Jeremy Gillam

Jeremy Gillam (born August 2, 1976) is a farmer from Judsonia in White County in central Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. His District 45, which he has represented since 2013, includes parts of Faulkner, Lonoke, and White counties From 2011 to 2013, he represented House District 49.^[1]

In January 2015, Gillam became Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives. He replaced fellow Republican Davy Carter of Lonoke County, who was term-limited after three two-year terms in the House.

Background

In 1999, Gillam obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Counseling from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He first attended the ASU branch campus at Beebe in White County.^[2]

Gilliam and his wife, Carissa J. Gillam (born 1977) have two sons, Alexander and Jaxon Gillam. He has operated Gillam Farms since his college graduation in 1999.^[2]

Political life

In 2010, Gillam was elected in House District 49, when the Republican incumbent, Jonathan Dismang, instead ran successfully for the Arkansas Senate. After a primary victory, Gillam defeated the Democrat Jesse Boyce, 5,228 (66.8 percent) to 2,594 (33.2 percent).^[3]

In 2012, Gillam was unopposed for the Republican nomination for his second two-year term when he was switched to House District 45. No Democrat filed for the seat. Gillam instead handily defeated the Green Party nominee, Travis Mason, 6,958 (83.2 percent) to 1,403 (16.8 percent). The incumbent Democratic representative, Linda Tyler, ran for election in Senate District 35.^[4]

Gillam is a member of the Arkansas Legislative Council and serves on these House committees: (1) Energy, (2) Judiciary, (3) Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development, and (4) Rules.^[2]

Representative Gillam in 2013 in District 45 supported a spending cap on the state budget, but the bill failed by a two-vote margin in the House. He voted to override the vetoes of Democratic Governor Mike Beebe to enact legislation to require photo identification for casting a ballot in Arkansas and to ban abortion after twenty weeks of gestation. Gillam supported related pro-life legislation to ban abortion whenever fetal heartbeat is detected, to forbid the inclusion of abortion in the state insurance exchange, and to make the death of an unborn child a felony in certain cases. He voted to empower university officials to carry weapons in the name of campus safety. He supported legislation to make the office of prosecuting attorney in Arkansas nonpartisan. He supported the bill, signed by Governor Beebe, to permit the sale of up to five hundred gallons per month of unpasteurized whole milk directly from the farm to consumers.^[5]

In 2011, Gillam in District 49 co-sponsored legislation to permit weapons in religious institutions. He supported a dress code for public schools. He backed curriculum standards for biblical instruction in public schools. He voted for the Capital Gains Reduction Act. He voted to permit driver's license tests only in the English language. On January 31, 2011, Gillam voted against legislation to prohibit cell phone use in school zone; the next day, he and several colleagues reversed themselves, and the proposal passed, fifty-three to forty-one.^[5]

Gillam is term-limited in 2016^[2] and hence cannot seek a fourth term in the House or a second term as Speaker.

References

Current statewide elected officials and legislative leaders of Arkansas
U. S. Senators	John Boozman Tom Cotton
State government	Asa Hutchinson, Governor Tim Griffin, Lieutenant Governor Mark Martin, Secretary of State Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General Dennis Milligan, Treasurer Andrea Lea, Auditor John Thurston, Land Commissioner
Senate	Jonathan Dismang, President pro tempore Jim Hendren, Majority Leader Keith Ingram, Minority Leader
House	Jeremy Gillam, Speaker Ken Bragg, Majority Leader Eddie Armstrong, Minority Leader