Jump to content

48th Arkansas General Assembly

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
48th Arkansas General Assembly
47th 49th
Overview
TermJanuary 12, 1931 (1931-01-12) – May 12, 1933 (1933-05-12)
Arkansas Senate
Senate party standings
Members35 (35 Democratic Party)
President of the SenateLawrence Wilson (D)
Party controlDemocratic Party
House of Representatives
House party standings
Members100 (99 Democratic Party, 1 R)
House SpeakerIrving Neale (D)
Party controlDemocratic Party
Sessions
1stJanuary 12, 1931 – May 12, 1931
2ndOctober 7, 1931 –
3rdMarch 15, 1932 – April 12, 1932

The Forty-Eighth Arkansas General Assembly was the legislative body of the state of Arkansas in 1931 and 1932. In this General Assembly, the Arkansas Senate and Arkansas House of Representatives were both controlled by the Democrats. In the Senate, all 35 senators were Democrats, and in the House, 99 representatives were Democrats, with one Republican. It was the first General Assembly to use redistricted legislative districts from the 1930 United States Census.

Major events

[edit]

Vacancies

[edit]

Appointments

[edit]

Legislative summary

[edit]

The 48th General Assembly generally dealt with routine matters. They created the county highway fund[1] and abolished the elected office of Arkansas State Superintendent of Public Instruction, converting the office to the Arkansas Commissioner of Education, which was appointed by the Arkansas Board of Education.

Governor Parnell sought approval from the legislature to send a government reorganization plan to the voters. The plan would have reduced all state elections to once every four years, with only the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general remaining as elected officials and reorganizing the executive branch into twelve departments. The plan was viewed as an increase in the governor's power and never gained traction with the legislature.[2]

A special session was called in October 1931 to reduce 1932 acreage in cotton cultivation by 30% from 1931 levels (to reduce overproduction).[3] A second special session was called in March 1932 for a myriad of subjects. The legislature ratified the lame duck amendment to the United States Constitution and dealt with various financial matters in the state, some caused by the Great Depression in the United States. Though the governor's stated matters had been dealt with, the House voted 82-7 against adjourning on April 12. Governor Parnell then declared the session over, overriding the vote. However, a rump group of 69 House members persisted until the Arkansas Supreme Court disbanded the proceedings on April 14.[4]

Senate

[edit]

The senate was controlled completely the Democratic party. Eighteen senators were lawyers, five were farmers, three were merchants, with one each listing their occupation as: cotton buyer, insurance man, editor, banker, manufacturer, minister, car dealer, and doctor.[5]

Leadership

[edit]

Senators

[edit]
District Senator Party First elected Counties
1 W. E. Spence Democratic 1928 Clay, Craighead, Greene
2 Richard C. Waldron Democratic 1928 Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp
3 Roy Milum Democratic 1922 Boone, Marion, Newton
4 Robert L. Bailey Democratic 1930 Johnson, Pope
5 Robert J. Wilson Democratic 1920 Washington
6 J. P. Ward Democratic 1930 Independence, Stone
7 J. L. Shaver Democratic 1930 Cross, Woodruff
8 J. N. George Democratic 1928 Logan, Yell
9 Joe W. Kimsey Democratic 1928 Grant, Hot Spring, Saline
10 Ed B. Dillon Democratic 1926 Perry, Pulaski
10 G. W. Hendricks Democratic 1930 Perry, Pulaski
11 Creed Caldwell Democratic 1916 Jefferson
12 T. P. Atkins Democratic 1930 Lonoke, Prairie
13 Elmo Chaney Democratic 1928 Arkansas, Monroe
14 John M. Quarles Democratic 1928 Lee, Phillips
15 J.A. Bennett Democratic 1930 Ashley, Chicot
16 Tate McGehee Democratic 1928 Cleveland, Dallas, Lincoln
17 W. F. Norrell Democratic 1930 Desha, Drew
18 Duvall L. Perkins Democratic 1928 Bradley, Union
19 Charles L. Poole Democratic 1930 Calhoun, Ouachita
20 Lawrence L. Mitchell Democratic 1930 Hempstead, Nevada
21 Ned A. Stewart Democratic 1930 Columbia, Lafayette, Miller
22 Winfred Lake Democratic 1930 Howard, Little River, Sevier
23 William H.V. Wahlquist Democratic 1928 Baxter, Fulton, Izard
24 Mike I. Shuster Democratic 1930 Carroll, Madison
25 C. R. Counts Democratic 1928 Crawford, Franklin
26 Guy Walls Democratic 1930 Conway, Cleburne, Searcy, Van Buren
27 W. H. Abington Democratic 1930 White, Faulkner
28 J. F. Brewer Democratic 1924 Sebastian
29 R. A. Nelson Democratic 1928 Jackson, Mississippi, Poinsett
30 Fletcher McElhannon Democratic 1930 Clark, Pike
31 Granville Jones Democratic 1928 Garland, Montgomery
32 Marvin B. Norfleet Democratic 1930 Crittenden, St. Francis
33 J. A. Thornton Democratic 1924 Polk, Scott
34 Storm O. Whaley Democratic 1930 Benton

