Jim Holt (Arkansas politician)

Jim Holt
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 5 district
In office 2001–2003
Member of the Arkansas Senate from the 35 district
In office 2003–2006
Personal details
Born	January 17, 1965
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Bobye Holt
Children	Nine
Occupation	Minister
Website	http://www.jimholt.us

Jim L. Holt, born January 17, 1965, in Camden, Arkansas, is a conservative Republican politician from Springdale, Arkansas. He is a critic of former Governor Mike Huckabee, a major candidate for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Background

Holt joined the military in 1987 and served in the U.S. Army Joint Intelligence Operations at the National Security Agency under the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.[1] His website notes he "was involved in highly classified operations during the Cold War, the ousting of Manuel Noriega from Panama, and Operation Desert Storm."[2]

In 1996, he became an ordained Southern Baptist minister. He is married to Bobye Barenberg of Rogers. They are the parents of nine children.[3]

Political career

Holt was first elected in the 2000 general elections, he served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2001 to 2003 where he sponsored the controversial House Bill 2548

In 2003, Holt was elected to the Arkansas Senate, where he served until December 31, 2006.

In 2004, Holt was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. He was defeated by incumbent Democrat Blanche Lincoln, with 44 percent of the vote.

In 2006, Holt was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor but was defeated by Democrat Bill Halter.

Evolution Bill and Legislative Record

Holt co-sponsored House Bill 2548 in 2001, a bill which would have required public schools to identify evolution as an unproven theory, and which would have prohibited the use of public funds for the promotion of evolution-related information as fact. The bill was sponsored by several other House members, including Rep. Jack Critcher, who later went on to become the Democratic President Pro Tempore of the Arkansas State Senate, but eventually fell six votes short of passage. Holt was later criticized, in July of 2006, by Don Michael, an opinion writer for the Fort Smith Northwest Arkansas Times, for having invited controversial creationist Kent Hovind to speak before a committee at the Arkansas House in April 2001 about the House bill.

Holt has tended to be a fiscal conservative in his voting record. He signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes” twice in 2003 and 2004, was one of only three legislators who voted against raising the minimum wage in 2006, and voted three times against a pay raise for elected state officials, despite the fact that he, his wife, and his nine children lived only on his legislative salary and expense reimbursements, totaling only around $39,000 in 2006.

Holt has been characterized by some as an ultra-conservative, right-wing extremist. Others, such as Sen. Paul Miller, D-Melbourne, have defended him as one who simply votes his conscience, saying, “You have to give him credit for that. Against all odds he will stick with what he believes in.”

Opposition to Huckabee

As a legislator, Holt tangled publicly with former Governor Mike Huckabee over immigration. Huckabee, who like Holt is a Southern Baptist preacher, spoke out against Holt's proposal in 2005 to ban state services to illegal immigrants. Holt has criticized Huckabee for telling him "I drink a different kind of Jesus juice."

That same year, Holt opposed Huckabee's unsuccessful effort to make children of illegal immigrants eligible for state-funded scholarships and in-state tuition to Arkansas colleges. Holt defended his position by asking Huckabee if he would allow the same privileges to families of military personnel deployed over seas, which Huckabee refused to respond to.

In December 2007, Holt was asked by the presidential campaign of Congressman Ron Paul of Texas to go to Iowa and do several radio interviews about Huckabee with former colleague Randy Minton of Cabot. Holt has not endorsed Paul or any other candidate, but he vowed to acquaint Iowa caucus participants about liberal aspects of Huckabee's record in Arkansas. Holt's stance recalls a similar effort in 1976, when former Governor Lester G. Maddox of Georgia, traveled to New Hampshire to warn primary voters there of the liberal record of presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, Maddox's successor as governor of Georgia.

On January 18, 2008 the Northwest Arkansas Times ran an opinion piece by Holt blasting Huckabee and his supporters. Holt accused Huckabee's followers of not researching anything Huckabee says, and supporting him simply because he is a Christian.

External links

• Jim Holt's Official Website