Two alumni from the William H. Bowen School of Law, Rep. Davy Carter and Sen. Michael Lamoureux, are now leading the state’s 89th General Assembly. The regular legislative session began Monday, Jan. 14.

Carter, of Cabot, has become the first Republican Speaker of the House since Reconstruction. A 2005 graduate of the Bowen School where he was a member of the Law Review, Carter also serves on the Revenue and Taxation and Insurance and Commerce committees. He represents District 48, which encompasses part of Lonoke County.

During the 88th General Assembly, Carter served as chair of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee. He also served on the House City, County and Local Affairs Committee; Legislative Joint Auditing Committee; and the House Rules Committee.

In addition to being an attorney, Carter is also a banker and announced last week he was resigning from his position at Centennial Bank to focus on his legislative duties. He had been the executive vice president/general counsel/chief lending officer since 2009.

Russellville native Lamoureux is the Senate President Pro Tempore. It is the first time in 138 years for a Republican to hold the position. Lamoureux, who graduated from the Bowen School in 1999, will hold the position throughout 2013 and 2014, representing the Senate to the public, media, governor’s office and executive branch, and the House of Representatives.

Lamoureux represents District 16, which includes all of Newton and Pope counties and parts of Boone, Carroll, and Van Buren counties. He was elected to the Senate by special election in December 2009. Before his election to the Senate, he served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2008.

In 2013 and 2014, Lamoureux will be a member of the Insurance and Commerce, Revenue and Taxation, Efficiency, Legislative Facilities, Joint Budget, Legislative Council, and Legislative Joint Auditing committees.

His leadership experience includes a term as Senate Minority Whip during the 88th General Assembly and as chair of two personnel subcommittees: the Personnel Subcommittee of Joint Budget, which meets during legislative sessions, and the Personnel Subcommittee of the Legislative Council, which meets in the interim. Lamoureux was vice chair of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee in the 88th General Assembly. As District 68 representative, he served as House Minority Leader of the 86th General Assembly in 2007 and 2008.