Arkansas Senate narrowly confirms former Sanders staffer to Board of Corrections (with Dem help)

[LiberalArkie]

Support from two Democrats overpowers GOP opposition to Jamie Barker’s appointment amid debate over Franklin County prison project

The Arkansas Senate confirmed Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ former deputy chief of staff to the state Board of Corrections Friday, with several GOP lawmakers opposing his appointment over his role in the governor’s push for a 3,000-bed prison project.

Two Democrats voted to confirm Jamie Barker, who left Sanders’ office last year and is now a lobbyist, giving him a narrow 19-11 confirmation in the 35-member chamber.

Sanders appointed Barker and Deputy Secretary of State Nathan Lee to the board in December, securing a majority of four appointees on the seven-member board. All four named Barker as chairman at the board’s January meeting.

Barker works for the Gilmore Davis Strategy Group, co-owned by the brother of Crossett Republican Sen. Ben Gilmore. He is also the son of Smackover Republican Rep. Sonia Eubanks Barker.

Snip

https://arkansasadvocate.com/2026/03/20/arkansas-senate-narrowly-confirms-former-sanders-staffer-to-board-of-corrections/

[Seinan Sensei]

1. So, is this Cronyism?

Or is it Nepotism?

Or should we say, “and Bob’s your uncle”?
The Brits use this idiom, which means “and there you have it “
One (unsupported) theory of idiom-origin is that British statesman Arthur Balfour got promoted via the influence of his Prime Minister uncle, Robert (Bob) Gascoyne-Cecil

And there ya have it

[LiberalArkie]

2. Yea normal Republican deals but the take away is agsin

Arkansas Democrats enabled it where the Republicans voted against it. The Arkansas democratic party leadership keep doing it.