48th Arkansas General Assembly

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.

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

Major events

Vacancies

  • Senator Granville Jones (D-31st) died, replaced by L. Walter Wheatley by election
  • Representative William U. McCabe (D-Baxter County) died, no record of a successor being elected or appointed
  • Representative S. A. Turner (D-Cleburne County) died, no record of a successor being elected or appointed

Appointments

  • Senator R. E. Spence is appointed to the 1st Senatorial District due to the resignation of his father, W. E. Spence.

Legislative summary

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

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

Senators

District Senator Party First elected Counties
1W. E. SpenceDemocratic1928Clay, Craighead, Greene
2Richard C. WaldronDemocratic1928Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp
3Roy MilumDemocratic1922Boone, Marion, Newton
4Robert L. BaileyDemocratic1930Johnson, Pope
5Robert J. WilsonDemocratic1920Washington
6J. P. WardDemocratic1930Independence, Stone
7J. L. ShaverDemocratic1930Cross, Woodruff
8J. N. GeorgeDemocratic1928Logan, Yell
9Joe W. KimseyDemocratic1928Grant, Hot Spring, Saline
10Ed B. DillonDemocratic1926Perry, Pulaski
10G. W. HendricksDemocratic1930Perry, Pulaski
11Creed CaldwellDemocratic1916Jefferson
12T. P. AtkinsDemocratic1930Lonoke, Prairie
13Elmo ChaneyDemocratic1928Arkansas, Monroe
14John M. QuarlesDemocratic1928Lee, Phillips
15J.A. BennettDemocratic1930Ashley, Chicot
16Tate McGeheeDemocratic1928Cleveland, Dallas, Lincoln
17W. F. NorrellDemocratic1930Desha, Drew
18Duvall L. PerkinsDemocratic1928Bradley, Union
19Charles L. PooleDemocratic1930Calhoun, Ouachita
20Lawrence L. MitchellDemocratic1930Hempstead, Nevada
21Ned A. StewartDemocratic1930Columbia, Lafayette, Miller
22Winfred LakeDemocratic1930Howard, Little River, Sevier
23William H.V. WahlquistDemocratic1928Baxter, Fulton, Izard
24Mike I. ShusterDemocratic1930Carroll, Madison
25C. R. CountsDemocratic1928Crawford, Franklin
26Guy WallsDemocratic1930Conway, Cleburne, Searcy, Van Buren
27W. H. AbingtonDemocratic1930White, Faulkner
28J. F. BrewerDemocratic1924Sebastian
29R. A. NelsonDemocratic1928Jackson, Mississippi, Poinsett
30Fletcher McElhannonDemocratic1930Clark, Pike
31Granville JonesDemocratic1928Garland, Montgomery
32Marvin B. NorfleetDemocratic1930Crittenden, St. Francis
33J. A. ThorntonDemocratic1924Polk, Scott
34Storm O. WhaleyDemocratic1930Benton

