A day after his election, Republican Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that Senate President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux will serve as his chief of staff and transition director.
Hutchinson, who defeated former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Ross of Little Rock and two candidates from other parties in Tuesday's election, started Wednesday with transition meetings and then met with campaign staff members, said Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis.
Lamoureux, a 38-year-old attorney who also works part time for the state Public Defender Commission, has served as the Senate's leader since 2013 and in the Senate since December 2009.
The Russellville lawmaker was in the state House of Representatives from 2003-2009, rising to House Republican leader.
Lamoureux is paid $56,448 a year by the Public Defender Commission and $17,770 a year as the Senate president pro tempore, according to the state's transparency website.
Lamoureux's annual salary hasn't been determined, said Davis. Gov. Mike Beebe's chief of staff, Morril Harriman, is paid $125,809 a year.
Davis said Lamoureux plans to step down and would announce the effective date of his resignation from the Senate in the next day or two.
Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said it'll be important for the governor to call a special election to fill Lamoureux's seat as soon as possible with the legislative session scheduled to begin Jan. 12. Lamoureux represents Senate District 16 that includes Newton and Pope counties and parts of Boone, Carroll and Van Buren counties.
Last elected in November 2012, his four-year term doesn't expire until January 2017.
Hutchinson called Lamoureux "a trusted friend" and "one of the most experienced and knowledgeable leaders on the operation of state government.
"Not only does Michael bring an ample amount of institutional knowledge of the state's Legislature, having served in both chambers in leadership positions, but he is well respected by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle," Hutchinson said in a written statement.
Hutchinson said his six-point plan to grow the state's economy and create jobs starts by lowering taxes for Arkansas' middle class, and "I believe Michael has the qualities and experience to help accomplish my goals as governor."
Hutchinson's selection of Lamoureux as his chief of staff had been widely expected in certain legislative circles and won praise Wednesday from Democrats and Republicans alike.
"I get along with Lamoureux and he doesn't lay heavy on anybody," said Sen. Bryan King. The Green Forest Republican has opposed using federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private health insurance for low-income Arkansans; Lamoureux worked hard to pass the so-called private option. "We don't always agree and I feel like he is approachable," said King.
Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, called Lamoureux "an excellent choice" and his selection by Hutchinson "a very positive sign."
Lamoureux "is a fair guy and a capable guy," Elliott said.
Hutchinson kept a low profile the day after he was elected, unlike Beebe who paid a brief visit to the Legislature's Legislative Council and Joint Budget Committee the morning after being elected in 2006.
Beebe, who served in the state Senate for 20 years and served as attorney general for four years before he was elected governor, received a standing ovation from about 50 lawmakers -- most of them Democrats -- before he spoke to lawmakers eight years ago.
Eight years later, most lawmakers are Republican. They'll be working with a new governor who has extensive experience in the federal government.
Among other things, Hutchinson served stints as federal Homeland Security undersecretary, director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, as a U.S. House member representing the 3rd District and as a U.S. attorney.
Both Hutchinson and Beebe are attorneys.
As he prepares to leave office, Beebe said "we have extensively asked every department, every subdepartment, all of our staff heads, the mansion people, everybody to prepare transition documents explaining what they do, what's good, what's bad, what's ugly to give the new governor and/or his staff up-to-date information on the status of every department.
"I think it's healthy and provides for a good transition," he said.
"In addition, he wanted to and I offered and we agreed for he and I to sit down and just go over whatever he wants to go over," Beebe said. "I told him [Tuesday night] I'll help you all I can or I'll get totally out of the way, it's your call. I am all right with it either way. He said, 'I want to sit down and I want to talk.'"
He said Hutchinson wants his "proposed chief of staff to sit down and talk with Morril [Harriman] and we are making that available.
"I will make all my staff available, whether it is Matt [DeCample] or whoever to their counterparts for Gov. Hutchinson's transition," Beebe said, referring to his chief spokesman.
"Governor can be a lonely job. It's a great job. Don't get me wrong. I loved virtually every minute of it and he will, too," Beebe said. "But sometimes it can be a lonely job, too, and so you are kind of in an exclusive group. There has only been 45 and now 46 in the history of our state and, so by its very nature, you feel some empathy and you work together or you should."
Beebe said he believes that "when the election is over you ought to stop fighting and try to figure out how to work together and I think he believes that, too, and I think he's going to try to get that done.
"And I hope people will let him do that," he said.
Hutchinson will be sworn in as governor in January.
A section on 11/06/2014