Michael John Gray
| Michael John Gray | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 47th district | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Jody Dickinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1976 Augusta, Woodruff County Arkansas, USA |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Amy Gray |
| Children | One child in 2015 |
| Residence | Augusta, Arkansas |
| Alma mater | Arkansas State University William H. Bowen School of Law at the |
| Occupation | Farmer and businessman |
| Religion | United Methodist Church |
Michael John Gray (born c. 1976)[1] is a farmer with a law degree in his native Augusta, Arkansas, who is a Democratic member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 47, which includes portions of Independence, Jackson, White and his own Woodruff counties in the central portion of his state. [2]
Background
Gray holds both the Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He obtained a Juris Doctorate from the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University in Arkansas at Little Rock. He is the owner of Wakefield Partners in Augusta.[3] Gray is affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau Federation. He is secretary of the Arkansas Peanut Growers Association. Gray is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Augusta. He and his wife, Amy, have one son, as of 2015.[2]
Political life
Gray is a former member of the Augusta City Council, to which he was elected in 2010.[3] In 2014, he was elected in House District 47 to succeed the term-limited Democrat Jody Dickinson. He was unopposed in both the Democratic primary, and the general election. He is eligible to serve until January 2021.[4]
Representative Gray holds these committee assignments: (1) Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology, (2) City, County and Local Affairs, and (3) Education.[2]
In February 2015, Gray was a co-sponsor of House Bill 1228, authored by Republican Bob Ballinger of Carroll County in northwestern Arkansas,[5] which sought to prohibit government from imposing a burden on the free exercise of religion.[6] Gray's colleague, Representative Camille Bennett, a Democrat from Lonoke, called for a reworking of the legislation[7] on the theory that the bill would establish a "type of religious litmus test" which could impact nearly any law under consideration by the legislature.[5] The legislation was subsequently passed by a large margin in the House and signed into law in revised form, SB 975, by Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson.[8]
References
- ↑ "Michael John Gray". intelius.com. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Michael John Gray". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Michael Gray's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ "District 47". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Opponents of Religious Freedom Bill Point Out Law Differences, Possible Unintended Consequences". Little Rock, Arkansas: Fox Channel 16. April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ "HB 1228". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Indiana, Arkansas try to stem religious objections uproar". Atlantic Broadband. April 3, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
- ↑ "Gov. Hutchinson signs revised religious freedom bill; HB 1228 recalled". Little Rock: KTHV-TV. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
| Preceded by Jody Dickinson |
Arkansas State Representative for District 47 (Independence, Jackson, Woodruff, and White counties) Michael John Gray |
Succeeded by Incumbent |