Developer will face Meeks in GOP primary

A McGintytown rural developer said he plans to challenge Rep. Stephen Meeks in the May Republican primary for the District 67 seat in Faulkner County.

Rodney Leggitt, 44, recently announced his first campaign for public office. He said he doesn’t have any major disagreement with Meeks, a Republican from Greenbrier, but hopes to bring a new perspective to the statehouse.

“I think when someone has been in office for eight years, you may need a fresh perspective,” Leggitt said.

Meeks, whose first term began in 2011, is the state House of Representatives’ longest-tenured member. That seniority, Meeks said, is an advantage.

“I disagree with that,” Meeks said, responding to Leggitt’s remarks. “Being the most senior representative allows me to do more for my community than a freshman lawmaker could.”

House District 67 covers the central portion of Faulkner County, including Greenbrier, Vilonia, Springhill and Pleasant Valley.

No Democrats have publicly announced for the seat.

Meeks, who chairs the House Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology, said he’s spent much of the term working on technology projects. In particular, he said, he’s been working with the Arkansas Department of Information Systems to improve the state’s data infrastructure and cybersecurity.

“We want to get different data-sets talking to each other,” Meeks said. For example, he noted that someone who moves must change his address on his driver’s license, hunting registration and other state documents. It would be much cheaper for the state and more convenient for the resident if the state’s computer systems could change an address across the board at once.

Meeks said he’s a full-time legislator and that he delivers pizza part time.

Leggitt is the director of field operations at Central Arkansas Resource, Conservation and Development. He said he’s running to help local schools and veterans and to support agriculture.

“I know that agriculture is Arkansas’ backbone, and I have the education and experience to help support economic growth in this area,” he said.

The candidates disagree about Medicaid expansion to provide low-income Arkansans with health insurance. Meeks voted against the program, now known as Arkansas Works, in 2016.

Meeks said he remains “morally” opposed to the program because it’s driving up the national debt and passing it on to future generations.

As for Leggitt, he’s not completely against Medicaid expansion, “but there needs to be changes made to it.”

Candidates may file for the May 22 party primaries beginning Feb. 22; the general election is Nov. 6.

State representatives serve two-year terms with a $40,188-a-year salary in addition to mileage and per diem for legislative sessions and meetings.