Arkansas is a great place to live. We have some of the greatest state parks, natural beauty, and thriving businesses in the nation. But in recent years, we've all seen a decided turn in our state politics.
I served as a conservative Democrat, and I remember the time when we all worked together on real issues that impacted all Arkansans to move our state forward. Today I don't consider myself a Democrat or a Republican; I always said my politics were two clicks right of center. The center was where good things got accomplished. The center has gotten a lot smaller so nothing gets accomplished on either side.
As a former speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, it gave me a great deal of satisfaction to see bipartisan efforts focused on real issues. Today, however, we see smaller and louder groups on the fringe of partisan politics fighting for attention and power rather than putting the people of Arkansas first. These groups bully politicians into bowing to their special-interest positions. We are also burdened with too many politicians who think a hard day's work is calling people names on social media.
So how do we fix it? How do we drive our state politicians back to a place where we can see progress and bipartisanship instead of division and name-calling?
We have to start by recognizing reality. The reality is that most races in Arkansas are not determined in November, but in May. They are determined in our primary election. And in most cases, although not all, they are determined in Republican primary elections.
If I want to have any voice at all in electing my leaders, I have to participate in the party primary where those leaders are elected, whether Democrat or Republican.
Some people may say it is wrong for me as a former Democrat speaker of the House to encourage people to vote in any Republican primary, even if that's where their races are decided. But the truth is, it is your vote. It doesn't belong to either party, and it's your right to use it wherever you want. I'll also add that you can and should still participate in the November election and express your partisan position there.
So that's it, Arkansas. If you want change, use your vote. Use it wisely in May. Don't wait until November. So make your vote count, no matter which primary you have to vote in, and help fill the center back up again.
Benny C. Petrus was speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2006-2008.