Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Incoming representatives tutored on governing
Newly elected representatives last week got an introduction into what’s to come in next month’s legislative session: committee meetings, parliamentary procedure and discussions about ethics, all with reporters and lobbyists watching from the gallery.
The four-day House orientation, new state representatives said in interviews, was immensely helpful, but come January, there will still be plenty to learn.
“Now I’m just waiting in anticipation to see what committees I’ll get on,” said Rep.-elect Cindy Crawford, a Fort Smith Republican. “With the great training they gave us this week, I believe I’m ready to knowledgeably serve my district.”
Committee assignments are the last step before the speaker of the House gavels into order the 92nd General Assembly on Jan. 14.
When the 100-member House convenes next month, 24 of its representatives will be new. They’ll weigh tax-overhaul legislation, executive branch transformation and hundreds of other bills.
The new members were elected in last month’s midterm election.
Last week’s orientation focused on the basics: how to ask a question on the House floor, how bills become laws, what the roles are of legislative committees and so on.
The primer on parliamentary procedure from House Parliamentarian Buddy Johnson was helpful, but Rep.-elect Spencer Hawks, R-Conway, and several other new lawmakers said one their favorite aspects of the week was getting to know their fellow House members.
“I really enjoyed the chance to build some camaraderie with the other members,” Hawks said. “I think sometimes we get stuck in our respective caucuses.”
Rep.-elect Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock, agreed with Hawks, adding the mock committee and session meetings were useful as well.
“It was a good opportunity to see how procedure works in real time,” Collins said.
Also, House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, implored his freshman colleagues to act ethically. Everything they do, Shepherd said, should be legal, ethical and moral, but they must also consider how their actions appear.
Shepherd relayed a question his father has asked him when the speaker asked for advice.
“How would you feel if that was put on the front page of the paper?” Shepherd said.
The state Capitol in the past two years has been rocked by a federal corruption investigation that has ensnared five now-former lawmakers and a prominent lobbyist. Additional indictments are expected.
That investigation came into focus for new lawmakers on the first day of orientation, on Monday afternoon, during an introduction to the Bureau of Legislative Research from Director Marty Garrity.
Because of an exemption in the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, the bureau, which operates House members’ email servers, doesn’t release members’ emails to the public. However, those emails can be accessed by law enforcement officials who have subpoenas.
“We’ve had that,” Garrity said. “We’re in the middle of that right now.”
Shepherd said he doesn’t believe the House has a “culture of corruption,” but instead simply a few members who acted unethically. He said he is open to ethics rule or law changes, but added most of the actions alleged or admitted to by former lawmakers wouldn’t have been stopped by a new rule or law.
“We’re talking about taking bribes and kickbacks, not some gray area in the law,” Shepherd said.
The Arkansas Senate earlier this year agreed to several new rules changes that, among other things, require increased financial disclosure by senators.
Several dozen bills have been pre-filed in anticipation of the January session, but no first-time lawmaker has submitted any legislation. Several said they planned to begin working with Bureau of Legislative Research staff members to begin developing their ideas into proposed laws.
Jasen Kelly, an incoming Republican representative from Benton, is excited to get to work on juvenile justice changes, including a series of tweaks proposed recently by Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
“I have 20 years of experience in juvenile justice,” Kelly said. “I’m excited about working with the governor and other legislators on reforms. We need it badly, and I’m hoping to be a part of that process and those bills that come through.”