Donna Hutchinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donna Jean King Hutchinson
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| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 98th district |
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| In office January 2007 – January 2013 |
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| Succeeded by | John Burris (reconfigured district) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Donna Jean King
August 23, 1949 New Bern, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Asa Hutchinson (former brother-in-law) Jeremy Y. Hutchinson and Timothy Chad Hutchinson (twin sons) Joshua Luke Hutchinson (youngest son) Jim Hendren (former nephew by marriage) Kim Hendren (former in-law) |
| Residences | Bella Vista, Benton County Arkansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Arkansas at Fayetteville |
| Occupation | Mediation counselor |
Donna Jean King Hutchinson (born August 23, 1949) is a former politician from the Republican Party. She served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013. Her district, District 98, was located in the fast-growing Benton County area.
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Early Life and Education
Donna Hutchinson was born into a ranching family in Montana and is a member of the Blackfeet Nation. Growing up, her family moved often, and she lived in 29 different places as a child.
She earned a master's degree in education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Besides her work in politics, she has worked as a professional mediator, helping people solve disagreements.
Family and Personal Life
Donna Hutchinson has three sons. Her twin sons, Jeremy Hutchinson and Timothy Chad Hutchinson, also became politicians in Arkansas. Her youngest son is named Joshua Luke Hutchinson.
She was married to Tim Hutchinson for 29 years, and they divorced in 1999. Tim Hutchinson was a U.S. senator for Arkansas from 1997 to 2003. Her former brother-in-law, Asa Hutchinson, also had a long career in politics, serving as a U.S. Representative and later as the governor of Arkansas.
A Career in Arkansas Politics
Donna Hutchinson was first elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2006. The House of Representatives is one of the two parts of a state's legislature, which is responsible for making state laws.
Her Role as a Representative
During her time in office, Hutchinson was a member of important committees. These included the House Education Committee and the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. She was also the chairperson of a group called the Arkansas Legislative Women's Caucus.
She focused on creating laws to improve life in Arkansas. Some of the laws she supported were designed to:
- Protect children from harm.
- Strengthen privacy laws for citizens.
- Make sure the government was open about how it spent money on highways.
Focus on Education
Hutchinson believed that education was one of the most important issues for Arkansas. She was concerned that while many students in Arkansas went to college, not enough were graduating.
In an interview, she explained her thoughts:
We are ranked one of the highest states in students attending college, but the lowest in students graduating. Our education system shuffles students through the process without giving them an adequate education to be successful ... I am not advocating all students enter college, but they should be prepared for a job.
She worked on new laws to help fix these problems and make sure students were getting the best possible education.
In 2010, Hutchinson also sponsored a law to ban a harmful synthetic substance known as K2.
After serving three terms, she was not able to run for the same position again in 2012 because of term limits. She was succeeded by another Republican, John Burris.
