Taking A Statement Out For A Spin

MORAL TO THIS STORY: WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN, GET THEM OVER WITH AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

I just got this deputy’s statement that was sealed too late and I want to try it out.

That’s a joke. Let me explain.

State Sen. Bruce Holland’s arrest for speeding would be a distant memory if he’d only taken his lumps when it happened in January 2011. Instead, the incumbent Republican from Greenwood fought the charges in court and even appealed. He pleaded no contest in February. Then he did things like request the court seal a statement made by his arresting deputy — too late. Somebody got a copy fi rst.

So here we are, 20 months after the arrest, seven months after Holland gave up his appeal and less than two months before the election. Guess what? I have not one but two copies of the statement from the Perry County Sheriff ’s deputy Holland wanted sealed. They came from divergent sources that I will not reveal.

Most of what’s in the report came out in court. There’s one new thing worth repeating:

“When asked why he was driving in that manner and not stopping for me, he replied ‘I just got the car yesterday and was trying it out.’” That’s the deputy’s account.

I called Holland shortly after noon on Thursday. As of Friday afternoon, I was still waiting for a reply.

“Driving in that manner,” according to the statement and consistent with court testimony, consisted of this: “When I crossed the bridge going out of Adona at Toby West’s residence I was doing right at 90 mph. The fleeing vehicle had already gone around the 1st lefthand curve.” The chase had started when the deputy saw Holland’s car pull out to pass in a clearly marked no-passing zone, according to the statement.

Before the chase was over, the deputy reported, he’d surpassed the 100 mph mark a couple of times trying to catch the car and, on a third occasion, got close to 110 mph.

Holland’s district is a 50-minute drive from where I sit — well, it is when driving the speed limit. If I can get a couple of copies of these statements without even trying hard, anybody who wants one can.

There’s a moral to this story: When bad things happen, get them over with. I was going to direct that comment to all public oftcials. Then I thought about it some more. You know, that’s not a bad rule for anybody.

I’m reminded of the case of then-Sen. Terry Smith, D-Hot Springs. Remember him? No? He was arrested in March 2003 for driving while intoxicated during a legislative session in Little Rock. It made headlines — for one day. It was over with because Smith went to the well of the state Senate as soon as it went into session after his arrest and said he was ashamed. He apologized to the Senate and to his constituents who sent him there. He pleaded guilty. It ended. Oh, and he was re-elected, too.

Everybody makes mistakes. It’s what you do afterwards that really matters. That shows what you’re made of.

Closer to home, I’m quite pleased and impressed at the level of discourse our local legislative candidates have on the proposed Medicaid expansion. I moderated one forum on health care issues and covered another one in the past week. In both, I was impressed by the command of detail by candidates on both sides of the issue.

Expanding Medicaid to about 250,000 Arkansans in working class families is the only portion of health care reform the state Legislature can stop. I still think the odds are against it, there are too many people around this state who will owe their election to fear of “Obamacare” for it to get the required three-quarters “super-majority” in both the House and the Senate. That’s what is needed for budget bills in this state.

Still, I’m encouraged to see most of the people who will vote on this, at least from here, think they should give a position they can defend and knee-jerk partisan shibboleths aren’t enough.

DOUG THOMPSON IS A POLITICAL REPORTER AND COLUMNIST FOR NWA MEDIA.

Opinion, Pages 12 on 09/16/2012

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