This is a sickening display coming from a public servant:
A state senator apologized on Tuesday for leading authorities on what they called a high-speed chase through two counties and received a standing ovation from his fellow senators a day after a sheriff’s deputy let him off with a scolding because he believed the lawmaker was granted immunity by Arkansas’ constitution.
A Perry County deputy sheriff said Republican Sen. Bruce Holland of Greenwood reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour during the chase on Highway 10 in Perry and Yell counties on Monday afternoon. Holland was let off with a warning by the deputy, who said Tuesday he’ll recommend the county seek criminal charges against the lawmaker.
“I was speeding and I made a mistake. I truly regret any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and fellow legislators,” Holland said in a statement released by the Senate press office Tuesday morning. “No one is above the law, and I take responsibility for my actions.”
The arresting officer mistakenly thought that the law exempted Holland from arrest. This is based on a misreading of the law that protects members from arrest while they’re at work IN the legislature. It doesn’t give them a blanket immunity. You know what really sickens me about all this? This bullshit:
Holland received a standing ovation Tuesday afternoon after making similar comments on the Senate floor. Senate President Paul Bookout said he didn’t think Holland should face any disciplinary action from the chamber for the incident.
Aww…he’s sorry for doing something stupid that could have gotten innocent people killed and getting away with it. Hasn’t he suffered enough? No. At the very least, Senator Holland should resign, and please Senator Bookout (who’s my Democratic state senator for the record), would you and every other state legislator, Democrat and Republican, please stop excusing the criminal behavior of your colleagues? It’s bad enough that almost all of you let Fred Smith off the hook of not actually living in the state (not to mention apparently robbing a charity) but now this?! What does a member of the legislature have to do to merit some sort of reprimand pray tell?!
However, judging from Senator Holland’s facebook page, his constituents aren’t nearly so forgiving:
Kudos to those folks that aren’t putting up with crap. Personally, I think if you want to tell Senator Holland he ought to step down or at least be ashamed of himself, you should send him an email telling him so:
There are sometimes, after all, when sorry simply isn’t good enough. But really, between this, Loy Mauch’s flouride bill, David Sanders’ pointless legislation to change the state’s nickname, and Denny Altes’s attempt to hand out guns without background checks or training, Republicans in Little Rock are making it clear that it’s amatuer hour in the state legislature.
That comment on his facebook about his hat is hysterical!!!