House of Representatives

[edit]

The House was controlled by the Democratic party, with only one Republican member. Democratic hegemony was typical in Arkansas and throughout the American South during the Solid South period. Thirty-three members of the House were lawyers, with 21 farmers, 5 insurance men, 4 teachers, 4 doctors, 4 bankers, and three ministers. The remaining members held a variety of occupations, including one homemaker, Ethel Cole Cunningham, the only female member of the 48th General Assembly.[5]

Leadership

[edit]

Representatives

[edit]
County Representative Party First elected
Arkansas Ballard Deane Democratic 1928
Ashley F. H. Switzer Democratic 1930
Baxter William U. McCabe Democratic 1930
Benton William J. Bullock Democratic 1928
Benton E. S. Graham Democratic 1930
Boone Louis Dowell Democratic 1930
Bradley Carroll Hollensworth Democratic 1930
Calhoun Marcus W. Proctor Democratic 1930
Carroll Ted P. Coxsey Democratic 1930
Chicot Carneal Warfield Democratic 1930
Clark T. N. Wilson Democratic 1930
Clark Joe M. Thomas Democratic 1930
Clay Earl Day Democratic 1930
Cleburne S. A. Turner Democratic 1930
Cleveland George F. Brown Democratic 1928
Columbia Wade Kitchens Democratic 1928
Columbia S. A. Crumpler Democratic 1930
Conway Charlie C. Eddy Democratic 1930
Conway Edward H. Sellers Democratic 1929 (App)
Craighead Archer Wheatley Democratic 1928
Crawford J. Arthur Spinks Democratic 1930
Crawford Jim Scott Democratic 1930
Crittenden Robert Eberhart Democratic 1930
Cross Sam A. Gooch Democratic 1930
Dallas L. E. Purdy Democratic 1926
Desha George D. Hester Democratic 1928
Drew John W. Kimbro Democratic 1930
Faulkner Kenneth Coffelt Democratic 1930
Franklin Junius Pugh Clayton Democratic 1928
Franklin John Bollinger Democratic 1930
Fulton H. O. Smith Democratic 1928
Garland Elmer Tackett Democratic 1930
Garland R. L. Gilliam Democratic 1930
Grant Paul Clark Democratic 1928
Greene J. Ed Thompson Democratic 1928
Hempstead I. L. Pilkington Democratic 1930
Hempstead Curtis Cannon Democratic 1928
Hot Spring James T. Morehead Democratic 1930
Howard W. H. Toland Democratic 1930
Independence L. O. Latting Democratic 1930
Independence Virgil James Butler Democratic 1930
Izard Tillman E. Lawrence Democratic 1928
Jackson Oran D. Watson Democratic 1930
Jefferson H. Kemp Toney Democratic 1930
Jefferson Sam M. Levine Democratic 1930
Jefferson H. Ben Feinberg Democratic 1930
Johnson Daniel W. Johnston Democratic 1928
Lafayette Guy G. Boyett Democratic 1930
Lawrence Jay Hamilton Myers Democratic 1930
Lee F. N. Burke Democratic 1930
Lee W. L. Ward Democratic 1930
Lincoln Joe C. Hardin Democratic 1930
Little River W. D. Waldrop Democratic 1930
Logan W. M. Wade Democratic 1928
