Gary Stubblefield

Gary Don Stubblefield (born 1951) is a farmer from rural Branch in Franklin County in western Arkansas, who has been since 2013 a Republican member of the Arkansas State Senate. His District 6 encompasses Franklin, Johnson, Logan, and Yell counties, including the cities of Booneville, Ozark, and Clarksville. From 2011 to 2013, he was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 67 in Franklin County.^[2]

Stubblefield graduated in 1969 from County Line High School in Branch, Arkansas. He attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he played football from 1969 to 1971 for the Arkansas Razorbacks. A dairy farmer,^[3] Stubblefield owns Valley View Farms in Branch. He formerly served as a member of the County Line School Board and on the Franklin County Quorum Court, equivalent to the county commission in most states. He and his wife, Kathi Lynn Stubblefield, have two children.^[2]

Stubblefield was elected to the state Senate on November 6, 2012, when he defeated the Democrat John Paul Wells, a furniture store owner and a former member of the Arkansas House from Paris in Logan County, who was allied with Governor Mike Beebe.^[2]

A pro-life legislator, Stubblefield voted to ban abortions after twenty weeks of gestation or whenever the fetal heartbeat is determined. He voted to declare the death of a fetus as a felony in certain situations.^[4] Stubblefield explains, "As someone born and raised in rural Arkansas, I understand the importance of conservative family values. I have stood up for the rights of the unborn child, and I will always protect their rights as a state senator."^[2]

As a representative, Stubblefield voted to allow university and college staff to carry concealed weapons on campus to enhance security. He voted to require picture identification for voting. He voted to allow the sale in Arkansas of unpasteurized whole milk. He voted for a spending cap on state spending; this passed the House by two votes. In 2011, he opposed the ban on cell phones, which was implemented in school zones for safety reasons.^[4]

In 2013, Senator Stubblefield voted for a Republican bill to amend state income taxes. He supported legislation to make the office of prosecuting attorney in Arkansas nonpartisan. He voted to test recipients of unemployment compensation for narcotics. He also voted to reduce benefits to the unemployed. Stubblefield did not vote on a failed proposal to require a racial-impact statement regarding crimes.^[4]

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