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Jason Rapert
Member of the Arkansas Senate
from the 35th district
In office
January 15, 2013 – January 15, 2023
Preceded byBill Pritchard
Member of the Arkansas Senate
from the 18th district
In office
January 10, 2011 – January 15, 2013
Preceded byBob Johnson
Succeeded byMissy Irvin
Personal details
Born
Stanley Jason Rapert

(1972-04-03) April 3, 1972 (age 52)
Pocahontas, Arkansas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Laurie Tyler
​
(m. 1990)​
Children2
ResidenceBigelow, Arkansas
Alma materUniversity of Central Arkansas

Stanley Jason Rapert (born April 3, 1972)[1] is an American politician from the state of Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, he was a member of the Arkansas State Senate from 2011 to 2023, representing the 18th district and then the 35th district.

Early life, education, and career

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In 1990, Rapert married Laurie Ellen Tyler of Pocahontas in Randolph County and a member of the Jarrett Tribe Family.[2] The couple moved to Conway, where they both attended the University of Central Arkansas, where he majored in Political Science and Sociology. He worked for United Parcel Service while attending college.[3]

Rapert is the founder and president of Holy Ghost Ministries.[3] A 2012 profile in a local newspaper reported that he made annual missionary visits to Ghana.[3]

State Senate (2011–2023)

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Rapert was elected in 2010 to the Arkansas State Senate, representing the 18th district. As a result of decennial redistricting, he sought reelection in the 35th district in 2012, when he defeated Democrat Linda Tyler.[4] In the general election held on November 4, 2014, Rapert won a four-year term in the state Senate by defeating Democrat Joel Pearson, 13,483 votes to 10,267.[5]

Rapert is a member of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).[6]

Rapert has embraced the label of Christian nationalist.[7] In 2019, Rapert founded the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL), a far-right group that seeks to dismantle separation of church and state.[7] In an interview in 2023, Rapert described America as a country that had "reached a level of debauchery and immorality that is at biblical proportions."[7] He recruited influential figures of the Christian right, including Mike Huckabee, Bob McEwen, and Tony Perkins, to join the group's advisory board.[7]

In 2017, Rapert introduced legislation to remove the names of the Clintons from the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock.[8]

Reproductive rights

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Main article: Abortion in Arkansas

Rapert supports banning abortion without exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother.[9]

In 2013, Rapert authored a bill to ban all abortions in Arkansas after twelve weeks of pregnancy.[10] Then-Governor Mike Beebe (D) vetoed the bill as unconstitutional, but Republican-majority Legislature overrode the veto.[11] In 2013, a federal judge stopped the law from being implemented, saying it was likely unconstitutional.[12] In January 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the State's petition for a writ of certiorari to review the case.[13] The State of Arkansas was ordered to pay over $97,000 in attorneys' fees and costs to the prevailing plaintiffs before the Supreme Court decision was finalized.[14]

Minorities

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At a 2011 Tea Party rally, Rapert said, "we're not going to allow minorities to run roughshod over what you people believe in".[15][16] Rapert later claimed that his remarks about minorities were taken out of context.[17] The "minority" comments Rapert made in 2011 referenced both Barack Obama and a ballot initiative (Arkansas Proposed Initiative Act No. 1 (2008)) stricken as unconstitutional that prohibited unmarried cohabitating couples from adopting.[18][19] The Arkansas act had been criticized for prohibiting gay couples from adopting.[19]

On June 30, 2015, the Jason Rapert for Arkansas Senate Facebook page announced, in response to a post suggesting that the rights of minorities are not subject to majority wishes, that "we the majority grant you rights by choice."[20] Later on that same day, the Facebook page accused Max Brantley and the Arkansas Times as a whole, of reporting that Rapert does not "recognize God has endowed us with natural rights that are given by God that no man can take away."[20]

LGBT issues

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While running for the Arkansas General Assembly, Rapert stated: "Traditional marriage in our society has always been between one man and one woman. I support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects that right now and forevermore."[21] As a member of the Arkansas Legislative Council, a powerful committee in the Arkansas General Assembly, Rapert proposed a non-binding resolution to "urge the Arkansas Supreme Court to overturn a circuit judge’s ruling striking down Arkansas’ same-sex marriage ban."[22] Rapert initially proposed impeaching the judge who issued the ruling, but later stated he wanted to establish a system of judicial recall.[23]

On June 7, 2015, Rapert took to Facebook to "urge everyone to contact the Conway City Council and Mayor Tab Townsell in opposition to allowing activists to march through the streets of Conway on a Sunday to mock Christian values and accuse Christians of being bigots", in protest of the Conway Gay Pride Parade that was scheduled to take place later that same day, which he deemed an anti-Christian activity.[24] According to The Chicago Sun-Times, responses to the Facebook post were "largely mocking".[25]

