Arkansas House Members to Select New Speaker, Determine Seniority
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: November 9, 2012
A petition to elect a new speaker of the Arkansas House is circulating since the balance of power changed on election day.
The current speaker is a Democrat, and Republicans would like to change that now that they have a majority.
The new members-elect of the 89th general assembly are also finding out their seat assignments.
According to Arkansas House rules, the seniority of incoming members will be determined by lot and drawn by the Speaker of the House.
Representatives will then select in order of seniority any seat not occupied.
After the drawing, the members will go to their district caucus and begin the selection process for standing committees.
Arkansas House Speaker Robert S. Moore, Jr. notified members of the General Assembly today that he has scheduled an organizational meeting for noon on November 15 for the purpose of the re-election of Speaker-elect Darrin Williams.
Arkansas Code allows the Speaker to set a date for a re-election if he is served with a petition signed by 51 or more members claiming the formal election of the Speaker of the 89th General Assembly is in doubt.
"Today I was served with petitions with the needed signatures. Both Democrats and Republicans signed petitions in an effort to have this matter resolved in a timely and bi-partisan fashion," said Moore.
Speaker Moore informed members that if Speaker-elect Darrin Williams does not receive the 51 votes needed to serve as Speaker of the 89th General Assembly, a new election process will immediately take place.
"Speaker-elect Darrin Williams and I both agree this should be an open and transparent process. His willingness to have this issue resolved is what prompted him to ask Democrats to help provide the needed signatures," said Moore.
New nominees for Speaker-elect must be declared from the membership of 89th General Assembly. New nominees will be afforded an opportunity to address the membership.
The proceedings will be broadcast on www.arkansashouse.org beginning at noon on Thursday.
The current speaker is a Democrat, and Republicans would like to change that now that they have a majority.
The new members-elect of the 89th general assembly are also finding out their seat assignments.
According to Arkansas House rules, the seniority of incoming members will be determined by lot and drawn by the Speaker of the House.
Representatives will then select in order of seniority any seat not occupied.
After the drawing, the members will go to their district caucus and begin the selection process for standing committees.
Arkansas House Speaker Robert S. Moore, Jr. notified members of the General Assembly today that he has scheduled an organizational meeting for noon on November 15 for the purpose of the re-election of Speaker-elect Darrin Williams.
Arkansas Code allows the Speaker to set a date for a re-election if he is served with a petition signed by 51 or more members claiming the formal election of the Speaker of the 89th General Assembly is in doubt.
"Today I was served with petitions with the needed signatures. Both Democrats and Republicans signed petitions in an effort to have this matter resolved in a timely and bi-partisan fashion," said Moore.
Speaker Moore informed members that if Speaker-elect Darrin Williams does not receive the 51 votes needed to serve as Speaker of the 89th General Assembly, a new election process will immediately take place.
"Speaker-elect Darrin Williams and I both agree this should be an open and transparent process. His willingness to have this issue resolved is what prompted him to ask Democrats to help provide the needed signatures," said Moore.
New nominees for Speaker-elect must be declared from the membership of 89th General Assembly. New nominees will be afforded an opportunity to address the membership.
The proceedings will be broadcast on www.arkansashouse.org beginning at noon on Thursday.
