State Sen. President Pro Tempore Michael Lamoureux, R-Russellville, tendered his resignation Monday, effective immediately, to serve as Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson's transition director and chief of staff.
"The time has come for me to begin another chapter and start a new journey," Lamoureux wrote in a letter dated Monday to Senate President Pro Tempore-elect Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy.
Lamoureux, a 38-year-old attorney who works part time for the state Public Defender Commission, had served in the state Senate since a special election in December 2009. He was in the state House of Representatives from 2003-2009, where he rose to House Republican leader.
On Monday, Lamoureux also submitted his resignation from his part-time job with the Pope County public defender's office, effective Friday.
"Due to a new employment opportunity, I will no longer be able to serve in this capacity," Lamoureux wrote in his letter to Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe.
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 salary as Hutchinson's transition director and chief of staff hasn't been determined yet, state officials said Monday.
Hutchinson defeated Democratic candidate Mike Ross for governor in the Nov. 4 election, and the Republican from Rogers announced Wednesday that Lamoureux would serve as his transition director and chief of staff.
Lamoureux's resignation creates a vacancy in Senate District 16, which includes Newton and Pope counties and parts of Boone, Carroll and Van Buren counties.
Beebe will begin special-election proceedings Wednesday by seeking political-party input on the preferred method of determining nominees, Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample said.
Asked when the governor will call a special election, DeCample said, "Fast as he can, but by law it is always a matter of months."
A handful of Republican businessmen reportedly have been considering running for the state Senate seat, and a few of them didn't return this newspaper's phone calls late Monday afternoon.
Former state Rep. Stan Berry, R-Dover, said late Monday afternoon that he intends to seek the Republican nomination for the Senate seat.
Two or three Republicans have expressed interest in the seat, and "I don't know if they will run or not," Berry said.
Berry, who served in the state House of Representatives from 2003-2009, said he would resign as outreach coordinator for Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin, a job that he's held the past few months.
He's also a retired telephone company manager and worked for five years as a community relations manager for Southwestern Energy Co.
"I enjoy serving the people, and I see ... potential problems for the state, and I want to be part of fixing them," said Berry.
Berry said he doesn't know enough about the state's private option to take a position on it yet.
Under the private option, the state uses federal Medicaid funds to purchase private health insurance for low-income Arkansans. More than 180,000 Arkansans have enrolled in private health insurance through the program, according to the state Department of Human Services.
During 2013 and 2014, supporters of the private option have barely obtained the required three-fourths vote of the House and the Senate to authorize the use of federal funds for the program.
Several opponents of the program were elected, leading Dismang, one of three legislative architects of the program, to say Wednesday that "in its current form, I don't believe there is any way it survives."
In addition, an opponent of the private option, state Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, said last week that he's challenging Dismang to be Senate president pro tempore, 18 months after the Senate unanimously elected Dismang to be the Senate's leader in 2015 and 2016.
Stubblefield said he's challenging Dismang for the job in an election before the Senate Republican Caucus on Thursday and the Senate on Friday during its organizational session.
During his stint as the Senate president pro tempore, Lamoureux voted for the private option and worked with Beebe to get the required legislative support for it.
Lamoureux wrote in his letter dated Monday to Dismang that it's been "a tremendous honor" to serve as the Senate president pro tempore, to represent the citizens of District 16 and to serve in the General Assembly.
"I have had the privilege of serving with the finest colleagues and working with our outstanding staff," Lamoureux wrote. "I am extremely proud of the work we have done and all we have achieved together."
The private option has divided Republican lawmakers, with some fiercely opposing the program, arguing that it will be financially unsustainable after federal financial support is reduced.
The program extends insurance coverage to adults with incomes of up to 138 percent of the poverty level -- $16,105 for an individual, for example, or $32,913 for a family of four.
Federal dollars pay 100 percent of the private option until fiscal 2017, when the state will pick up 5 percent of the cost. The state's share ultimately will be 10 percent starting in fiscal 2020.
Hutchinson said last week that he won't take a position until at least the end of January on whether the Republican-controlled Legislature should reauthorize the program.
Metro on 11/11/2014