PLEASANT PLAINS — State Rep. Michael John Gray said visiting with and listening to residents in the community should be in the job description of any state leader.
Gray, D-Augusta, held office hours in Pleasant Plains on Sept. 10. The two-hour session, his first to take place in Pleasant Plains, provided the chance for local leaders and officials to meet with Gray about issues facing the rural community. Gray represents District 47, which includes Woodruff County, along with parts of White, Jackson and Independence counties.
“One of the reasons I originally ran for office was to make sure our part of Arkansas had a seat at the table,” Gray said. “I realized that a lot of the problems individual constituents had could be solved by a phone call from me or staff at the Capitol. A lot of the problems could be solved by getting people in touch with the right people.”
Gray has held office hours in Bradford, McCrory and Newport, along with meeting with mayors individually. He also serves on the County and Local Affairs, Education, and Academic Facilities Oversight committees for the 90th General Assembly.
“I’ve helped people from having problems getting their insurance processed to Social Security,” he said. “Sometimes, they just get stuck on hold on calls [that] I don’t get stuck on hold for.”
Holding times to meet with district residents is important for state leaders because it shows they care, Gray said.
“It’s our job to get in there in the district and talk to people where they are and the issues they’re having and not get lost in the political noise of what’s going on nationally,” he said.
Topics discussed at the Pleasant Plains office hours included affordable Internet access, education and development matters. Gray said there is a lack of funding to maintain or repair older water systems in rural areas, and that residents in rural communities worry about the quality of highways because it affects their families and children who ride school buses.
Pleasant Plains Mayor Ken Burns said discussing affordable Internet was important because area schools are implementing the use of Chromebooks.
“Him being a part of the education committee — we’ll maybe start a conversation down in Little Rock,” said Burns, who noted about 12 people attended the session.
Gray said that Pleasant Plains’ concerns should be addressed at the state Capitol.
“We have to remind people in Little Rock that this is not a matter of 400 houses in a neighborhood so that cable companies are itching [to set up cable], this may be four houses on a gravel road where Internet access is just as important,” Gray said.
Burns said holding office hours that includes state representatives is important and that matters such as police department funding were also addressed.
“It gives an insight to the citizens and to the elected officials who are in the district to get any questions answered and to find out any upcoming legislation that may affect people in the area,” Burns said.
Gray, who owns a farm, said his upbringing in rural Arkansas helps his perspective with District 47.
“My background as a farmer helps my role in that I always have a sense of urgency, hoping for the best but expecting the worst,” he said. “There is always something that can be done. I’m from a rural area. I have grown up facing these same challenges. I bring that perspective that I’m going to make sure that every town I represent is heard.”
Edwin Butterworth, Midland High School principal, said he found the office hours helpful.
“One particular situation we had is we have a teacher that’s moved here from Mississippi, and we’re working on getting her certifications transferred over,” Butterworth said. “[Rep. Gray] said he’ll get with [state Education Commissioner Johnny Key] to see if we can alleviate the red tape to get this teacher to teach here without any extra classes.”
Butterworth said he’d like to see office hours held in the community about once a quarter. Burns said he’d like to see it take place every six months.
“I’d like to see it about every six months to keep [residents] abreast of what’s going on in Little Rock,” Burns said. “I don’t get the chance to read the paper all the time, and I rather find out about something that’s going to happen before it happens so we can give some input or insight into it.”
Gray said that he hopes to hold another office hours session in October in Jackson County. He said he hopes those who attended in Pleasant Plains learned more about his role for their community.
“Their state government is accessible,” Gray said. “While political labels are necessary sometimes and a part of it, at the end of the day, if you have an issue, your state government officials are accessible. I hope they took away that all they have to do is pick up the phone.”
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.