Kim Hammer | |
|---|---|
| Member of theArkansas Senate | |
| Assumed office January 19, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jeremy Young Hutchinson |
| Constituency | 33rd district (2019–2023) 16th district (2023–present) |
| Member of theArkansas House of Representatives from the 28th district | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – January 19, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara Nix |
| Succeeded by | Jasen Kelly |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1958-08-11)August 11, 1958 (age 67) Damascus, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary (BA) |
Kim Davin Hammer is aMissionary Baptist preacher and state legislator in Arkansas.[1] He serves in theArkansas Senate. He is a Republican. He hosts a weeklyconservative talk radio show.[2]
Hammer was a member of theArkansas House of Representatives for eight years before being elected to thestate Senate in 2018.[3] He lives inBenton, Arkansas.[4]
In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas, Hammer was one of several Republican state legislators who suedArkansas GovernorAsa 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 promotedDonald Trump's claim that the2020 presidential election was "stolen"; afterTrump was impeached for a second time, wrote in aFacebook post thatDemocrats 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 ofRepublican efforts to restrict voting following Trump's defeat, Hammer introduced a bill to eliminateearly voting in Arkansas on the last Monday beforeElection Day, a measure that voting-rights groups described asvoter 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 newCostco Wholesale in westLittle 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]