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which recognized a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, Rapert claimed that the Court's ruling was unconstitutional.[26] Rapert encouraged public officials "to refuse to comply with an unjust ruling that violates religious freedom and states rights".[26]

In 2017, Rapert took to Facebook and compared LGBT people to the Nazis, stating that "LGBT activists ... demand full compliance with their diminished morality. They clearly behave just like the 'brown shirts' and 'SS' troops."[27]

In January 2020, Rapert suggested cutting funding for PBS and AETN (Arkansas PBS) for the appearance of gay actor Billy Porter on Sesame Street, saying: "I can pass a bill to cutoff all funding for the rebroadcast of PBS programming through AETN and also stop all funding for AETN altogether if necessary".[28] A Facebook commenter asked "if Jesus would approve of your judgment and intolerance?" To which he replied: "You are totally amiss and you know it. Christians do not support anti-Biblical behavior. The Bible is clear on certain sins — including homosexuality. Romans Chapter 1 and the Book of Jude just to cite two examples are very clear about this issue. Jesus never endorsed homosexual behavior and opposed it as he referenced Sodom and Gomorrah. Speaking the truth is not hatred. If you oppose the Bible, you are not a sincere Christian."[29]

In February 2023, Rapert said on an episode of Save The Nation that the Christians must take authority over "the drag queens running this place", stating that: "We must take authority, God told us to go out there and be fruitful, multiply, fill the Earth, subdue it, and have dominion over everything. Friends, the reason the country is struggling because the Christians in America have failed to take authority and now is the time to choose, now is the time to stand."[30]

Medical marijuana

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In November 2016, Arkansas became the first state in the Bible Belt to legalize medical marijuana; a ballot referendum to legalize marijuana for medical use passed by nearly 70,000 votes.[31] Rapert opposed the campaign; he introduced legislation to ban the consumption of medical marijuana in smoked form, and to delay legalization as long as federal laws continued to ban marijuana.[32] When asked whether it was hypocritical for him to oppose medical marijuana in favor of federal law, while opposing marriage equality in spite of federal law,[33] he responded with "Watch your language with me or we'll stop the interview".[34]

Ten Commandments monuments

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Rapert pushed for the installation of a privately funded Ten Commandments Monument on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol. Rapert sponsored a bill in 2015 which would require the secretary of state to allow for the installation of the monument. The monument was challenged by the ACLU as being a violation of clauses in both the federal and state constitutions prohibiting the government from favoring any religion.[35][36] The first version of the monument was installed in 2017, and was destroyed less than 24 hours later.[37]

Legal challenges were suspended until a replacement monument could be installed. The new version, with protective concrete bollards, was unveiled April 27, 2018. The monument was again challenged by the ACLU, the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, and The Satanic Temple. The Satanic Temple had successfully challenged a similar monument in Oklahoma in 2015, and in both locations has offered to install a bronze monument to Baphomet as a symbol of religious pluralism and freedom.[38][39][40]

Comments on nuclear weapons

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In February 2015, Rapert stated that the United States should use nuclear weapons in response to the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[41][42] The post sparked a "lively debate...rang[ing] from agreement to ridicule" on social media:[43] Wonkette replied sarcastically to this stance,[44] as did Daily Kos,[45] and Esquire.[41]

Social media

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In early September 2015, after having been approached by a local constituent at a store, Rapert posted a tweet that read, "Not smart to come up and harass somebody in a parking lot who's carrying a handgun. Better be glad you decided to walk away #armed&ready", which became the center of a controversy on social media.[46][47] Rapert said that the tweet was not referring to the incident with that constituent.[46]

In February 2019, the sludge metal band Eyehategod posted a Facebook event for a show booked in Little Rock that used a picture of Rapert eating a baby, and Rapert spoke out, calling for a protest of the venue and the band, saying "I call on Vinos in Little Rock to cancel this event and apologize for such a disrespectful image that shows the dehumanization of babies lives. It is disrespectful of all who value babies lives and people of faith" and urged the band to find the "love, grace and mercy of God and choose to update their name to 'EyeloveGod'" in a later update to his post.[48][49][50][51]

Social media lawsuit

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In 2018, after Rapert blocked several critics on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, the group American Atheists sued Rapert, alleging that the blocking violated constituents' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.[52] In 2022, Rapert settled the suit; as part of the settlement, he was required to unblock the accounts, and the State of Arkansas paid $16,291 to cover the plaintiffs' legal fees.[53][54]

Campaign for lieutenant governor

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In August 2019, Rapert said he would seek the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Arkansas in the 2022 election.[55] A crowded field of other Republicans also ran, including Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge; Doyle Webb, the chairman of the state Republican Party, Greg Bledsoe, the state surgeon general; Joseph Wood, the Washington County county judge; and Chris Bequette, an attorney.[56] Rutledge defeated Rapert in the Republican primary election.[57]

