Andrea Lea

Andrea Christine Lea (born 1957) is a term-limited member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Russellville, Arkansas, who is a Republican candidate for state auditor in the 2014 primary election. The Democratic incumbent, Charlie Daniels, is not seeking reelection.^[1]

Since 2013, Lea has represented House District 71, which includes Pope County. From 2009 to 2013, she represented House District 68, a position now held by another term-limited Republican, Robert E. Dale of Dover, also in Pope County.^[2]She is fourth in seniority in the state House.^[3]

Background

Reared in a military family, Lea has lived in New Hampshire, Hawaii, and Newbury Park in Ventura County, California. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Administration and Management from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.^[3] She and her husband, Phillip (born 1956), have three children, Kevin Joseph, Andrew James, and Mary Elizabeth Lea. Phillp and Andrea Lea are members, and she is the recording secretary, of the Central Presbyterian Church of Russellville.^[2]

Lea is a sailing and biking enthusiast.^[3]

Political life

Prior to her legislative service, Lea was a member of the Russellville City Council and then a justice of the peace on the Pope County Quorum Court,^[2] equivalent to county commission in other states. In 2008, she was elected in House District 68 over a Democrat, Thomas Roy Akin (born 1953), also of Russellville, 5,681 (53.1 percent) to 4,634 (43.3 percent). Mary Elaine Boley (born 1981) of the Green Party in Russellville held the remaining 394 ballots (3.7 percent. The seat was vacated by the Republican Michael Lamoureux (born 1976) of Russellville.^[4]

Lea was unopposed for a second House term in 2010.^[5]In 2012, Lea was switched to House District 71 and again ran without opposition. The previous representative, Democrat Tommy Wren was transferred to District 62.^[6]

Lea is a member of the Arkansas Legislative Council and in her last term in the House chaired the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. She is also assigned to the Energy, Management, Rules, and Revenue & Taxation committees.^[2]

Representative Lea in 2013 co-sponsored legislation to require photo identification for casting a ballot in Arkansas and to ban abortion after twenty weeks of gestation. She voted to override the vetoes of Democratic Governor Mike Beebe to enact both measures. She supported or co-sponsored 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. She co-sponsored a spending cap in the state budget, but the measure failed to gain approval by two votes in the House. She also co-sponsored amending state income tax rates. Lea voted to empower university officials to carry weapons in the name of campus safety. Similarly, she co-sponsored legislation to permit concealed weapons in religious institutions. She voted to prohibit the governor from regulating firearms in an emergency. She also supported lowering the application fee for obtaining a concealed carry permit. Lea supported legislation to make the office of prosecuting attorney in Arkansas nonpartisan. She 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. She voted against a defeated proposal to prohibit the closure of schools based on declining enrollments over a two-year period.^[7]

In 2011, Lea in District 68 supported a dress code and curriculum standards for biblical instruction in public schools. She supported the Capital Gains Reduction Act and a tax reduction on manufacturers' utilities. She voted to permit driver's license tests only in the English language. She opposed the prohibition of cell phone use in school zones, but the measure passed, fifty-three to forty-one. She supported the congressional redistricting bill, which passed sixty-one to twenty.^[7]

References