Recent Arkansas Supreme Court rulings have stripped a Mountain Home exterminator of his seat on the state Plant Board.
The Plant Board, which was created in 1917 to address a plant disease that threatened the state’s apple industry, most recently operated with seven members appointed by the governor and nine other members appointed by the various agricultural trade groups whose industries are regulated by the board. Two members represent the University of Arkansas System’s Agriculture Division, but do not have voting privileges.
Mark Hopper of Hopper Termite and Pest Control was one of the nine trade-group representatives to lose their seats Thursday after the state Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to have the trade groups directly appointment representatives to the board. Hopper, which joined the Plant Board in July 2020, was the representative for the Arkansas Pest Management Association.
Hopper, who spoke to KTLO News Monday, describes some of the groups represented on the board.
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Other trade group representatives losing their seats Thursday included:
– Tommy Anderson of the Arkansas Agriculture Aviation Association;
– Brad Koen of the Arkansas Crop Protection Association;
– Scott Milburn of the Arkansas Forestry Association;
– Jason Parks of the Arkansas Green Industry;
– Terry Stephenson of the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association;
– Marty Eaton of the Arkansas Seed Dealers Association;
– Terry Fuller of the Arkansas Seed Growers Association; and
– Mark Morgan of the Arkansas Horticulture Society.
Hopper, speaking Monday, talks to KTLO News about how he found out about the Supreme Court’s decision.
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Thursday’s rulings came from lawsuits challenging the legality of the board’s makeup filed separately by the Monsanto Company, which is now owned by Bayer, and by a group of farmers. The validity of trade groups directly appointing representatives to the board had been discussed over the years but had never been challenged until those lawsuits.
Act 361, which was approved by the Arkansas General Assembly this spring, changed the process for placing trade-group representatives on the board. The new process calls for the groups to nominate at least two individuals, with the governor appointing one of the nominees to serve on the board. Act 361 does not go into effect until this summer, however.
Hopper says he has not heard anything on future Plant Board appointments, but would be open to serving again.
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The governor’s seven appointees to the Plant Board are Bruce Alford, representing the forage industry; Kyle Baltz and Matthew Marsh as farmers at large; Reynold Meyer, representing cattle farmers; Sam Stucky, representing cotton farmers; Barry Walls, representing rice growers; and Darrell Hess, representing plant food.
New legislation related to the Plant Board’s makeup adds another seat to represent soybean farmers. That seat will be filled by gubernatorial appointment.
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