State Library Board (2023–present)

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In December 2023, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Rapart to the seven-member Arkansas State Library Board, for a term expiring on October 18, 2029.[57] The state Senate confirmed Rapert's appointment on a 22–10 vote; all six Democratic senators, as well as four of Rapert's Republican former colleagues (Jimmy Hickey Jr., Bryan King, Breanne Davis, and Jane English), voted against confirming him.[57] While a board member, Rapert promoted the book banning movement. In 2024, after the board rejected Rapert's proposals to defund libraries that did not restrict circulation of works he found objectionable, Rapert said of his fellow board members: "You probably should be tarred and feathered. That's what they used to do in America."[58]

Personal life

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Rapert and his wife have two daughters. He plays the fiddle, which he learned by ear when he was ten years old.[3]

In July 2020, during COVID-19 pandemic, Rapert was hospitalized with pneumonia due to COVID-19.[59]

Rapert is a member of the Gideons International and Rotary International.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "91st Arkansas General Assembly Legislative Directory" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  2. ^ "Obituary information for James Eldon Jarrett, Sr".
  3. ^ a b c d "A personal look at Sen. Rapert". The Sun-Times. Heber Springs, AR. June 29, 2012. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ "Republican Rapert wins heated Arkansas Senate race". Associated Press. November 7, 2012. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2013 – via KLRT-TV.
  5. ^ "Arkansas 2014 general election results". thv11.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Biography of the Honorable Jason Rapert, Arkansas State Senator" (PDF). arkleg.state.ar.us. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Henry Larson & Francesca D'Annunzio, A group of far-right Christian lawmakers aims to merge church and state, News21 (September 11, 2023).
  8. ^ Tafi Mukunyadzi, Naming airport after Clintons doesn't fly with GOP lawmaker, Associated Press (February 26, 2017).
  9. ^ Hoffman, Jan (June 9, 2022). "The New Abortion Bans: Almost No Exceptions for Rape, Incest or Health". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  10. ^ Eckholm, Eric (March 11, 2013). "Arkansas's Abortion Ban and One Man's Strong Will". New York Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  11. ^ Lyon, John (January 19, 2016). "Supreme Court Declines To Rule On Arkansas Abortion Law". Times Record. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  12. ^ Eckholm, Erik (May 17, 2013). "Abortion Law in Arkansas Is Blocked by U.S. Judge". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  13. ^ "Home / News / Supreme Court rejects Arkansas bid to revive abortion law". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. January 19, 2016. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  14. ^ Brantley, Max (January 19, 2016). "U.S. Supreme Court refuses review of court ruling overturning Arkansas's 12-week abortion limit". Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  15. ^ Norm Ornstein (August 2014), "When Extremism Goes Mainstream", The Atlantic, archived from the original on October 16, 2016, retrieved March 8, 2017
  16. ^ Samantha Lachman (June 10, 2014), "GOP State Legislator Asks Why America Can't Be More Like Saudi Arabia", The Huffington Post, archived from the original on July 5, 2015, retrieved July 4, 2015
  17. ^ "Sen. Jason Rapert releases statement on 'Heartbeat Bill', 'minorities' comment". February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  18. ^ "Sen. Jason Rapert releases statement on 'Heartbeat Bill', 'minorities' comment". February 5, 2013. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  19. ^ a b Pratt, Jordan. "Arkansas Supreme Court Strikes Down Ban on Adoption by Unmarried Cohabitating Couples". The Federalist Society. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Max Brantley (June 30, 2015), "The line is open; with today's video and also: Child abuse and more crazy Rapert", Arkansas Times, archived from the original on July 1, 2015, retrieved July 1, 2015
  21. ^ "Jason Rapert for State Senate 18 – Issues". Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  22. ^ Lyon, John (June 20, 2014). "Legislators adopt resolution opposing judge's ruling on gay marriage". Arkansas News. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  23. ^ Lyon, John (June 22, 2014). "Unhappy with ruling on gay marriage, some want ability to recall judges". Arkansas News Bureau. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  24. ^ Jason Rapert for Arkansas Senate (June 6, 2015). "Anti-Christian activists will march through the streets of Conway tomorrow and the Conway city council enables them to do so on a Sunday, the Lord's day" – via Facebook.
  25. ^ Chad Merda (June 8, 2015), "Arkansas lawmaker: Gay pride parades on Sundays 'mock Christians'", Chicago Sun-Times, archived from the original on July 4, 2015, retrieved July 4, 2015
