evaluate the private option.

Outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe has set a special election for April 14 to fill the vacant state Senate seat that had been held by the incoming governor's new chief of staff.

Beebe on Friday called for a special election to fill the District 16 seat held by former Senate President Michael Lamoureux, a Republican. Lamoureux resigned to work as Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson's chief of staff.

Primary elections for the seat will be held Jan. 13, with runoffs set for Feb. 10 if required. Candidates can file to run between noon Monday and 5 p.m. on Dec. 1.

Arkansas Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson is asking the directors of three agencies to continue in their current roles when he takes office in January.

Hutchinson announced Wednesday that he's asking Arkansas Crime Information Center Director Jay Winters; Arkansas State Crime Lab Director Kermit Channell; and Disability Determination for Social Security Administration Director Arthur Boutiette to remain.

Hutchinson said each of the three have agreed to continue as directors of their agencies.

In a statement, Hutchinson wrote:

The political hierarchy of Arkansas’s state Senate took shape Friday ahead of next year’s legislative session with the confirmation of Republican Jonathan Dismang of Beebe as President Pro Tem.

The Political Animals Club assembled Thursday for a post-election panel of political reporters and commentators. John Brummett (Democrat-Gazette), Skip Rutherford (Clinton School Dean), Max Brantley (Arkansas Times), and Roby Brock (Talk Business and Politics) gave their thoughts on the midterm elections, the new political landscape, and what Arkansas may look like in the years ahead.

John Brummett was the first to answer moderator Rex Nelson’s request for a prediction on newly elected Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton.

Outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe's office says he plans to pardon his son over a 2003 felony marijuana conviction.

Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said the two-term Democratic governor planned to pardon his son, Kyle, who was convicted in 2003 of felony possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. DeCample said the pardon recommendation would be included in the final pardons issued by the governor early next month.

Increased spending in recent election cycles has propelled some to counter what they see as the disproportionate rise in political influence among special interests and wealthy Americans. In Arkansas, several citizen activist organizations have just teamed up to form the Arkansas Democracy Coalition, seeking to “work towards regaining control over campaign finance spending, eliminating corporate personhood and undoing the damage to our election system this mistaken idea has wrought.”

Republican Gary Stubblefield had planned to challenge the incoming Arkansas Senate President Pro Tem Jonathan Dismang but announced Wednesday he will not. After the midterm election Stubblefield announced his concerns over Dismang’s support of the private option and possible choice of a Democrat to chair a committee as reasons to oppose his Republican colleague.

This week Republican Michael Lamoureux resigned his position as President Pro Tem of the state Senate to serve as Chief of Staff for Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson. What becomes of this void in the state Senate? We just held elections, what’s in store for the communities surrounding Russellville?