House of Representatives

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

  • Speaker of the House: Irving Neal

Representatives

County Representative Party First elected
ArkansasBallard DeaneDemocratic1928
AshleyF. H. SwitzerDemocratic1930
BaxterWilliam U. McCabeDemocratic1930
BentonWilliam J. BullockDemocratic1928
BentonE. S. GrahamDemocratic1930
BooneLouis DowellDemocratic1930
BradleyCarroll HollensworthDemocratic1930
CalhounMarcus W. ProctorDemocratic1930
CarrollTed P. CoxseyDemocratic1930
ChicotCarneal WarfieldDemocratic1930
ClarkT. N. WilsonDemocratic1930
ClarkJoe M. ThomasDemocratic1930
ClayEarl DayDemocratic1930
CleburneS. A. TurnerDemocratic1930
ClevelandGeorge F. BrownDemocratic1928
ColumbiaWade KitchensDemocratic1928
ColumbiaS. A. CrumplerDemocratic1930
ConwayCharlie C. EddyDemocratic1930
ConwayEdward H. SellersDemocratic1929 (App)
CraigheadArcher WheatleyDemocratic1928
CrawfordJ. Arthur SpinksDemocratic1930
CrawfordJim ScottDemocratic1930
CrittendenRobert EberhartDemocratic1930
CrossSam A. GoochDemocratic1930
DallasL. E. PurdyDemocratic1926
DeshaGeorge D. HesterDemocratic1928
DrewJohn W. KimbroDemocratic1930
FaulknerKenneth CoffeltDemocratic1930
FranklinJunius Pugh ClaytonDemocratic1928
FranklinJohn BollingerDemocratic1930
FultonH. O. SmithDemocratic1928
GarlandElmer TackettDemocratic1930
GarlandR. L. GilliamDemocratic1930
GrantPaul ClarkDemocratic1928
GreeneJ. Ed ThompsonDemocratic1928
HempsteadI. L. PilkingtonDemocratic1930
HempsteadCurtis CannonDemocratic1928
Hot SpringJames T. MoreheadDemocratic1930
HowardW. H. TolandDemocratic1930
IndependenceL. O. LattingDemocratic1930
IndependenceVirgil James ButlerDemocratic1930
IzardTillman E. LawrenceDemocratic1928
JacksonOran D. WatsonDemocratic1930
JeffersonH. Kemp ToneyDemocratic1930
JeffersonSam M. LevineDemocratic1930
JeffersonH. Ben FeinbergDemocratic1930
JohnsonDaniel W. JohnstonDemocratic1928
LafayetteGuy G. BoyettDemocratic1930
LawrenceJay Hamilton MyersDemocratic1930
LeeF. N. BurkeDemocratic1930
LeeW. L. WardDemocratic1930
LincolnJoe C. HardinDemocratic1930
Little RiverW. D. WaldropDemocratic1930
LoganW. M. WadeDemocratic1928
LoganHenry StroupeDemocratic1930
LonokeJohn M. BransfordDemocratic1930
LonokeW. B. GrahamDemocratic1930
MadisonCharles L. McElhaneyDemocratic1930
MarionGeorge H. PerryDemocratic1930
MillerB. F. ArnoldDemocratic1930
MississippiE. E. AlexanderDemocratic1923
MonroeBen HassellDemocratic1930
MontgomeryHarold WatkinsDemocratic1930
NevadaJ. B. SilveyDemocratic1930
NewtonWilliam Boyd PruittDemocratic1928
OuachitaR. K. MasonDemocratic1930
PerryG. N. ParmenterDemocratic1930
PhillipsE. D. RobertsonDemocratic1930
PhillipsEdwawrd S. DudleyDemocratic1930
PikeFletcher B. ClementDemocratic1930
PoinsettH. B. ThornDemocratic1930
PolkJohn T. OwenDemocratic1928
PopeJ. B. EvansDemocratic1930
PopeJ. W. DanleyDemocratic1930
PrairieV. A. RogersDemocratic1930
PulaskiH. B. StubblefieldDemocratic1930
PulaskiTom NewtonDemocratic1930
PulaskiMurray O. ReedDemocratic1930
PulaskiMorgan SmithDemocratic1928
RandolphJ. E. SmithDemocratic1930
St. FrancisCharles FlemingDemocratic1930
SalineCharles D. EwellDemocratic1930
ScottL. D. DuncanDemocratic1930
SearcyS. E. HollabaughRepublican1930
SebastianIrving NealeDemocratic1924
SebastianHenry KaufmanDemocratic1930
SebastianJohn ClayDemocratic1930
SevierJames R. CampbellDemocratic1928
SharpSidney KelleyDemocratic1930
StoneJoe WardDemocratic1930
UnionT. P. OliverDemocratic1930
Van BurenJoe S. HallDemocratic1930
WashingtonWilson CardwellDemocratic1926
WashingtonIrvin R. RothrockDemocratic1928
WashingtonVirgil RamseyDemocratic1930
WhiteJ. M. TalkingtonDemocratic1930
WhiteJ. A. AdkinsDemocratic1930
WoodruffWalter W. RaneyDemocratic1930
YellW. C. BlackwellDemocratic1930
YellEthel Cole CunninghamDemocratic1930

References

  1. Governmental Relations Office (2018). Development of Highway and Transportation Legislation in Arkansas (PDF). 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. 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.
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