Senator Gary Stubblefield represents Senate District 26, which includes parts of Franklin, Johnson, Logan and Sebastian Counties.
Senator Stubblefield is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions Subcommittee. He is a member of the Senate City, County and Local Affairs Committee, the Joint Energy Committee, the Senate Rules, Resolutions and Memorials Committee, the Joint Budget Committee, the Arkansas Legislative Council, the Claims Review and Litigation Reports Oversight Subcommittee, the Employee Benefits Division Oversight Subcommittee and the Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee.
In past years, Senator Stubblefield chaired the Senate Committee on City, County and Local Affairs and was vice chair of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee
Senator Stubblefield served for two years in the House of Representatives, then was elected to the Senate in November of 2012. He was sworn in as a state senator on the first day of the 2013 regular session.
Senator Stubblefield has sponsored legislation to rights of the unborn and the elderly. He believes in protecting the rights of farmers and livestock growers, and in protecting the rights guaranteed to American citizens under the Second Amendment. He supports legislation to lower taxes, reduce the size of government and simplify the regulatory burden on Arkansas businesses and residents.
During the 2019 session he co-sponsored Act 506 to create a farm to school and farm to pre-school program, to improve nutritional offerings for children. Senator Stubblefield also sponsored Act 700, to provide that only physicians with a degree in OB-GYN may perform abortions. He was the sponsor of Act 1076, which prohibits cities from becoming sanctuaries for illegal immigrants.
Senator Stubblefield co-sponsored Act 392 of 2017 to create born-alive infant protection. He also co-sponsored Act 332 of 2017 to enhance penalties against offenders who target current or former law officers, first responders and their families.
He co-sponsored Act 606 to provide for legal remedies in the event of unauthorized access to a person’s personal property. He was the Senate sponsor of Act 742 to expand the development of agricultural schools in Arkansas.
While attending the University of Arkansas, Stubblefield enjoyed a successful career as a member of the Arkansas Razorback football team despite beginning as a walk-on from a high school which did not offer football. He has often said he is surprised by the similarities between playing tackle football for the Razorbacks and serving in the Arkansas legislature.
A life-long dairy farmer from Branch, he and his wife Kathi reared two children and taught them the value of keeping one’s word, a hard day’s work and respecting the rights of others. Senator Stubblefield is a member of the Baptist church.