  26. ^ a b "Cleburne County clerk will resign over same-sex marriage licenses". Arkansas Democrate-Gazette. June 29, 2015. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  27. ^ Taylor, Jeff (August 18, 2017). "Senator compares LGBT people to Nazis & then fundraises off the outrage he caused". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  28. ^ Ramsey, David (February 3, 2020). "Rapert objects to appearance of gay actor Billy Porter on Sesame Street, questions AETN funding". Arkansas Times.
  29. ^ "Republican lawmaker wants to cut funding from 'Sesame Street' because Billy Porter will appear on it". New York Daily News. February 6, 2020.
  30. ^ Bollinger, Alex (February 7, 2023). "GOP lawmaker tells Christians to take authority over the "drag queens running this place"". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  31. ^ "Arkansas medical marijuana Issue 6 passes, marking milestone in Bible Belt". The Cannabist. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  32. ^ Ramsey, David. "Rapert seeks to derail medical marijuana amendment, floats ban on smoking marijuana". Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  33. ^ Brantley, Max. "Rapert passes measures aimed at banning same-sex marriage and abortion on second votes". Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  34. ^ Ramsey, David. "Your daily dose of Jason Rapert". Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2017.
  35. ^ Barnes, Steve (June 27, 2017). "Ten Commandments monument installed in Arkansas; ACLU vows court fight". Reuters. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  36. ^ Wamsley, Laurel (June 27, 2017). "Ten Commandments Installed At Arkansas State Capitol; ACLU Plans Lawsuit". NPR.org. Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  37. ^ Petit, Emma (June 28, 2017). "Arrest made after Ten Commandments monument at Arkansas Capitol toppled, shattered". Arkansas Online. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  38. ^ Hardy, Benjamin (April 27, 2018). "Ten Commandments rise again at Capitol, but Satanic Temple says Arkansas law is on its side". Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  39. ^ Bleed, Jill; DeMillo, Andrew (April 26, 2018). "Arkansas Replaces Ten Commandments Monument at State Capitol". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  40. ^ Chappel, Bill (April 26, 2018). "Arkansas Installs A New Ten Commandments Monument At Its Capitol". NPR.org. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  41. ^ a b Charles P. Pierce (February 17, 2015), "Jason Rapert Wants To Nuke ISIS", Esquire, archived from the original on February 19, 2015, retrieved February 19, 2015, Here's Some Stupid For Lunch
  42. ^ "If Jason Rapert didn't exist, we'd have to invent him". Arkansas Times. February 16, 2015. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
  43. ^ State Senator calls for using nukes on ISIS, Little Rock, Arkansas: KTHV News, February 15, 2015, archived from the original on July 7, 2015, retrieved July 7, 2015
  44. ^ Doktor Zoom (February 17, 2015), "Arkansas State Senator: Liberals Love ISIS So Much They Don't Even Want Nuclear War", Wonkette, archived from the original on July 9, 2015, retrieved July 7, 2015, Can't see how anyone could object to a few nuclear strikes in the Middle East — it's all just sand and camels anyway...
  45. ^ Hunter (February 17, 2015), "Arkansas State Sen. Jason Rapert: America should nuke ISIS", Daily Kos, archived from the original on July 7, 2015, retrieved July 7, 2015, ...after persons pointed out that State Sen. Jason Rapert was quite possibly a raging idiot, he was then of course obligated to defend his plan...
  46. ^ a b Jordan Bontke for KATV. September 10, 2015 Senator Rapert explains controversial gun tweet Archived January 31, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ Jonathan Rozelle for KARK. September 7, 2015. State Senator Comes Under Fire After Tweet Archived January 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  48. ^ "Arkansas state senator not cool with Eyehategod concert poster showing him eating a baby". February 6, 2019.
  49. ^ "Arkansas Senator calls out venue for poster of him eating a baby". Alternative Press. February 6, 2019.
  50. ^ "Eyehategod Respond to Arkansas Senator Baby-Eating Poster Controversy". February 8, 2019.
  51. ^ "Eyehategod on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022.[user-generated source]
  52. ^ "Atheist group files lawsuit against Jason Rapert on social media blocking". October 2, 2018.
  53. ^ Josie Lenora, Arkansas Sen. Jason Rapert settles lawsuit with atheist group, KUAR (August 18, 2022).
  54. ^ Andrew Demillo, Settlement requires Arkansas senator to unblock critics, Associated Press (August 17, 2022).
  55. ^ Rapert says he's running for Arkansas lieutenant governor, Associated Press (August 2, 2019).
  56. ^ Roby Brock, Rutledge drops out of Arkansas governor's race, will run for lt. governor, KUAR (November 9, 2021).
  57. ^ a b c Tess Vrbin, Arkansas Senate confirms former GOP Sen. Jason Rapert to state library board, Arkansas Advocate (December 15, 2023).
  58. ^ Debra Hale-Shelton, Former lawmaker calls for tarring, feathering of fellow library board members, Arkansas Times (August 27, 2024).
  59. ^ "Arkansas State Sen. Jason Rapert hospitalized with COVID-19". July 23, 2020.
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