In his bid to oust Rep. Richard Womack of Arkadelphia, Democrat Richard Bright says the Republican incumbent has lost touch with his constituents in House District 18.
But Womack counters that his votes in the state Legislature have been in tune with his House campaigns in 2012 and 2014, and he questions why voters would elect a Democrat to the seat when Republicans control the House, Senate and each of the state’s seven constitutional offices.
House District 18 includes parts of Clark, Dallas, Garland and Hot Spring counties.
Womack, owner of Richard Womack Paint & Construction, has represented the district since 2013. He is 41.
Bright, an attorney from Arkadelphia, has served on the Clark County Quorum Court since 2011. He is 38.
The representative post is paid $39,400 a year in salary, plus per diem and mileage for attending meetings. The term is for two years, and the election for the seat is Nov. 8.
Bright said voters should cast their ballots for him because he has represented Clark County as a justice of the peace for almost six years.
“The sense I am getting is he has lost touch with the district,” Bright said of Womack.
He said Womack campaigned as a foe of Arkansas’ version of Medicaid expansion, which provides private health insurance to low-income Arkansans, and that Womack voted “present” on 2015 legislation reauthorizing funding for the program and on a bill this year designed to reauthorize funding. In a special session earlier this year, Womack voted against Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s legislation to make changes in the private option program and call it Arkansas Works.
“It shows how out of touch he is,” Bright said in an interview.
Baptist Health Medical Center in Arkadelphia wouldn’t have the ability to expand services without the district’s low-income people being covered by insurance paid for by Arkansas’ Medicaid expansion, he said.
Bright said he would vote to reauthorize the use of federal and state funds for the program.
First approved by the Legislature in 2013, the expansion of the Medicaid program extended coverage to adults with incomes of up to 138 percent of the poverty level: $16,394 for an individual, for instance, or $33,534 for a family of four.
Most of those covered under the expanded part of the program receive the coverage through what is known as the private option, which uses Medicaid funds to buy coverage through private insurance plans. More than 300,000 Arkansans have been enrolled.
Hutchinson’s Arkansas Works program would continue the coverage while making changes that the governor has said would encourage enrollees to stay employed and take responsibility for their health care. The state is seeking a federal waiver for the program, starting next year. The state will start paying 5 percent of the cost of the program next year, and its share will gradually increase to 10 percent by 2020.
Womack said, “As state representative, I’ve stood by my word and have lowered taxes, voted pro-life and progun, opposed Obamacare, and fought big government.”
“My opponent questioning this record proves he is the one out of touch with the district,” he said.
As for his not voting for Arkansas’ version of Medicaid expansion, Womack said in a written statement that “I understand and appreciate the need to get healthcare cost under control, however I do not believe implementing Obamacare in Arkansas was the best approach to this problem. That is why I voted no in 2013 and 2014.”
“In 2015, we had a new governor [and] my present votes were to show him I respected his request for more time to address this important issue, but still didn’t feel comfortable voting yes on the PO [private option],” he said. “When Arkansas Works was later presented, I voted no because I still worried the overall cost to the state was more than we can handle. That said, I appreciate the governor’s work in tackling this issue and look forward to working with him as we continue to find more reforms that will ensure access to affordable healthcare for all Arkansans.”
Womack said voters should cast ballots for his re-election because “I have great experience, and we’ve done a great job for this district in getting grant monies back.”
“We have turned the corner in this state as far as business environment, and we have been able to work a great deal on the Shandong Sun paper pulp mill that we’ve pulled into our district,” he said in an interview.
In April, Chinese pulp and paper manufacturer Sun Paper announced plans to build a $1 billion pulp mill near Arkadelphia to create 250 jobs.
“I just feel like we are really on a good roll, and I don’t know why we would want to interrupt that,” Womack said.
“I don’t know why in the world you would want to send somebody from the opposite party to work on your behalf when the House and the Senate and the governor and all the constitutional officers are all in the same party and generally on the same page,” he said. “It seems like it would be anti-productive to go another route.”
The House has 62 Republicans, 34 Democrats and one independent, state Rep. Nate Bell of Mena. There are three vacant House seats that were held by former state Reps. Bill Gossage, R-Ozark; Kelley Linck, R-Flippin; and the late Rep. Sheilla Lampkin, D-Monticello.
Bright said that though Womack and Hutchinson are in the same party, Womack doesn’t see eye to eye with the governor on issues such as Arkansas Works.
“If it is a good idea, it doesn’t matter what party you are in. I want to work with whoever to make that happen,” he said.
Bright said Womack’s unsuccessful legislation to restrict occupational certification requirements was self-serving legislation and poorly written.
“Getting rid of some of these licensing requirements can be a matter of life and death,” Bright said.
But Womack said: “The purpose of this bill was to bring attention to, and hopefully end, out of control occupational regulation that is locking people out of work. The bill expressly avoided any loosening of health or safety requirements and clearly stated that it did not change the regulations of professions with fiduciary responsibilities, which includes occupations such as attorneys and CPAs [certified public accountants].” He said several tradesmen have urged him to resurrect the legislation. The Legislature will meet in regular session starting in January.
Bright said he wants to work to increase Internet speed and broadband access in rural areas, increase state funding for pre-kindergarten programs and require disclosure of the funding sources of “dark money” that can influence political campaigns. Such contributions are called dark money because their sources are unknown.
Womack said he backs increased state funding for pre-kindergarten programs. “I support creating more pre-K opportunities because it is an important time for kids to begin learning and start down the path of success,” he said.
On another issue, Bright said he believes an abortion “ultimately is a medical decision between the woman, her doctor and God.” Womack said he opposes abortions except to save the life of the mother and in cases of rape or incest.
Bright said he would vote against a proposed constitutional amendment on lawsuits over medical care. The proposal would require the Legislature to set a maximum cap of at least $250,000 on noneconomic damages for pain and suffering, and limit fees for winning lawyers to one-third of damages.
He said he doesn’t want to rewrite the Arkansas Constitution to help nursing homes and companies, and leave children and the elderly vulnerable. There already is a state law to stop frivolous lawsuits, he said.
But Womack said he would support the proposed amendment if he had to vote on it last week.
“Some way we have to temper the frivolous lawsuits, and this seems to be a reasonable way to start dealing with that problem,” he said.