Donna Hutchinson
Donna Jean King Hutchinson | |
---|---|
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 98th district | |
In office January 2007 – January 2013 | |
Succeeded by | John Burris (reconfigured district) |
Personal details | |
Born | New Bern, North Carolina, U.S. | August 23, 1949
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | |
Relations | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville |
Occupation | Mediation counselor |
Donna Jean King Hutchinson (born August 23, 1949) is a Republican former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 98, which includes part of fast-growing Benton County in Northwest Arkansas. A resident of Bella Vista, she was initially elected to the House in 2006 and assumed her position in January 2007.
Family background
A member of the
Her son,
In 2002, Tim Hutchinson was unseated by former Democratic Senator
Her former brother-in-law,
Political career
Representative Hutchinson served on the Arkansas House Education Committee and was the chairman of the Subcommittee on Vocational-Technical Institutions. She was assigned to the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Joint Budget Committee. For a time, she chaired the Arkansas Legislative Women's Caucus.[1]
Representative Hutchinson sponsored legislation designed to (1) protect children from registered sex offenders, (2) further define the criminal act of voyeurism, and (3) ascertain that the legislature receives information on highway funding prior to each regular session and eacg fiscal session.[2] In 2012, Hutchinson ranked 89 percent on the Arkansas Freedom Scorecard, which measures the votes cast by legislators in regard to issues relating to economic freedom, educational reform, "good government," personal liberty, small government, and tax/budget policy. Only ten members of the House at that time ranked higher on the survey than did Hutchinson.[2]
Hutchinson considered educational issues the most vital to Arkansas because 60 percent of the state budget is earmarked for schools and universities. In an interview with Progressive Arkansas, she explains her concerns:
We are ranked one of the highest states in students attending college, but the lowest in students graduating. Our education system shuffles students through the process without giving them an adequate education to be successful ... I am not advocating all students enter college, but they should be prepared for a job. We have a huge problem when 25 percent of our students entering college -- not just graduating from high school, but going on to college -- must be given remediation in reading! We have conducted interim studies for two years; we understand the problems and hope to have bills which will correct them. These will not be easy bills to pass. ... We have not been getting our money's worth. Education is about the students, not the adults running the system, but those adults will be determined to keep the status quo.[5]
In 2010, Hutchinson sponsored legislation to ban K2, a synthetic drug often likened to
In her last election in 2010, Hutchinson defeated an
References
- ^ a b c "Donna Hutchinson, R-98". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Donna Hutchinson". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Darrell Wayne Brown, Young Timothy "Tim" Hutchinson". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ a b "Sen. Tim Hutchinson to wed former staffer". thecabin.net. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ "Donna Hutchinson: Answers to Questions from Progressive Arkansas, 2010". progressivearkansas.com. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- The Northwest Arkansas Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
- ^ "Lavina Grandon, RCA members and staff give testimony before legislative committee". thenewrural.org. Retrieved September 8, 2013.