Commissioner of State Lands
Seal of the Commissioner of State Lands
Incumbent
Tommy Land
StyleThe Honorable
Term lengthFour years
Two terms[Note 1]
Constituting instrumentArkansas Constitution
PrecursorCommissioner of Immigration and State Lands (1868–1874)
Formation1868
First holderJ. M. Lewis
SuccessionAppointment (1868–1874)
Election (1874–present)
WebsiteOfficial website

The Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands is an executive position and constitutional officer within the Arkansas government which has been an elective post since 1874. Land Commissioners are elected to four year terms. The current state Land Commissioner is Republican Tommy Land.[2][3]

Powers and duties

The Land Commissioner is responsible for collecting delinquent taxes on real estate through public auction whenever parcels are certified as such by county tax collectors. The proceeds from each sale of tax delinquent property are dedicated to public schools throughout the state. The Land Commissioner also serves as leasing agent for oil, natural gas, sand and gravel deposits on state lands, administers the beds of navigable rivers and streams, and is custodian of Arkansas' original land records.[4]

History

The position was created by the Arkansas General Assembly as the Commissioner of Immigration and State Lands in 1868.[5] had control over public works in the state, which eventually included road improvements. Under the Arkansas Constitution of 1874,[Note 2] the position became an elected office.[5] The highway duties were so important to the position it was referred to as the Highway Commissioner everywhere except official state documents.[7]

In 1929, the General Assembly passed a measure to abolish the position of Highway Commissioner as an elected office in response to corruption in the highway system. However, the measure did not have authority to abolish a constitutional office. The General Assembly instead assigned the highway-related duties to the Arkansas State Highway Commission, which became an appointed office.[7] Dwight Blackwood, the incumbent office holder, transitioned to the State Highway Commission, and his sister, Belva Martin was appointed to the State Land Commissioner position. She won election in her own right in 1930, but did not seek reelection in 1932.[8] Martin was the first woman to seek the Democratic nomination for a statewide office in Arkansas,[7] and as of February 2018, she remains the only female to hold the office.

List of Arkansas Commissioners of State Lands

No.[Note 3] Name Party[Note 4] Service[9] Notes
1 J. M. Lewis None July 2, 1868 – October 15, 1872
2 William Henry Grey None October 15, 1872 – June 5, 1874
3 J. N. Smithee Democratic June 5, 1874 – November 18, 1878 First elected Commissioner
4 D. W. Lear Democratic October 31, 1878 – October 30, 1882
5 William P. Campbell Democratic October 30, 1882 – March 31, 1884
6 Paul M. Cobbs Democratic March 31, 1884 – February 1890 Died in office
7 C. B. Meyers Democratic February 12, 1890 – October 30, 1894 Initially appointed, seated via election October 30, 1890
8 J. F. Ritchie Democratic October 30, 1894 – October 30, 1898
9 J. W. Colquitt Democratic October 30, 1898 – October 30, 1902
10 F. E. Conway Democratic October 30, 1902 – October 30, 1906
11 Lafayette L. Coffman Democratic October 31, 1906 – October 31, 1910
12 Reuben G. Dye Democratic October 31, 1910 – October 31, 1914 Beginning April 1, 1913 led the Department of State Lands, Highways, and Improvements
13 William B. Owen Democratic November 1, 1914 – January 1, 1921
14 Herbert R. Wilson Democratic January 1, 1921 – January 1, 1927
15 Dwight H. Blackwood Democratic 1927–1929 Resigned
16 Belva Martin Democratic 1929–1933 Initially appointed, later seated via election, first Commissioner of State Lands
17 George W. Neal Democratic 1933–1937
18 Otis Page Democratic 1937–1943
19 Bish Bentley Democratic 1943
20 Claude Rankin Democratic 1943–1954 Died in office
21 Red Jones Democratic 1954–1957
22 Sam Jones Democratic 1957–1981
23 Bill McCuen Democratic 1981–1985
24 Charlie Daniels Democratic 1985–2003
25 Mark Wilcox Democratic 2003–2011
25 John Thurston Republican 2011–2019
26 Tommy Land Republican 2019–Present

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Amendment 73 of the Arkansas Constitution imposed term limits on constitutional officers, including State Land Commissioner. It was passed in 1992, and took effect in 1998.[1]
  2. ↑ The Constitution of 1874 is the current constitution.[6]
  3. ↑ Acting auditors are not numbered.
  4. ↑ Appointed and acting auditors do not have a party listed.

References

  1. ↑ Pruden III, William H. (December 29, 2017). "Term Limits". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  2. ↑ A Brief History. Office of the Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
  3. ↑ John Thurston, Commissioner of State Lands Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine. Office of the Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
  4. ↑ "Historical Documents, Maps & More". Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands Office. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Staff of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture (March 22, 2017). "Office of Commissioner of State Lands". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  6. ↑ Goss, Kay C. (December 8, 2017). "Arkansas Constitutions". Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Staff of the Harrison Daily Times (February 21, 1930). "Man and Woman in State Race". Harrison Daily Times. Vol. 11, no. 131. Harrison: The Times Publishing Company. p. 3. OCLC 18545584 – via NewspaperARCHIVE.
  8. ↑ Staff of the Associated Press (April 11, 1932). "State Political Notes". Hope Star. Vol. 88, no. 171. Hope: Star Publishing Company. p. 1. OCLC 23187909 – via NewspaperARCHIVE.
  9. ↑ "Office of Commissioner of State Lands". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Little Rock, Arkansas: Butler Center for Arkansas Studies at the Central Arkansas Library System. December 1, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
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