The dust is stirring in Little Rock.
It all began last month when incoming House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, along with 11 other Democrats were listed as members of a host committee for a fundraiser for Rep. Bryan King, R-Green Forest.
So what's the big deal? A Democrat lent a hand to a Republican constituent whom he had worked well with in the past. He was also returning a favor to King, who supported him in his bid for the speaker position, Wills told the Associated Press.
It should be noted early on that Wills said he hasn't donated to King's campaign and that he didn't attend the fundraiser.
Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney felt "somewhat betrayed," by party lawmakers supporting Republican campaigns. He noted the Wills incident, as well as a fundraiser held last year for Sen. Gilbert Baker, R-Conway, which was hosted by the outgoing and incoming Senate presidents, both Democrats.
Some excerpts from Gwatney's letter:
"Our party faithful do not understand why the Democrats that they have worked to elect would support a Republican."
"Friendships are good. Friendships should be cultivated. But friendships for legislative purposes should be left at the door of the Capitol."
"Please do not be fooled in to (sic) thinking that anyone on the other side will be your friend in the middle of an election."
Gwatney has some concerns, and it is certainly appropriate for him to address these concerns with his party members. We can't fault him for that. But we can question whether it is notions like these that keep our state's, or nation's, lawmakers from being more productive at the capitol.
Regardless of party affiliations, lawmakers are elected to serve the people of their respective district Republicans, Democrats, independents or those who don't care one way or the other, so long as the elected individual spends their money appropriately. And if a relationship forged with another lawmaker who happens to "play for the other team" is the best way to see to it that taxpayers' interests are attended to, then that's just good government at work.
We understand that supporting the campaign of a different party's member is different from supporting legislation or policy from a different party's member.
But the idea that Wills "betrayed" his party by allowing his name to be placed on a list of co-hosts for a fundraiser is uncalled for.
Wills, last time we checked, was incoming Speaker of the House, not Speaker of the Democrats of the House. His responsibility, or any other legislator's responsibility for that matter, is to forge these bipartisan relationships so that they can do the people's work. The good of these relationships far outweighs the bad.
This shouldn't go so far as to say we believe everything is always sunny in politics, and political differences are bad and unnecessary, because that just isn't true. We all have our core values that leave us leaning toward one side or the other. But when we can set the division of partisan politics aside, do we not function better as a whole?
