Mary Elizabeth Bentley (born December 26, 1961)[1] is a businesswoman from Perryville, Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 73, which encompasses parts of Yell, Pope, Perry, and Conway counties in the central portion of her state.[2]
Mary Elizabeth Bentley | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 54th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Johnny Rye |
| Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 73rd district | |
| In office January 12, 2015 – January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | John Catlett |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Collins (redistricting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 26, 1961 Massachusetts |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Divorced |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Perryville, Perry County Arkansas, USA |
| Alma mater | Harding University |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
On March 16, 2021, Bentley introduced House Bill 1749 which sought to provide safeguards for teachers who address students by other than their preferred name or pronouns. She argued in support of the bill by saying, "It's helping those professors and teachers in our schools that do not want to be sued for not using a certain person's pronoun." Human rights advocates said that the bill targeted transgender people.[3][4][5]
In 2021, she sponsored legislation to allow the teaching of the pseudoscientific religious theory of creationism in public schools.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Mary Bentley's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "Mary Bentley". arkansashouse.org. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
- ^ "HB1749 Bill Information - Arkansas State Legislature". Arkansas State Legislature. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ Rose, Shelby (2021-04-08). "Bill allowing Arkansas teachers to misgender students passes the House". KATV. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ Lockwood, Frank; Herzog, Rachel (2021-04-09). "Transgender name ban advances". Arkansas Online. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
- ^ Hayes, Mills (2021-04-07). "Creationism bill passed in Arkansas House, headed to Senate". KATV. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
