Gary Deffenbaugh

Gary E. Deffenbaugh (born 1949) is a retired educator and coach from Van Buren in western Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives. His District 79, which he has represented since 2013, includes part of Crawford County. From 2011 to 2013, he represented House District 66, a position now held by the Republican Josh Miller of Heber Springs.^[1]

Background

Deffenbaugh obtained a bachelor's degree in education from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia in Clark County in south Arkansas. A retired teacher and coach, he is Southern Baptist.^[2]

He and his wife, Carolyn Mae Deffenbaugh (born 1948), have two grown children.^[2]

Political life

In 2010, Deffenbaugh was nominated in the Republican primary in District 66 over Kevin R. Holmes, 1,426 to 719. He then defeated the Democrat Dianna K. Faucher, 5,113 (73.4 percent) to 1,851 (26.6 percent) in the general election. The seat was vacated by the term-limited Republican Rick Green.^[3]

In 2012, Deffenbaugh was nominated and elected without opposition in House District 79, which had been represented by the term-limited Democrat Mike Patterson.^[4]

Deffenbaugh serves on these House committees: (1) Education, (2) Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Matters, (3) Public Retirement and Social Security Programs, (4) Legislative Joint Auditing.^[2]

In 2013, Representative Deffenbaugh 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; he was a co-sponsor of both measures. Deffenbaugh also 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.^[5]

Deffenbaugh co-sponsored a proposed spending cap in the state budget, but the measure failed to gain approval by two votes in the House. He also co-sponsored amending state income tax rates. Deffenbaugh co-sponsored separate legislation to empower officials of universities and religious institutions to engage in concealed carry of firearms in the name of safety on the campus and the church. He voted to prohibit the governor from regulating firearms in an emergency. Deffenbaugh 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. He voted for a failed proposal to prohibit the closure of schools based on declining enrollments over a two-year period. He voted for the tiered system of lottery scholarships.^[5]

In 2011, Deffenbaugh in District 66 supported dress codes for public schools. He backed curriculum standards for Bible instruction in public schools. He was a co-sponsor of both the Capital Gains Reduction Act and the tax reduction on manufacturers' utilities. He voted to administer driver's license tests only in the English language. He voted against prohibiting cell phone use in school zones. Deffenbaugh voted against the congressional redistricting bill.^[5]

References