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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — State Sen. Johnny Key said Wednesday he's resigning from the Legislature this week to begin work as a lobbyist for the University of Arkansas system, a post he had initially said he wouldn't begin until next year.
Key said he will resign effective Thursday to begin work as the UA system's associate vice president for university relations. In a resignation letter dated July 18, Key said he'll begin work on the lobbying job on Friday.
The Republican lawmaker from Mountain Home had decided against seeking re-election this fall after applying to be UA's vice chancellor for governmental relations. He was instead hired for the UA system post, a job he initially said he wouldn't start until after his term ended this year.
Key said he moved up the timeline for accepting the job partly for family reasons, saying he wanted his daughter to begin school in the fall in Cabot rather than midway through the school year. He also said he made the decision because it was clear the Legislature was unlikely to meet again before the end of the year.
"The dynamic changed, and my family and I agreed it was time to make the move," Key said.
The Legislature met earlier this month in a special session focused primarily on teacher insurance premiums and prison overcrowding. Key said he didn't believe support was there to call lawmakers back for another session on opening access for schools to the state's broadband network, an issue that Gov. Mike Beebe has supported.
Scott Flippo won the Republican nomination for Key's state Senate seat in a June 10 runoff. There's no Democrat running for the seat.
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