Another former Republican legislator, Andy Davis of Little Rock, has landed a fat lobbying job. He’d already been on the state government teat, a goal of many small-government Republicans.

He’ll be the new lobbyist for UAMS, succeeding Maurice Rigsby, who departed in January.

Advertisement

I’ve requested information on his pay and perks. UPDATE: The salary is $232,900 and presumably comes with health insurance, retirement and an expense account. I’ve asked about those benefits as well. He is eligible to sign up for the same benefits as all other UAMS employees including health insurance, dental, eye insurance and life insurance. Benefits include the match for 401K through Fidelity or TIAA-CREF. Employees can put in up to 10% of their annual salary and UAMS matches it dollar for dollar.

From the release:

Advertisement

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has hired former Arkansas Rep. Andy Davis as its new vice chancellor of institutional relations. He will start on or around May 1.

Davis is a native Arkansan who spent eight years in the Arkansas General Assembly representing portions of Pulaski and Saline counties. During that time, he served on numerous key committees, including the Joint Budget, Education, House Rules and State Agencies & Governmental Affairs. He was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the Highway Funding Workgroup and the Government Transformation Advisory Board.

“I am thrilled that Andy is joining us at UAMS,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “His knowledge of state government and his years of service in the state legislature paired with his commitment to improving the health of Arkansans make him the perfect candidate for this role.”

Davis joins UAMS from Periscope Holdings, where he serves as general manager of ARBuy, the new eProcurement system for the state of Arkansas. Prior to that, he led New Water Systems, a company he founded in 2003.

His past experience with sewage treatment systems is, in a way, a good fit for his new job working with the legislature.

Davis didn’t seek re-election in 2020, so he’s been out long enough not to run afoul, even in spirit, of the rule against revolving from the legislature to the lobby. But higher education lobbying jobs are exempt from that rule anyway.

Advertisement

Legislators love to join the lobby or nab a state agency job to fatten state retirement. The list is long, sometimes shortened by the occasional indictment.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article The Lake Ouachita Vista Trail is underrated; here’s a guide to trying it out Next article Give us your terrible food takes