Former state Sen. Bryles dies at 55

Saturday, December 29, 2012

— Former state Sen. Steve Bryles, who represented the Delta region for a decade and helped shape the Legislature’s response to the Lake View school-funding decision, died Friday morning.

Bryles, 55, who was appointed to lead the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission in March, died at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock after months of treatment and two surgeries for esophageal cancer.

Form er state Sen. Jim Argue, who was chairman of the Senate Education Committee from 2003-08, said Bryles, along with former Sens. Shane Broadway and Dave Bisbee, helped shape legislation after the Lake View decision.

In that case, the state Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that Arkansas’ funding of the public-school system was unconstitutionally inadequate and inequitable, pressing the Legislature to respond.

“Steve had this incredible concern for disadvantaged kids, especially school children in the Delta,” Argue said. “He was a great, effective advocate for policies that delivered better educational opportunities for those children.”

Argue said Bryles was an advocate for KIPP char- ter schools, including those in Helena-West Helena, and wanted more resources for low-income students in the Delta.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, Will Bond, chairman of the Democratic Party of Arkansas, said Bryles “could be relentless on an issue.”

“On education issues, he reminded us constantly that our main focus should be providing world-class schools for all Arkansas children no matter their background,” Bond said.

Bryles was born in Piggott and lived in Osceola, Blytheville, Corning and Star City.

He graduated from Blytheville High School and went on to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

He worked as a cotton broker, opening his own brokerage — S.M. Bryles and Co. — in 1984.

Bryles was elected to represent Senate District 15 in 2000 and held his seat until 2011, serving on the Senate Education and Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development committees, among others.

Chad Causey, former U.S. Rep. Marion Berry’s chief of staff, said the congressman sent him to meet several elected officials and community leaders when he started working in his office to better understand the district.

Berry, a former rice farmer, told Causey to meet with Bryles and talk to him about the cotton industry in early 2001.

The two talked for two hours, a conversation that left an impression on the 24-yearold Causey.

“He really cared about people and he cared about where he came from,” Causey said.

When Causey and Bryles ran against each other in 2010 for Berry’s 1st Congressional District seat, they sometimes traveled in the same vehicle or caravan, despite being opponents. Bryles endorsed Causey for the seat after coming in fourth in a six-way Democratic primary.

After leaving the Senate, Bryles became deputy director of the Livestock and Poultry Commission in January 2011. The next year, Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Bryles to lead the commission after the death of then-director Jon Fitch.

“Steve Bryles was a good friend with a gentle heart who never wanted to stop helping people. His work was always deliberate, his dedication to public service unwavering, and regardless of the stakes, he always kept a level head,” Beebe said in a statement Friday.

Butch Calhoun, the state agriculture secretary, said Bryles worked hard as the head of the commission, rarely missing a day of work, even while undergoing cancer treatment. He said Bryles was personable and that everyone liked being around him.

“He always told you what he thought about things, and he always thought things through,” Calhoun said.

Former state Rep. Monty Davenport, whose term in the House overlapped with Bryles’ time in the Senate, said Bryles was well-liked in both chambers.

He said Bryles had a reputation for integrity and dependability.

“He worked hard in the Senate without a lot of flash and just did the right thing,” Davenport said.

Davenport said he kept up with Bryles after their time in the Legislature, and they played music together. He said he and Bryles collected guitars and shared several favorite artists, including Johnny Cash and Levon Helm.

“He was just a real good friend and just as straight as a string,” Davenport said.

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 12/29/2012