State Rep. Charlene Fite Announces Bid

FIGURE FIVE – State Rep. Charlene Fite has announced her candidacy for a fourth term for House District 80 seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives. House District 80 covers part of northern Crawford and part of southern Washington Counties, including northern

Van Buren, Cedarville, Uniontown and Natural Dam in Crawford County, and Evansville, Summers, Prairie Grove, Lincoln, Cane Hill, Dutch Mills, and Wheeler in Washington County.

Fite currently serves as chairperson of the House Committee on Aging, Children, Military and Legislative Affairs, is a member of Judiciary Committee, Budget Committee, Supreme Court committee on Child Support Reform and Infant Death Review Panel.

Fite is a fifth generation Arkansan.

“My parents taught me that I can make a difference. Throughout my life I’ve sought to make a difference as a school psychology specialist, special education teacher, interpreter for the Deaf, missionary, church and community member, parent and friend,” said Fite in making her announcement.

She says her career in public education has helped her in serving District 80.

“Because of my 22-plus years as an educator, educational issues are of course very important to me. I am also very concerned about the jobs leaving Arkansas. I will seek ways to make Arkansas a place where our young people want to stay and raise their families.”

In making her announcement, Fite cited the state’s economic development as important, especially increasing Arkansas’ profile to business leaders in China with aggressive efforts to promote trade between our state and China.”

In previous legislative sessions, Fite has made friends on both sides of the political aisle and found common ground to move the state forward.

“I have formed friendships with numerous area legislators. We will work together to bring jobs to our area and better the lives of the people of our districts.”

During the most recent legislative session, Fite was lead sponsor of nine bills which became law. Fite was successful in adding Arkansas to the states exempting military retirement pay from state income tax. She also was lead sponsor on acts to provide cosmetology students training to recognize signs of domestic violence, provide transparency concerning foster parents’ access to records, provide notice of child maltreatment reports to military organizations and to create the Arkansas Domestic Violence Shelter Act.

For her work in the General Assembly, Fite has been recognized by the Department of Defense, Family Council, Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Arkansas Association for the Deaf; Arkansas Interpreters for the Deaf; Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association and Arkansas Hearing Instrument Dispensers.

She is retired from Fort Smith Schools, where she served as a special education teacher and school psychology specialist.

Fite and her husband are members of Heritage Church in Van Buren where she is a soloist. She is on the board of Crawford County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and is on the Board of Advisors for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas. She and her husband Tom have six children and seven grandchildren.

Fite