Baker proposes nonpartisan, 4-year sheriff terms

Sen. Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, has released a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would make county sheriff elections nonpartisan and extend sheriff terms from two years to four.

The announcement comes amid a hotly contested race for the District 30 State Senate seat between Baker and Democratic challenger Joe White, also of Conway. If the proposed amendment finds approval with the state legislature, it would be put to voters in the 2010 election cycle.

"This is just another issue that we have felt strongly about," Baker said Saturday. "We've had good success in our county when city government elections have been nonpartisan.

"Folks are kind of tired of partisan bickering and partisan attacks," he added. "With law enforcement, that's a place where we can take partisanship out of that realm."

County sheriffs statewide attempted earlier this year to gather enough signatures to put an amendment extending sheriff terms to four years on the Nov. 4 ballot, though this proposed amendment would have kept the races partisan. Their effort failed to gather the necessary 77,468 signatures.

"We got plenty of signatures locally," Faulkner County Sheriff Karl Byrd said. "Everybody that was gathering those signatures, they said that of the people they talked to, the vast majority were very much in favor of it. The only reason we didn't get enough signatures was that we just didn't have the manpower to put out there to gather them, and we weren't about to hire people to do it.

"The public understands that not only would it be beneficial to them because their public servants be a little more entrenched, but because it would save them money. When you have elections every two years you have all the ballot work, all the people and election workers to pay; it's expensive just to conduct the election, not just the campaigns, and that the taxpayers pay for."

Byrd, a Democrat, said he would be in favor of the nonpartisan aspect of Baker's proposed amendment as well, saying he feels that when law enforcement officials take office, they should check their party affiliations at the door.

"Whatever the public wants is what I'm game for," he said. "A lot of the things dealing with law enforcement right now are nonpartisan, like the judgeships. Like I said, really one way or the other it really won't make a difference as to the way I serve, but it would knock it down to one election instead of all the primaries."

White's campaign responded Friday with a press release questioning why Baker would raise the subject of sheriff races at a time when, according to campaign manager Alex Bissell, the economic recession should be the focus.

"At a time when the people of Faulkner County are struggling with job losses and high gas prices, Senator Baker is for some reason focused on county sheriffs," Bissell states in the release, going on to say "Senator Baker lacks focus. People are hurting right now. Baker just doesn't get it."

White said Friday that the system in place to elect sheriffs "seems to be working just fine," and agreed Saturday with Bissell's remarks.

"It's the wrong time for this to be a focus during these trying times," White said. "We've got challenges here, and he has chosen to look at the county sheriff issue. For 60 years or longer we've had outstanding law enforcement in this county and outstanding sheriffs.

"I feel like right now we are in a recession," he continued. "We need to focus our time and energies on the time at hand, when families out here are hurting. We need to be looking at our economy and moving in that direction at this time."

Baker, in response, said that he feels the amendment represents good government "that gets away from partisan attacks," and that "good government and good economic development go hand-in-hand."

Faulkner County Judge Preston Scroggin, who served six years as District 47 Representative, suggested that the amendment be broadened to include all elected county officials.

"Take everybody in if you're going to try it and see what happens," Scroggin said. "If we're talking about it being better for the sheriffs taking a nonpartisan attitude and serving both sides equally, well, what about everybody else? Couldn't the same be said about the county treasurer or the county clerk? I just think in general that across the state the other county officials are going to want a chance at that as well. I think you're going to have to include them all and get support from everybody if you want to have a shot at it."

(Staff writer Joe Lamb can be reached by e-mail at joe.lamb@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1238. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit