Some members of the Arkansas House of Representatives are thinking about running for speaker of the next General Assembly.
The 92nd General Assembly, which concluded its regular session on Wednesday, expires in January 2021. Each General Assembly lasts two years and that is the term for the speaker, who oversees each meeting of the House. The members choose the speaker.
Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, said he still hasn't decided whether to seek re-election to the post.
House Revenue and Taxation Committee Chairman Joe Jett, R-Success, said he will run for speaker.
Rep. Les Eaves, R-Searcy, said he intends to run for speaker, but hasn't decided if he'll bow out if Shepherd runs again.
Rep. DeAnn Vaught, R-Horatio, expressed interest, but not if Shepherd is running.
"I am pretty sure he is going to run again," Vaught said.
These comments came a day after the Legislature adjourned its 88-day regular session.
The House won't elect the speaker for the 93rd General Assembly until the end of next year's fiscal session. The fiscal session will begin April 8.
Shepherd has served as speaker since the House picked him in June to succeed Rep. Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia. Gillam resigned effective June 15 to take a job as director of governmental affairs and external relations at the University of Central Arkansas. Shepherd was unopposed in that election to finish the term as speaker of the 91st General Assembly.
In March 2018, the House elected Shepherd as the speaker designate over Rep. Andy Davis, R-Little Rock, in a 57-41 vote. He was officially elected Jan. 14. His current term over the 92nd General Assembly covers 2019-21.
Shepherd, 43, an attorney, has served in the House since 2011 and formerly served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Jett, 59, a retired farmer and owner of a trucking company, has been in the House since 2013. He has served as the House Revenue and Taxation Committee chairman since 2015. He switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in December 2016 before Gillam reappointed him as the House tax committee chairman in January 2017.
Jett said Thursday in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he plans to send a letter this weekend to his House colleagues asking for their support for him to be speaker.
He said he's running for speaker because Arkansans have repeatedly voted for term limits for lawmakers to prevent "too few people" from consolidating too much power. Multiple terms as speaker consolidates power in "too few people" and goes against the wishes of voters, he said.
"This is not a shot against Matthew Shepherd," he said, calling Shepherd a good friend.
If Shepherd is re-elected to the post, the House's freshman class of 2011 will have controlled the speaker post for eight years from 2015-23, Jett said.
Jett said he informed Shepherd a few weeks ago it was highly likely he would run for speaker.
Jett said that in that position, he would be more vocal sticking up for representatives in deliberations with the Senate and the governor than Shepherd has been.
Shepherd said Thursday in an interview that Jett told him about two weeks ago of his intentions.
He said he still considering what to do. A number of people have encouraged him to do so and he's gauging his level of support, he said.
"I expect to make a final decision very soon," Shepherd said.
"I don't see it as any kind of consolidation of power," he said, if he is re-elected as speaker.
Under Amendment 94 to the Arkansas Constitution, lawmakers may serve up to 16 years in the House, Senate or combined service in both chambers, he noted.
Shepherd said the House in January 2017 changed its rules to allow future speakers to make all committee assignments, which he did.
But he allowed for the enactment of House rules changes two weeks ago that strip that authority from the speaker and return to the former method based on seniority.
The rules changes will allow the speaker to balance a committee's membership if a minority party gains a majority of a committee seats. The House speaker will still appoint committee chairmen.
Asked about Jett's assertion that Jett would be more vocal on the behalf of representatives, Shepherd said, "I am not going to comment on his position on any of that."
Eaves, 51, an executive at Delta Trailers, has served in the House since 2013.
"As it stands right now, I plan to run," he said Thursday in an interview. But he hasn't decided whether he will "back out" if Shepherd decides to run again for House speaker.
"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Matthew and I think he did a great job," he said.
But Eaves referred to the 2011 freshman class holding the speaker position for eight years if Shepherd stays as speaker in 2021.
Vaught, 49, a farmer who has served in the House since 2015, said in an interview that she would only run for speaker if Shepherd opts not to do so.
The House is composed of 76 Republicans and 24 Democrats
House Republican leader Marcus Richmond of Harvey said both Shepherd and Jett "are ready to run." He declined to state his preference.
"We do know what Matt is capable of doing and let Joe get out there and talk about what he wants to do different," Richmond said in an interview. "Both of them are very capable individuals and will do a great job."
House Democratic leader Charles Blake of Little Rock on Thursday declined to state a preference for the next House speaker.
"What I am encouraged by is those are the more reasonable Republicans, which means it is going to be a tough decision for a lot of people. They are all of the same similar mold," he said.
"I think it would be pretty difficult for someone who just became a Republican to win a lot of Republicans over, probably won't win too many Democrats," Blake said, referring to Jett. "I will be willing to hear what he has to say."
But he said, "There are a lot of requests for someone different to be the speaker. ... The women in the chamber might say it is time for a woman [to be House speaker]. Some Democrats might say it is time for a woman. ... But I like to fight, so the more [candidates] the merrier for me."
Metro on 04/26/2019