The Ninety-Second Arkansas General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Arkansas in 2019 and 2020. In this General Assembly, the Arkansas Senate and Arkansas House of Representatives were both controlled by the Republicans. In the Senate, 26 senators were Republicans and 9 were Democrats. In the House, 76 representatives were Republicans, 24 were Democrats. A special session was called in March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sessions The Regular Session of the 92nd General Assembly opened on January 14, 2019. It adjourned sine die on April 24, 2019. Governor Asa Hutchinson called for a special session to begin March 26, 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to social distancing recommendations, the 35 senators met in the 100-seat House chamber, and the House met in the Jack Stephens Center basketball arena on the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus. The Fiscal Session began April 8, 2020 and concluded April 24.

Major events

Vacancies Representative John Walker (D-34th) died on October 28, 2019. The Democratic primary to fill the seat was held January 14, resulting in a runoff between Joy Springer and Ryan Davis. The runoff appeared to end in a tie until a ballot arrived from Sweden, giving Springer the one-vote win. She defeated independent candidate Roderick Talley on March 3 and was sworn March 18, 2020 to fill the seat for the remainder of the term. Representative Mickey Gates (R-22nd) made national news in 2018 for failing to pay taxes for 15 years, but had resisted calls for his resignation. The House voted to expel Gates in October 2019, leaving his seat vacant until a special election. Richard McGrew (R) won a special election on March 3 to fill the seat for remainder of the term. He was sworn in on March 18, 2020.

Legislative summary The legislature was prolific during the regular session, considering 684 Senate bills and 986 House bills. A total of 1,091 bills become law; Governor Asa Hutchinson did not veto any bills.

The governor's priority, state government reorganization, merged state agencies from 42 to 15 under the Transformation and Efficiency Act of 2019. Act 182 cuts Arkansas's top individual income tax rate from 6.9 percent to 5.9 percent over two years.

In the special session, both chambers unanimously sent identical COVID-19 relief-related bills enabling the creation of a $173 million COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund from previously unallocated reserves. By the start of the fiscal session, three lawmakers had tested positive for COVID-19. A short fiscal session met to pass an annual budget, revised lower due to lower revenue forecasts, and reauthorized Arkansas Works, Arkansas's Medicaid expansion. Lawmakers and staff were provided with cloth masks sewed by friends and family of Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-87th).

Lawmakers produced a $5.89 billion general revenue budget in the fiscal session by votes of 35-0 and 98-0 and sent it to the governor on April 16.

Senate Leadership Officers Office Officer Party District President/Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin Republican President Pro Tempore of the Senate Jim Hendren Republican 2 Assistant Presidents pro tempore John Cooper Republican 21 Kim Hammer Republican 33 Mathew Pitsch Republican 8 Stephanie Flowers Democratic 25

Floor Leaders Office Officer Party District Majority Leader Bart Hester Republican 1 Majority Whip Scott Flippo Republican 17 Minority Leader Keith Ingram Democratic 24 Minority Whip Will Bond Democratic 32

