Kim Hammer is a Missionary Baptist preacher and state legislator in Arkansas.[1] He serves in the Arkansas Senate. He is a Republican. He hosts a weekly conservative talk radio show.[2]

Hammer was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for eight years before being elected to the state Senate in 2018.[3] He lives in Benton, Arkansas.[4]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas, Hammer was one of several Republican state legislators who sued Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a fellow Republican, over public health measures that he ordered to prevent the spread of the virus. An Arkansas judge dismissed the suit.[5]

In 2021, Hammer promoted Donald Trump's claim that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen"; after Trump was impeached for a second time, wrote in a Facebook post that Democrats were "enemies" and called for "political war" to be waged against them. Hammer deleted the post after it garnered criticism.[1] In 2021, as part of Republican efforts to restrict voting following Trump's defeat, Hammer introduced a bill to eliminate early voting in Arkansas on the last Monday before Election Day, a measure that voting-rights groups described as voter suppression. The bill passed the Senate on a 19–13 vote, but failed in the state House on a 43–39 vote.[6][7]

In 2021, Hammer opposed the grant of a liquor-sales permit for a new Costco Wholesale in west Little Rock, a portion of which is in his district. Hammer wrote a letter to the director of the Alcohol Beverage Control Division, contending that the public's needs were "being adequately met by these existing businesses."[8] By contrast, Little Rock's mayor and vice mayor supported Costco's permit request.[8] The director initially denied Costco's permit application,[8][9] but this decision was reversed after a successful appeal by Costco to the Control Board directors.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 Max Brantley, Sen. Kim Hammer declares 'war' on Democrats in now-removed Facebook post, Arkansas Times (January 16, 2021).
  2. ↑ The Kim Hammer Show, KDXE.
  3. ↑ "Kim Hammer". Arkansas Senate.
  4. ↑ "Senator Kim Hammer (R) - Arkansas State Legislature". www.arkleg.state.ar.us.
  5. ↑ John Lynch, Judge rejects suit by Arkansas lawmakers opposing virus orders, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (October 15, 2020).
  6. ↑ Rachel Herzog, House rejects bill to lop day of early voting, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (April 28, 2021).
  7. ↑ Rachel Herzog, Senate OKs early voting ban on day before election, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (April 23, 2021).
  8. 1 2 3 Noel Oman, Liquor sales at new Costco in Little Rock hit bump after lawmaker objects, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (May 28, 2021).
  9. 1 2 John Lynch, Permit to sell liquor disputed, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (July 18, 2021).
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