Senator Terry Rice represents Senate District 5, which comprises Montgomery, Perry, Polk and Scott Counties and parts of Conway, Logan, Pike, Pope, Sebastian and Yell Counties. He was elected to the Senate in 2014.
Senator Rice is the Senate co-chair of the Joint Performance Review Committee. He is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate City, County and Local Affairs Committee, the Senate Efficiency Committee, the Joint Budget Committee and the Arkansas Legislature Council.
Senator Rice’s legislative priorities include juvenile justice and foster care. He has sponsored legislation to update the protections in state law against the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft over critical infrastructure. Also, he has sponsored legislation to prohibit public funding of human cloning research.
Senator Rice served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2014. As a House member he was chair of the Joint Performance Review (JPR) and vice chair of ALC and on its Executive Subcommittee. He sponsored legislation regarding a mental health examination of a defendant and to amend the Child Welfare Agency Licensing Act. He co-sponsored Paul’s Law – to make texting illegal while driving, to amend Arkansas Law concerning charitable bingo and raffles, as well as prolife and election voter fraud laws.
Senator Rice is the longtime co-owner of Rice Furniture in Waldron and a retired cattle farmer. He is president of two Rice Furniture & Appliance Stores. He is a past president of the Arkansas Home Furnishings Association and has served on the southeast region board of Associated Volume Buyers/Brand Source National Dealer Group. He has received regional and state recognition for his professional accomplishments including Dealer of the Year from various industry associates.
Senator Rice was born in Fort Smith. He and his wife JoAnn have been married for more than 50 years, and have two sons and four grandchildren. They are members of Bates Baptist Church. Senator Rice’s father and grandfather also served in the Arkansas Legislature.
