Heckling derails Hutchinson’s ‘Swan Song’ to legislators

It’s been written here before: Being Governor of Arkansas is NOT an easy job, my emphasis.

Many of our most recent officeholders, however, seem to forget this as they age into the “lame duck” status for their final two years in office.

And just like that many of those feisty members of the General Assembly seated in the House chamber for the Annual State of the State speech by Gov. Asa Hutchinson this past week were feeling pretty good about themselves when a ruckus broke in the House gallery.

That interruption stunned the governor and sent him into a tailspin during his final speech before the joint state House and Senate members and other state dignitaries. It was a very small but vocal group that yelled “No More

Cages” to the mention of building more prison beds. It was a particular nuisance to most involved in the moment.

But that small interruption also caused our state’s chief executive to see some smiles, smirks and downright looks of amused mischief from the 135 members of the General Assembly.

Those looks of anything but shock and disgust from the assembled members toward those interrupting the governor’s message, to me, sent a more powerful message to Hutchinson than the empty chants of this social rights group could ever emulate.

After seven years of pushing, bullying at times and more often ignoring the mood of the members of the General Assembly, the governor found himself in a territory he really dislikes – being interrupted in the courtroom, on the campaign trail or in the state Capitol.

We all know after a disruptive press conference in Siloam Springs on promoting the “Mask Mandate,” the governor did not hold many “open sessions” on the road for health updates after that demonstration.

Asa Hutchinson, it is said, when in the courtroom, has a weakness for being challenged by objections within a trial and more often gets flustered at the bar when abruptly interrupted.

For one, and I think this is a fair interpretation, our governor has never been very quick on his feet, like a Dale Bumpers or Bill Clinton, or self-effacing like David Pryor.

And to his credit, he can’t just shed the criticism like a Winthrop Rockefeller or act like he just didn’t hear the question like it was asked, as did Frank White.

Hutchinson also is less confrontational than, say, Mike Beebe who grew up in the bare-knuckle brawls of the state Senate.

Asa certainly doesn’t have the glib and quick comeback of a Rev. Mike Huckabee, who would have been less disturbed at the protesters than today’s Arkansas governor.

As far as Orval Faubus, Sid McMath and other governors way back in history, well, there was a system designed to fend off such criticism. A system much akin to what the GOP in Arkansas has today. If the system worked and stuck together, united behind a candidate – strong or weak – the party gave the officeholder the strength, savvy and presence to preside and rule, protesters be damned.

Recent internal fisticuffs within the Republican Party of Arkansas, especially over the “Texas abortion bill” proposed by some state senators, slowed Hutchinson’s push during this final session.

Ultra-right state Senator Jason Rapert, who has never shown much interest in the Arkansas State Police, other than getting a constituent’s child a job, was the architect of this category pay raise for starting salaries of the ASP, a fact omitted by the governor in his speech.

And this $5,000 bonus for all police officers in the state from the tiny hamlets with one or two officers to the major cities, such as Little Rock, Fayetteville and Bentonville, was also another solon’s idea – yet Hutchinson co-opted this idea in his speech.

Let’s hope this all gets done.

And so will be the building of additional prison beds and more “cages,” as the protest group so disdains, in this “lame duck” session, despite the interruptions of others that derail our governor when speaking.

Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at maylontrice@yahoo.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.