Source: Arkansas Senate

Senators

District Name Party Residence First elected Seat up Term-limited 1 Bart Hester Rep Cave Springs 2012 2020 2028 2 Jim Hendren Rep Gravette 2012 2020 2028 3 Cecile Bledsoe Rep Rogers 2008 2020 2020 4 Greg Leding Dem Fayetteville 2018 2020 5 Bob Ballinger Rep Berryville 2018 2020 6 Gary Stubblefield Rep Branch 2012 2020 2028 7Lance Eads Rep Springdale201620202032 8 Mathew Pitsch Rep Fort Smith 2018 2020 9 Terry Rice Rep Waldron 2014 2020 2024 10 Larry Teague Dem Nashville 2008 2020 2020 11 Jimmy Hickey Jr. Rep Texarkana 2012 2020 2028 12 Bruce Maloch Dem Magnolia 2012 2020 2028 13 Alan Clark Rep Lonsdale 2012 2020 2028 14 Bill Sample Rep Hot Springs 2010 2020 2020 15 Mark Johnson Rep Little Rock 2018 2020 16 Breanne Davis Rep Russellville 2018 (special) 2020 17 Scott Flippo Rep Mountain Home 2014 2020 2030 18 Missy Irvin Rep Mountain View 2010 2020 2026 19 James Sturch Rep Batesville 2018 2020 20 Blake Johnson Rep Corning 2014 2020 2030 21 John Cooper Rep Jonesboro 2014 (special) 2020 2032 22Dave WallaceRep Leachville 2016 2020 2026 23 Ron Caldwell Rep Wynne 2012 2020 2028 24 Keith Ingram Dem West Memphis 2012 2020 2024 25 Stephanie Flowers Dem Pine Bluff 2010 2020 2020 26 Eddie Cheatham Dem Crossett 2012 2020 2022 27 Trent Garner Rep El Dorado 2016 2020 2032 28 Jonathan Dismang Rep Beebe 2010 2020 2024 29 Ricky Hill Rep Cabot 2018 (special) 2020 30 Linda Chesterfield Dem Little Rock 2010 2020 2020 31 Joyce Elliott Dem Little Rock 2008 2020 2020 32Will Bond Dem Little Rock 2016 2020 2020 33 Kim Hammer Rep Benton 2018 2020 34 Jane English Rep North Little Rock 2012 2020 2026 35 Jason Rapert Rep Conway 2010 2020 2026

House of Representatives Leadership Officers Office Officer Party District Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives Matthew Shepherd Republican 6 Speaker pro tempore Jon Eubanks Republican 74 Assistant Speaker pro tempore Ken Bragg Republican 15 Michelle Gray Republican 62 Fred Allen Democratic 30 Jon Payton Republican 64

Floor Leaders Office Officer Party District Majority Leader Marcus Richmond Republican 21 Majority Whip Brandt Smith Republican 58 Minority Leader Fredrick Love Democratic 29 Minority Whip LeAnne Burch Democratic 9

Source: Arkansas House of Representatives

Representatives

District Name Party First elected Term-limited1Rep201620322Rep201020263Rep201620324Rep 2014 20305Dem201020266Rep201020267Rep201620328Rep201020269Dem2016203210Rep2012202811Dem2018203412Dem2012202813Rep2012202814Rep2016203215Rep2012202816Dem2014203017Dem2014203018Rep2012202819Rep2014203020Rep2016203221Rep2014203022Rep2014203023Rep2014203024Rep2011†202825Rep2016203226Rep2014203027Rep2016203228Rep2018203429Dem2010202630Dem2016203231Rep2012202832Rep2014203033Dem2018203434Dem2010202635Dem2018203436 Dem 2019† 203437Dem2018202838Rep2016203239Rep2012202840Rep2012202841Rep2014203042Dem2018203443Rep2018203444Rep2018203445Rep2018203446Rep2014203047Rep2018203448Dem2010202649Rep2016203250Dem2014203051Dem2012202852Rep2014203053Rep2014203054Rep2016203255Dem2012202856Rep2012202857Rep2016203258Rep2014203059Rep2014203060Rep2016203261Rep2018203462Rep2014203063Rep2018203464Rep2012202865Rep2014203066Rep2012202867Rep2010202668Rep2018203469Rep2016203270Rep2018203471Rep2018203472Dem2012202873Rep2014203074Rep2012202875Rep2018203476Rep2018203477Rep2014203078Dem2018203479Rep2010202680Rep2012202881Rep2016203282Rep2016203283Rep2018203484Dem2018203485Dem2012202886Dem2018203487Rep2014203088Rep2016203289Dem2018203490Rep2014203091Rep2012202892Rep2018203493Rep2012202894Rep2014203095Rep2016203296Rep2014203097Rep2018203498Rep2014203099Rep20162032100Rep20142030

See also List of Arkansas General Assemblies

References