Who makes Arkansas’ laws? Not that many lawyers

Twelve members of the 135-member Legislature are lawyers. That’s about 9 percent, but five are Democrats, including both senators, which means they have little influence beyond making speeches, asking questions, and casting meaningless “no” votes against overwhelming majorities.

On the other hand, two of the Republican attorneys in the House were among this past session’s leading legislators – Speaker of the House Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould. Gazaway was a primary House sponsor of a major criminal justice reform law.

I placed 48 legislators in a broad “general business” category, which is a range of occupations that includes three auto dealers, two pharmacy owners, two auctioneers (one of whom, Sen. John Payton, R-Wilburn, is also an auto dealer), a furniture store owner, and others.

Twenty are involved in real estate – either as their primary occupation or as one of several – as agents, property owners and managers, developers, and as president of a title company. One of them, Sen. Steve Crowell, R-Magnolia, is also a high school football referee.

Meanwhile, 18 legislators list farming, or something farming-related, as one of their occupations. For 12, it is not the only one listed.

Educators are another well-represented profession in the Legislature, with at least 14 members having some connection to public or private schools from K-12 to the college level.

In contrast, I count only two accountants in the Legislature, and none in the 100-member House. One of the two, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, is Senate chairman of the Joint Budget Committee and plays a large role in writing the state’s budget.

Among the other occupations listed are at least 12 related to health care, including two physicians, a retired nurse practitioner, a dentist, and the two pharmacists mentioned earlier. Others are involved in the business of health care.

Four legislators have a significant military background, including Rep. Mark Berry, R-Ozark, a retired Air Force general who led the Arkansas National Guard, and Rep. Steve Unger, R-Springdale, a retired Navy captain.

Among other professions are the three pastors I mentioned earlier, three information technology professionals, three legislators with significant law enforcement careers, and two logistics professionals (one of whom was also a law enforcer). There are also three current or retired bankers in the Legislature. Two are insurance agents, which seems lower than in the past, but I could be wrong.

Two legislators have recognizable broadcast media backgrounds and are still involved in media work: former sportscaster Rep. Carlton Wing, R-North Little Rock, and former morning show host Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley.

Few in the Legislature have a more interesting background than Rep. Matt Duffield, R-Russellville, who now is president of Big River Materials and is vice president of Duffield Gravel Company. Previously – and not long ago – he was a professional wrestler. You can watch him on YouTube as the bad guy grappling with Memphis legend Jerry Lawler.

Final thoughts? It matters what kinds of professions get represented in the Legislature. The best of people will still act in the interests of their profession, so it’s good to have a variety.

Also, and I don’t expect this to be a popular opinion, but we probably could use a couple more lawyers in the Legislature, or at least one or two Republican lawyers in the Senate.

The Legislature makes a lot of laws – some of them far-reaching and some of them potentially unconstitutional. Sometimes, laws happen very quickly. It might be good if more lawmakers were trained in the law. After all, some of those laws will end up in the court system, where questions will be decided entirely – and permanently – by lawyers.

Perhaps we need a few more accountants and engineers as well – and maybe another referee. I’m a word guy, but the numbers need to add up, and the rules need to be followed.

Steve Brawner is a syndicated columnist published in 18 outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevebrawner.