Other days
100 YEARS AGO June 19, 1919
An extra session of the Arkansas legislature will be called to convene the latter part of July to ratify the Susan B. Anthony federal amendment, giving equal suffrage to women, and probably for other purposes, it was announced by Governor Brough. The governor said the official proclamation calling the special session will not be issued for several days, as he is considering including in the call action on a state highway plan, corrective road legislation, and a soil and geological survey for the state.
50 YEARS AGO June 19, 1969
The Executive Branch Committee recommended to the Constitutional Convention Wednesday that the number of elective state officers be reduced from seven to five and that their terms be lengthened to four years. These were the major recommendations of the Committee, which began voting after 3½ weeks of hearings and discussions: The land commissioner would no longer be elected and his office’s duties would be transferred to another agency. The offices of treasurer and auditor would be combined with a single “auditor-treasurer”, who would be elected. The other elective officers would be the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state.
25 YEARS AGO June 19, 1994
For Secretary of State Bill McCuen, one of the state’s most outspoken political figures, the moment of truth came Tuesday. It was runoff day for Arkansas Democrats, and the colorful incumbent’s political career appeared to be on the line. McCuen had suffered defeat before, of course. In June 1992, he had upset Rep. Beryl Anthony Jr. in the Democratic runoff in the 4th Congressional District, only to lose to Republican businessman Jay Dickey of Pine Bluff on Nov. 3, 1992. But in statewide races, the former county judge for Garland County had never been defeated. He had been elected land commissioner in 1980 and re-elected in 1982. He had been elected secretary of state in 1984 and re-elected in 1986 and 1990. By the spring of 1994, the negatives accumulated during more than 13 years in statewide office — years filled with controversy — had started to add up. In the May 24 Democratic primary, McCuen led a four-person field. But his 41 percent of the vote was far below what he needed to avoid a runoff against Little Rock City Director Sharon Priest. Political pundits agreed that if McCuen lost Tuesday’s Democratic runoff to Priest, his political career likely would be finished. And he did lose, ending the day with 45 percent of the vote against a woman who had never run for statewide office before.
10 YEARS AGO June 19, 2009
Arkansas surpassed all but six states in personal income growth in the first quarter. Total personal income in Arkansas increased 0.2 percent. It was one of only 11 states that reported a rise in income, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday. The country’s average personal income fell 0.5 percent in the first quarter.