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

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 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.

A special session was called in October 1931 to reduce 1932 acreage in cotton cultivation by 30% from 1931 levels (to reduce overproduction).. 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..

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.

Leadership President of the Senate: Lawrence Wilson Secretary: M. E. Sherland

Senators

DistrictSenatorPartyFirst electedCounties 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. ShaverDemocratic 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. AtkinsDemocratic 1930 Lonoke, Prairie 13 Elmo ChaneyDemocratic 1928 Arkansas, Monroe 14 John M. QuarlesDemocratic 1928 Lee, Phillips 15 J.A. Bennett Democratic 1930 Ashley, Chicot 16 Tate McGehee Democratic 1928 Cleveland, Dallas, Lincoln 17 W. F. NorrellDemocratic 1930 Desha, Drew 18 Duvall L. PerkinsDemocratic 1928 Bradley, Union 19 Charles L. Poole Democratic 1930 Calhoun, Ouachita 20 Lawrence L. MitchellDemocratic 1930 Hempstead, Nevada 21 Ned A. StewartDemocratic 1930 Columbia, Lafayette, Miller 22 Winfred Lake Democratic 1930 Howard, Little River, Sevier 23 William H.V. WahlquistDemocratic 1928 Baxter, Fulton, Izard 24 Mike I. Shuster Democratic 1930 Carroll, Madison 25 C. R. Counts Democratic 1928 Crawford, Franklin 26 Guy WallsDemocratic 1930 Conway, Cleburne, Searcy, Van Buren 27 W. H. AbingtonDemocratic 1930 White, Faulkner 28 J. F. BrewerDemocratic 1924 Sebastian 29 R. A. NelsonDemocratic 1928 Jackson, Mississippi, Poinsett 30 Fletcher McElhannonDemocratic 1930 Clark, Pike 31 Granville JonesDemocratic1928 Garland, Montgomery 32 Marvin B. NorfleetDemocratic 1930 Crittenden, St. Francis 33 J. A. ThorntonDemocratic 1924 Polk, Scott 34 Storm O. WhaleyDemocratic 1930 Benton

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.

Leadership Speaker of the House: Irving Neal

Representatives

CountyRepresentativePartyFirst 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 List of Arkansas General Assemblies

References