Russellville’s Standridge, state senator, dead at 50
Sen. Greg Standridge, R- Russellville, died Thursday morning after a battle with cancer, state officials said.
Standridge, 50, was co- owner of Coffman Standridge Inc., a Russellville insurance agency.
He had served in the state Senate since April 2015, when he was chosen in a special election to fill a vacancy in Senate District 16. That vacancy was created when Russellville Republican Michael Lamoureux resigned in November 2014 to become Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s chief of staff. Senate District 16 includes Newton and Pope counties and parts of Boone, Carroll and Van Buren counties.
In a text message Thursday, Lamoureux said that besides being a great senator, Standridge was “one of the most active volunteers our community had for decades.”
“He was an excellent family man and a great friend to me personally,” said Lamoureux.
Among other things, Standridge served as Russellville’s constable, the volunteer chief of the Crow Mountain Fire Department and a Pope County emergency medical services rescue
technician. He was a former president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas and Professional Insurance Agents of Arkansas.
Standridge’s death — coupled with Wednesday’s resignation of Sen. Eddie Joe Williams, R- Cabot, to start work as President Donald Trump’s federal representative on the Southern States Energy Board — leaves the 35- member Senate with 33 seats. State law requires that the vacant seats be filled in special elections.
Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, a Little Rock Republican who sat next to Standridge on the last row in the Senate chamber, recalled that Standridge “just was a very humble person who loved everybody he met.”
“He just wanted everyone to get along,” Hutchinson said in an interview.
He said he was amazed that Standridge “managed to be fully engaged” with legislation during this year’s regular session while at the same time undergoing chemotherapy treatment and traveling.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R- Searcy, said, “To know Greg was to love him. He brought joy and kindness with him wherever he went.
“He served his constituents wholeheartedly, and he was led by his faith and by his conscience. Our prayers are with Karen and their children, and we are forever grateful to them for sharing Greg with us. I am a better person because of his friendship and the state of Arkansas is better because of his leadership. We will miss him dearly,” Dismang said in a written statement.
After learning of Standridge’s death at the outset of its meeting, the Legislative Council’s Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee and audience members stood in a moment of silence and bowed their heads in prayer. Standridge served on the subcommittee.
Asa Hutchinson, who ordered that flags be flown at half- staff in the senator’s honor, said Standridge was a friend and a dedicated public servant.
“I recently visited with Greg in his home, and even with his illness, he was a source of encouragement and strength,” the Republican governor said in a written statement. “Greg served his community with distinction, and he loved his family most of all. Greg’s passing is a great loss for our state, and he will be missed.”
Hutchinson will now consider setting a special election to fill the vacancy. In 2016, Standridge was re- elected to a four- year term, so the winner of the special election would serve the rest of that term through January 2021.
The special election will be the fourth special election to elect a senator from the Russellville area in nearly two decades.
Besides Standridge’s election in April 2015, Russellville Republican Sharon Trusty was chosen in a November 2000 special election when then- Sen. Tom Kennedy, D- Russellville, resigned to take a lobbying job with Entergy Corp. Lamoureux was chosen in a special election in December 2009 after Trusty resigned.
Twenty- seven Senate votes are required to approve appropriations, such as the one for the Department of Human Services’ program that includes authorization of federal and state funding for the state’s version of Medicaid expansion. The program is called Arkansas Works and covers roughly 300,000 Arkansans.
During this year’s regular session, the Senate voted 27- 1 to approve the appropriation that includes funds for Arkansas Works. Williams voted for the appropriation and Standridge didn’t vote on it, according to the Legislature’s website.
Having 33 senators in the fiscal session starting in February “could present some obstacles,” said Senate Republican leader Jim Hendren of Sulphur Springs.
But “I don’t think there is a reason to think it is going to cause a major disruption,” said Hendren. Gov. Hutchinson is the uncle of Hendren and Sen. Hutchinson.
Visitation will be from 5- 7 p. m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Russellville and the funeral service will be at 10 a. m. Tuesday at the church, according to Humphrey Funeral Service of Russellville.