SPRINGDALE -- Rep. Megan Godfrey, Springdale's first Democratic state House member in almost 20 years, has announced she's running for a second term.
Godfrey represents House District 89. The district covers much of downtown Springdale, stretching from 40th Street on the west to past Butterfield Coach Road on the east, and from U.S. 412 on the south to the Benton County line on the north.
Godfrey defeated the incumbent, Rep. Jeff Williams, R-Springdale, in her first bid for elective office last year. As of Monday, no one else has announced plans to run for the seat. Springdale's last Democratic state House member before Godfrey was Rep. Louis McJunkin, who retired in 1999.
Candidate filing for partisan offices begins at noon Nov. 4 and ends at noon Nov. 12. Party primaries are March 3. The general election is Nov. 3, 2020. State House members serve two-year terms and have an annual salary of $39,400.
Godfrey is fluent in Spanish, which was a factor in both her election and her ability to represent her diverse district, she said. She is known for sponsoring Act 837 of 2019. Now law, it grants nursing licenses to qualified nursing school students who are recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal program for immigrants who were brought into the U.S. as children by parents who lack legal resident status.
She also supported Act 844 which grants in-state tuition rates for state colleges and universities to people in several groups, such as Asian children who came to the country with their parents who had work visas; those who are Marshallese; and those who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, but are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy.
Godfrey serves on the Public Transportation and State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committees. She is the vice chairwoman of the Elections subcommittee.
NW News on 06/25/2019