Republican state Rep. Mary Bentley never intended to go into politics; she had been busy with a nursing career, raising children, and running a plastic drinkware company. For most of her life, she didn’t even know who her legislators were.
But in the late 2000’s she began hearing rumors that her electricity and insurance rates were going to jump, and she wanted to do something.
“I was a little bit frustrated, so I started calling [former U.S. Rep.] Vic Snyder's office here in Little Rock and saying ‘do you understand what that would do to my small business? You’ll put me out of business.’” Bentley said in an interview with Little Rock Public Radio.
Bentley said she felt like she was talking to a brick wall, as though none of the lawmakers really understood her concerns. Before this, she had retired from a nursing career, raised her children, and was operating her family’s plastic drinkware company.
“I had not really been engaged in politics, but at that point I thought ‘we need to get engaged and involved.’”
She started helping out with Republican campaigns and saw her efforts pay off, helping now-Attorney General Tim Griffin campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives, and Jason Rapert campaign for Arkansas Senate. After a few candidates she supported were elected, she began driving to Little Rock to watch legislative meetings.
“And I sat there and listened to members of committees, I thought ‘they really have no idea what their policies are doing to small business owners out here in Arkansas,’” Bentley said. “So I thought that it's really important for small business owners who create 80% of the jobs here in our state to have a voice here at the Capitol.”
Bentley lost her first bid for a House seat in 2012, but says she had been infected with the “politics bug”. She ran again in 2014 and won, securing her spot in the state legislature. Though she’s faced a challenger in every election since, Bentley says the fact she’s been re-elected for the past decade means she must be doing something right.
Bentley’s latest challenger is Doug Corbitt, a longtime professor of philosophy at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Corbitt says he thinks of Bentley as someone who serves her constituents according to her understanding of their needs. But he doesn’t agree with her policies.
“[Bentley] supports the LEARNS Act, she supports the abortion ban, she is very supportive of Gov. Sanders’ policies and projects. I respect her convictions. I differ with her.” Corbitt said. “So I want to offer people a choice.”
Corbitt said he was recruited by the Democratic Party of Faulkner County to challenge the District 54 incumbent just a day before the filing deadline. Corbitt hadn’t considered running for office, but drew on his philosophy background to make the quick decision.
“My thinking was if I turn down this opportunity given what I’ve been teaching and preaching for so many years, I am a coward and a hypocrite. So I decided to give it a try.”
And now that he’s in the race, Corbitt is “brimming with ideas”. His top priority is raising the average household income in rural Arkansas. He says the area he hopes to represent struggles with poverty.
“The fact that we have people who worry whether they’ll have enough food for their children at the end of the month, worry about whether they’ll be able to afford shoes for school for their children, that just breaks my heart.” Corbitt said.
Corbitt’s plan to alleviate rural poverty requires buy-in from landowners across the district. He hopes his pitch is enough to
“When I talk to the people of Perry County there’s this strong pride; many people there are fourth and fifth or sixth generation residents of Perry County. They love their land,” Corbitt said, quickly adding the people are also suspicious of outsiders.
“So rather than bring in major producers to improve the standard of living, why don’t we find ways to work with the resources that are there and the people who are there to encourage tourism in this incredibly beautiful place? ”
Corbitt plans to have the state pay landowners in the county to expand hiking and biking trails through their property. He says landowners could then open small cafes or bed and breakfasts for tourists passing through, an idea he says is borrowed from similar communities in other countries.
“The purpose of these ideas is ultimately to bring in tourism dollars that would not bring in outside corporations that would have tremendous control over people’s times and lives and property, but would be a way for the people who already own the land to offer their land in a way that would improves their own standard of living.” Corbitt said.
Rep. Mary Bentley says she also wants to invest in her district. In previous years she supported the state parks department’s effort to bring trails to Mount Nebo.
“So we’ll continue to do that now with Lake Sylvia to be part of that parks system, and we’re putting trails out there,” Bentley said. “I think one of the biggest things we can do in my district is tourism.”
Bentley says her experience in the legislature makes her the best candidate for the job, and wants to bring the voices of her constituents to her legislative work.
“I remember the folks that are living in poverty, I remember those folks that are really trying to struggle. I want to have their face in my mind when I’m there making votes on the house floor, I think that’s really important”
The biggest issue facing her constituents, Bentley says, is rising prices.
“Everything is going up and so it’s tough for families to make it. But you know our constituents are very hardworking people. People that love where they live, they love Arkansas, they love their families, so I just think it’s really important to remember how important families are and keeping families together.”
Bentley says part of taking care of her constituents means opening more educational opportunities. She's excited about the impact the Arkansas LEARNS Act will have on her majority rural district.
“What we’re doing with career ed is opening up a lot more opportunities for our students we’re working with. There’s a papermill there right over the line in Morrilton, so we’re expanding that as well, trying to create more jobs,” Bentley said. “As a small business owner I’m always trying to do everything we can to create more jobs for our kids.”
Bentley says Arkansas lawmakers need to prioritize business-friendly legislation to keep young Arkansans in their home state.
Another aspect of LEARNS creates Education Freedom Accounts, or EFAs, which are taxpayer-funded vouchers to help families pay for their kids’ education. Parents can use the funds for things like private school tuition or homeschooling materials. The potential Bentley sees for the EFA’s is personal. The youngest child of divorced parents, Bentley was the only one of her siblings to attend a private school.
“It turned my life around. I was the only one of my family to graduate college so I think it was really transformational for me.”
Bentley wanted her kids to have the best education experience, too
“Each one of my kids were different and learned differently, so I want this–I want opportunities and options for parents to do the best learning possible for each child. Because each child is different.”
As a longtime teacher, challenger Doug Corbitt says he also wants what’s best for students, but is skeptical LEARNS is the only answer to Arkansas’ low education rankings.
“I would like to see the LEARNS act tempered a little bit. I think that giving money to–giving public monies to private schools is problematic and I want to see that money go to the public schools.” Corbitt said.
Corbitt says another way to support families is through the lens of healthcare. He wants Arkansas to expand Medicaid coverage for new mothers to a full year postpartum. Arkansas is the only state that hasn’t done so.
“I think the long-term outcomes for enhanced care for children and new mothers pays off handsomely in the long run,” Corbitt said.
“We have far fewer long term healthcare problems down the road in people’s lives if they get appropriate care from the beginning.”
Without the expansion or similar investments in maternal health, Corbitt is worried about the people who fall through the cracks.
“I think we will see more problems going untreated and ultimately more people living lives that are filled with struggles.”
Rep. Bentley said she is actively working on legislation to support Arkansas’ maternal health programs.
Corbitt also supports overturning Arkansas’ total abortion ban which only allows for abortions in the event of medical emergencies to save the life of a pregnant person. He says his time on an ethics committee at UAMS gave him a nuanced view of what effect the total bans have on families.
“One of my first difficult cases was to run into a young woman who was sobbing with grief about what she just found out about the baby she was carrying. And she was devastated by the news. And it was clear that she loved this child, it was clear that she wanted this child, but she was in a situation where she had to make a really difficult choice.”
Corbitt says there are a number of medical conditions that can’t be detected until later in a pregnancy and that doctors have no way to treat.
“And so I now know that a flat ban just doesn’t take into account all of the things that parents can face.”
Rep. Bentley is a strong anti-abortion advocate. Throughout her time in the legislature she has supported and sponsored legislation to strengthen Arkansas’ anti-abortion laws, including bills to criminalize people who have abortions for reasons other than in the case of a medical emergency.
Bentley and Corbitt will appear on the ballot for some residents of Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Saline, and Yell counties.
