Helping control state spending would be a top priority for Bella Vista resident Jim Parsons if he wins election to the Arkansas General Assembly next year, he said.
“I want us to live within our means,” the 78-year-old Republican said.
Profile
Jim Parsons, Republican
Arkansas House District 92
Age: 78
Born: May 7, 1933
Residency: Bella Vista; born in Lebo, Kan.
Family: Wife, Jody; one son; two grandchildren
Employment: Retired. Miami (Texas) High School, teacher and football coach, 1958-65; Texarkana College professor of anatomy and physiology, 1965-87; North Arkansas Community College professor of anatomy and physiology, 1987-90; division chairman of science and math, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, 1990-93.
Education: East Texas State University, bachelor’s degree in biology, 1957; East Texas State University master’s in biology, 1962; University of Western Michigan and University of Oklahoma, post-graduate work in chemistry and nuclear physics.
Military Experience: Army Special Forces, 1952-55; Army Reserve, National Guard and Air Force Reserve 1955-87; retired lieutenant colonel.
Political Experience: Member, NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board, 1996-2002; member, Bella Vista Property Owners Association Board, 2011; candidate for local and statewide elections, including races for secretary of state and Arkansas House of Representative and Senate.
Parsons announced this week he is running for the House of Representatives in District 92. The district includes Gravette, Sulphur Springs, Decatur and part of Bella Vista. Parsons has run for local and statewide offices, and has been elected to the NorthWest Arkansas Community College Board and the Bella Vista Property Owners Association board, he said.
Arkansas is prohibited by law from operating with a budget deficit, and had a surplus of $94 million at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, said Brandon Sharp, administrator for fiscal and budget at the state Department of Finance and Administration.
Parsons said he is pleased the state budget is sound, but is concerned a shaky global economy could affect Arkansas some day. Across-the-board budget cuts, and limited travel by state officials, would help control spending, he said.
Parsons also wants to be an advocate for area residents in their dealings with public officials and government agencies, he said.
“I want to represent the people and listen to their interests and concerns,” he said.
The district has 28,977 residents and is represented by Republican Mary Lou Slinkard of Gravette. Its boundaries were redrawn this summer when the state Board of Apportionment adjusted legislative lines to reflect population shifts shown in the 2010 U.S. Census. Its district number was changed from District 100 to District 92.
Fast-growing Washington and Benton counties gained a Senate seat and all or part of four House seats during redistricting.
Arkansas has 100 House members and 35 Senate members. The ideal House district size is 29,159 people. That figure is derived by dividing the state population of 2,915,918 by 100.
All legislative seats are up for election after the census every 10 years. The primary election is May 22, and the general election is Nov. 6, 2012, according to Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office.
Parsons is the only candidate so far to announce for election in District 92. Legislative candidates have from Feb. 23 to March 1 to file for election, according to the secretary of state’s office.