Hester reelected as President of Senate as Legislature wraps up fiscal session; Chesterfield honored

Brian Chilson

The legislature wrapped up the fiscal session right this moment, OKing Gov. Sarah Sanders’ austerity budget with minor tweaks. The adjournment can be made official tomorrow with Sine Die, however right this moment was the final day of enterprise. We’re within the closing rubber stamping section, so the information right this moment was extra in regards to the Senate roster than coverage: Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) was re-elected as President Professional Tem of the Senate and Sen. Linda Chesterfield was feted on the Senate ground in honor of her retirement this yr. Chesterfield has served within the Senate for 14 years; she beforehand did a six-year stint within the Home.

What was speculated to be a “no drama” session wound up with loads of controversy. Simply because the session started, a legislative audit report was released on the governor’s lecterngate scandal, documenting seven “areas of potential violation of state regulation.” The findings have been referred to the prosecutor’s workplace; the governor responded with a hip-hop tantrum, daring somebody (who?) to “come and take it.” The lectern, I imply. Don’t ask.

And one other scandal popped earlier than the session even started, in response to grassroots anger from communities coping with the nuisance from “crypto mines.” Crypto mines are networks of computer systems which can be unpleasantly noisy; overuse electrical energy and water; are horrible for the atmosphere; reportedly have well being dangers; spook livestock, birds and wildlife; and contribute nothing to the group. The crypto mine trade was profiting from a boneheaded regulation that their advocates reportedly wrote, Act 851 of 2023, which sharply curtailed the flexibility of native cities and counties to control the nuisance. With public calls for and native and nationwide media consideration getting louder, the Legislature agreed to take up the difficulty, which required two thirds approval from each chambers as a result of it’s a non-budget matter throughout a fiscal session. The identical guys that that co-sponsored the unique unhealthy regulation have been again as co-sponsors of the 2 fixes that the Legislature lastly handed this week, after considerably contentious debate all session. They’re higher than nothing, however weaker than you may want — a slate of extra aggressive proposals was killed within the Home earlier than they ever bought a listening to.

Hester, who has served as president professional tem of the Senate since 2023, topped challenger Sen. Terry Rice in an April 23 vote by the Arkansas Senate Republican Caucus to pick out a nominee. In apply, that kind of settled the matter since there are solely six Democrats within the chamber.

Hester is a pure match for management of the confederacy of dunces within the Republican supermajority: He’s a right-wing zealot propped up by People for Prosperity and obsessive about hindering the rights of LGBT individuals and censoring his enemies; he’s slavishly dedicated to the Queenfish governor and her dictates and whims; and he creates legal and political complications for himself by saying dumb, heartless stuff. He used to play baseball.

The Senate additionally honored Chesterfield, who’s retiring this yr. She introduced in August that she wouldn’t search reelection and endorsed Rep. Jamie Scott (D-North Little Rock) to be her successor. Scott was in attendance on the Senate right this moment. “I believe it’s time for me to maneuver on,” she instructed the Democrat-Gazette in August. “I’ve achieved an amazing deal, however the devolution in discourse is disheartening.”

A longtime schoolteacher, she served as a voice of liberal conscience within the Legislature — first in a Democratic majority, after which in a dwindling minority as Arkansas turned a dead-red state and right-wing radicals like Hester started working the asylum. She’s going to proceed to serve on committees via the top of her time period, and will properly have to point out up for one final tax-slashing particular session. However not less than on the common calendar, that is her final day of enterprise on the Senate ground.

Sen. Greg Leding (D-Little Rock) opened by crediting her “grace, compassion, vocabulary and seemingly infinite persistence.”

“I believe you understand you’ve meant loads to me over these years,” Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-Searcy) mentioned. “You’ve helped maintain us grounded.”

Chesterfield, addressing her colleagues, spoke in regards to the significance of the legislative department remaining near the individuals and utilizing its energy and independence within the state’s system of checks and balances. She additionally thanked the media in attendance, expressing her perception within the significance of a free press. She closed by quoting the Apostle Paul: “I’ve fought battle. I’ve completed my course. I’ve saved the religion.”

Dismang offered to her a letter nominating Chesterfield for the Arkansas Black Corridor of Fame, which Chesterfield accepted with a hug, drawing a standing ovation from the senators, who lined as much as her honor her one after the other. I consider all the senators additionally provided letters of nomination for the Black Corridor of Fame.

Practically all of the senators stepped as much as the mic to voice their appreciation to an emotional Chesterfield, together with Sen. Alan Clark, who known as her “one among my favourite senators”; Sen. Blake Johnson, who mentioned that regardless of variations, they’d disagreed “with honor and dignity”; a tearful Sen. Missy Irvin (Mountain View) known as her “an unbelievable ladies for the state of Arkansas” and instructed a narrative about Chesterfield taking her purchasing as a result of she wanted extra colour in her wardrobe; Rice mentioned she reminds the physique what it’s speculated to be; and Sen. Jane English (R-North Little Rock), who mentioned Chesterfield’s perspective had “opened her eyes.” Clarke Tucker (D-Little Rock) and Sen. Fred Love (D-Mabelvale) each credited her as an important mentor, and Love applauded “the depth of her compassion and her caring.”

“This physique won’t be the identical with out you,” Tucker mentioned.

“I come from an space of Arkansas the place most individuals appear to be me,” Sen. Scott Flippo (R-Bull Shoals) mentioned, and instructed the story of a time that he had mansplained the present “Gunsmoke” to her. He assumed a Black, liberal girl wouldn’t be a fan of the present. “I stand corrected,” he mentioned. “You taught me to not choose a ebook by its cowl.”

“If there was a badass girl corridor of fame, I’d write you a letter for that, too,” Flippo added.

“Pound for pound, she’s the best advocate I’ve ever been round,” Sen. Reginald Murdock (D-Marianna) mentioned. “And when she put the mic in her hand — as you’ll know — she’s harmful with the mic in her hand.”

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