Dave Wallace (Arkansas politician)

David Ray Wallace, known as Dave Wallace (born c. 1948),^[1] is a businessman from Leachville, Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 54 in Mississippi and Poinsett counties in the northeastern portion of his state.

Background

Wallace's place of birth, high school, and names of parents are missing. He is a former resident of Rector in Clay County and Monette in Craighead County.^[1]

From 1966 to 1970, Wallace studied Physical Education at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He then entered the United States Army as a second lieutenant. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He advanced to battalion commander of the 101st Airborne/Cavalry Division. In 1977, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, campus not specified.^[2]

A veteran of the Vietnam War, Wallace received the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, an Air Medal, and three Distinguished Flying Crosses, the latter designations for valor. He is an inductee of the Arkansas Military Veterans Hall of Fame in Little Rock as well as the Arkansas State University Hall of Heroes in Jonesboro.^[3]

Wallace is employed with Wallace Resource Systems in the field of disaster recovery in various parts of the United States, including flooding, hurricanes, and tornadoes.^[2] Wallace and his wife, Karen Lee Wallace (born c. 1947), have two children. He is a Southern Baptist.^[3]

Political life

In 2010, Wallace was elected to the Leachville City Council.^[2]On May 20, 2014, he was unopposed in the Republican primary election for House District 54. He then unseated the one-term Democrat Wes Wagner of Manila in Mississippi County, 4,133 votes (56.2 percent) to 3,227 (43.8 percent) in the November 4 general election in which his party swept most of the offices in Arkansas.^[4]

In his campaign, the Arkansas Democratic Party questioned a $5,000 donation which Wallace received from Labor Smart, a temporary employment service in Hiram, Georgia. Wallace returned $3,000 to comply with the $2,000 limit on such contributions. "I'm not a career politician; I just made a mistake," Wallace explained. He could have faced a $2,000 fine and a year in jail.^[5]

Representative Wallace is assigned to the House committees on: (1) Joint Performance Review, (2) Aging, Children and Youth Legislative and Military Affairs, and (3) Public Transportation.^[3]In February 2015, Wallace joined dozens of his fellow Republicans and two Democrats in co-sponsoring legislation submitted by Representative Lane Jean of Magnolia, to reduce unemployment compensation benefits. The measure was promptly signed into law by Governor Asa Hutchinson.^[6]

Wallace is part owner of WRS, a labor staffing company. In August 2016, WRS employed an unlicensed illegal immigrant to drive a bus of laborers to Baton Rouge, LA. The driver of the bus crashed, killing three people. WRS' website indicates they take ownership in their laborers and offer a money back warranty on them.

Wallace said that he will vote conservative in the legislature:

As I criss-cross District 54 from Little River to Lepanto, Midway to Manila, and Dell to Dyess, the message I am hearing is the same. You want to have a conservative representative who will fight for you in Little Rock against additional red tape on our small businesses, higher taxes, and government encroachment on your rights. Friends, you have my word that I will always fight for our district from Turner to Trumann, and Blytheville, Etowah, Gosnell, Osceola, and every town in District 54. ...^[7]

References

/^{[1] [2]}

1. ↑ http://www.wallacerushschmidt.com/
2. ↑ http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/company-owned-by-st-tammany-official-involved-in-fatal-i-10-bus-crash/310720449