Logan Henry Stroupe Democratic 1930
Lonoke John M. Bransford Democratic 1930
Lonoke W. B. Graham Democratic 1930
Madison Charles L. McElhaney Democratic 1930
Marion George H. Perry Democratic 1930
Miller B. F. Arnold Democratic 1930
Mississippi E. E. Alexander Democratic 1923
Monroe Ben Hassell Democratic 1930
Montgomery Harold Watkins Democratic 1930
Nevada J. B. Silvey Democratic 1930
Newton William Boyd Pruitt Democratic 1928
Ouachita R. K. Mason Democratic 1930
Perry G. N. Parmenter Democratic 1930
Phillips E. D. Robertson Democratic 1930
Phillips Edwawrd S. Dudley Democratic 1930
Pike Fletcher B. Clement Democratic 1930
Poinsett H. B. Thorn Democratic 1930
Polk John T. Owen Democratic 1928
Pope J. B. Evans Democratic 1930
Pope J. W. Danley Democratic 1930
Prairie V. A. Rogers Democratic 1930
Pulaski H. B. Stubblefield Democratic 1930
Pulaski Tom Newton Democratic 1930
Pulaski Murray O. Reed Democratic 1930
Pulaski Morgan Smith Democratic 1928
Randolph J. E. Smith Democratic 1930
St. Francis Charles Fleming Democratic 1930
Saline Charles D. Ewell Democratic 1930
Scott L. D. Duncan Democratic 1930
Searcy S. E. Hollabaugh Republican 1930
Sebastian Irving Neale Democratic 1924
Sebastian Henry Kaufman Democratic 1930
Sebastian John Clay Democratic 1930
Sevier James R. Campbell Democratic 1928
Sharp Sidney Kelley Democratic 1930
Stone Joe Ward Democratic 1930
Union T. P. Oliver Democratic 1930
Van Buren Joe S. Hall Democratic 1930
Washington Wilson Cardwell Democratic 1926
Washington Irvin R. Rothrock Democratic 1928
Washington Virgil Ramsey Democratic 1930
White J. M. Talkington Democratic 1930
White J. A. Adkins Democratic 1930
Woodruff Walter W. Raney Democratic 1930
Yell W. C. Blackwell Democratic 1930
Yell Ethel Cole Cunningham Democratic 1930

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Governmental Relations Office (2018). Development of Highway and Transportation Legislation in Arkansas (PDF). Little Rock: Arkansas Department of Transportation. p. 18. Retrieved August 28, 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Herndon, Dallas Tabor (1947). Annals of Arkansas. Vol. 1. Hopkinsville, Kentucky: Historical Record Association. p. 272-273. OCLC 3920841.
  3. ^ "Annals" (1947), p. 273.
  4. ^ "Annals" (1947), pp. 273–274.
  5. ^ a b Staff of the United Press (January 13, 1931). "Assembly Sidelights". Fayetteville Daily Democrat. Vol. 37, no. 44. Fayetteville: Democrat Publishing Company. p. 4. OCLC 18126013 – via NewspaperARCHIVE.
  6. ^ Staff of the Fayetteville Daily Democrat (January 12, 1931). "Neale Speaker 48th General State Assembly". Fayetteville Daily Democrat. Vol. 37, no. 43. Fayetteville: Democrat Publishing Company. p. 1. OCLC 18126013 – via NewspaperARCHIVE.