Biography of

SENATOR PAUL BOOKOUT
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE

ARKANSAS STATE SENATE

Senator Paul Bookout President Pro Tempore

Senator Paul Bookout of Jonesboro is the President Pro Tempore of the Arkansas Senate for the 88th General Assembly.

He represents Senate District 14, which includes Jonesboro and portions of Craighead County.

He came to the Senate with a wealth of legislative experience. From 1999 to 2004 he represented the Jonesboro area in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

He was elected to the Arkansas Senate by special election in 2006 after the death of his father, longtime State Senator and former President Pro Tempore Jerry Bookout. When Paul was elected Pro Tem by his Senate colleagues, Paul and Jerry Bookout became the first father and son in Arkansas history to both serve as President Pro Tem of the Senate.

In addition to his duties as Pro Tem, Senator Bookout serves on the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee and the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee. He is a member of the Senate Efficiency Committee, the Joint Budget Committee, the Arkansas Legislative Council, the Joint Interim Committee on Legislative Facilities and the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.

Regionally and nationally, Senator Bookout works with legislators as a member of the Energy Council, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the Council of State Governments (CSG) and the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC).

He currently serves on the Budget and Review Committee and Legislative Effectiveness Committee of NCSL, Associates Advisory Council of CSG, and Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and Human Services and Public Safety Committee of SLC.

Senator Bookout's public service extends beyond the legislature. He has served on several boards, including the executive board of the Jonesboro Comprehensive Learning Center and St. Bernard's Hospice Board, where he served as president.

Born in El Dorado, Arkansas, Senator Bookout holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arkansas State University. He is administrative director for system relations for St. Bernards Healthcare in Jonesboro. He and Sherry, his wife, have one son and one daughter.