Around AAC When is a ‘retreat’ actually an ‘advance’?


ometimes to get something important accomplished, you just have to shut the doors and get away from the phones, the fax- es, and the walk-in traffic.


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Such was the case in late October as the Legislative Committee of the Association of Arkansas Counties convened at secluded Eden Isle (Cleburne County) for part of two days. Tere they hammered out details of the 2011 legislative package that the AAC staff and com- mittee members would end up going to bat for in the current session.


Tat package is shaped and agreed upon by the Legislative Committee, which is chaired by Debbie Wise, Randolph County Circuit Clerk; its membership is composed of two members from each of the nine county associations. As- sociation representatives bring the needs and concerns of their particular association to the table. It is a fairly intricate process. For instance, sometimes what one or two counties might want would not be good for their respective offices in the vast majority of other counties; and what one association might be really keen on might have an unintended adverse effect on county government as a whole. So a legislative retreat is definitely more work


than it is a pleasure trip... but it helps when you have a group where all members work hard, mesh well with others, and are dedicated to their associations and to better county govern- ment.


– Randy Kemp / AAC Debbie Lakey: Continued from 46 >>>


region, with an annual extended trip. How extended? Colorado, Nagshead (Outer Banks / Makinaw Island), Sturgis, South Dakota for starters. “We’ll usually do 2,000-3,000 miles on a road trip. We have a group of friends we ride with at different times – not all at the same time, but different ones on different trips, according to our schedules.” If a road trip on two wheels sounds roman- tic and adventurous – well, it is. But it’s not all rainbows and sunsets. “We went to Makinaw a year ago in July. It’s right on the Great Lakes,


COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2011 AAC Director Chris Villines offers his thoughts on a proposed piece of legislation


Debbie Wise and AAC’s Jeff Sikes


Roger Haney, Judy Beth Hutcherson, Judy Burnett


and it was rainy, and a chilly 62 degrees. We just weren’t prepared for that in July.” The big- gest challenge of a road trip, says Debbie, is in packing for two for a week. “You can’t carry a lot on a motorcycle, so you have to limit your supply of clothing.” Debbie is content to ride behind and let Lonnie do the driving. “I like to sight-see, plus I don’t want the responsibility of being in the driver’s seat,” she said. They also participate throughout the year in


Toys for Tots, Bikers for Babies, and do vari- ous benefit rides such as for Arkansas State Troopers.


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JPs H.O. Gray (Jefferson County) and Gene Riable (Johnson County) keep track of legislation of interest to Quorum Courts.


Beyond that, Debbie enjoys reading and


traveling. “If time and money were no object, I’d be gone all the time,” she said with a big smile. “I’d really like to go to Europe and spend time traveling to different countries. Maybe that’ll be my retirement!”


Favorite Quote “Life is not measured by the number of


breaths you take, but by the number of mo- ments that take your breath away.”


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