{{Short description|American politician (1951–2025)}} {{use mdy dates|date=September 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Gary Stubblefield | party = Republican | state_senate = Arkansas | district = 26th | prior_term = (Previously 3rd district) | term_start = January 14, 2013 | predecessor = redistricted | state_house1 = Arkansas | district1 = 67th | term_start1 = 2011 | term_end1 = January 14, 2013 | successor = Brad Simon | successor1 = redistricted | education = County Line High School | term_end = September 2, 2025 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|2|28}} | birth_place = Charleston, Arkansas, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|9|2|1951|2|28}} | death_place = Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. | profession = Farmer }}
'''Gary Don Stubblefield''' (February 28, 1951 – September 2, 2025) was an American politician from Arkansas.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Van Wilpe |first=Delaney |date=September 2, 2025 |title=Longtime Arkansas Senator Gary Stubblefield has died |url=https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/longtime-arkansas-senator-gary-stubblefield-died/527-4747c607-d2b2-450b-b03c-6670625346ee |access-date=September 2, 2025 |website=KFSM-TV}}</ref> A Republican, he was a member of the Arkansas Senate, elected from District 26, beginning in 2013. He also served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, a quorum court, and a school board.<ref name=bap>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Legislators/Detail?member=G.+Stubblefield&ddBienniumSession=2019/2019R|title=Senator Gary Stubblefield (R) – Arkansas State Legislature|website=www.arkleg.state.ar.us}}</ref>
==Early life and business career== Stubblefield was born in Charleston, Arkansas, on February 28, 1951.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arkansas State Sen. Gary Stubblefield – Biography |url=https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/189066/Gary_Don_Stubblefield.html |access-date=September 2, 2025 |website=LegiStorm}}</ref> He graduated from County Line High School in Branch, Arkansas in 1969.<ref name=BowdenDistrictSix>Bill Bowden, [https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2012/oct/22/district-6-race-2-boast-experience-20121022/ In District 6 race, 2 boast experience: Hopefuls vie for Senate seat], ''Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' (October 22, 2012).</ref> He became a cattle farmer.<ref name=BowdenDistrictSix/>
==Political career== Stubblefield was a member of the Franklin County quorum court from 1976 to 1977 and spent six years on the County Line School District board in the 1980s.<ref name=BowdenDistrictSix/> He spent one term in the Arkansas House of Representatives from House District 67 before running for state Senate in 2012.<ref name=BowdenDistrictSix/>
An opponent of Medicaid expansion,<ref name=BowdenDistrictSix/> Stubblefield voted against a 2019 bill to accept Medicaid expansion in Arkansas; which passed the Senate on a 27–4 vote.<ref>Michael R. Wickline, [https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/mar/28/senate-approves-health-funds-measure-20/ Senate approves health-funds measure], ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' (March 28, 2019).</ref>
In 2017, Stubblefield introduced legislation to weaken the state's freedom of information (FOI) act by precluding the public release of information about K–12 schools, colleges and university campus police departments, and the Arkansas State Capitol police force. Stubblefield's bill would have blocked the release of information about the number of police officers or security officers, statistics on the racial and gender makeup of police forces, and possibly even security-video footage.<ref name=KisselReduce>Kelly P. Kissel, [https://apnews.com/article/7b0391a1436142608a98c1628f17b49e Arkansas legislators weighing reduced access to police info], Associated Press (February 10, 2017).</ref> Critics such as the Arkansas Press Association decried Stubblefield's proposal for its potential to enable secret police.<ref name=KisselReduce/><ref name=SecretPolice>Kelly P. Kissel, [https://apnews.com/article/ab4213b823164f66991f6d30f7db1918 Secret police possible at Arkansas Capitol, perhaps colleges], Associated Press (March 14, 2017).</ref> Public records advocates said that the restrictions were the most significant restriction on access to Arkansas public records since adoption of the state's FOI law in 1967.<ref name=SecretPolice/>
Stubblefield described the 1619 Project and "critical race theory" as divisive<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucanews.live/news/senator-gary-stubblefield-directs-adhe-to-request-curriculums-from-universities/article_d4d5d376-2db9-11eb-8927-db490f8c8eac.html|title=Senator Gary Stubblefield directs ADHE to request curriculums from universities|first=Ronak|last=Patel|website=The Echo}}</ref> and co-sponsored a bill to ban teaching the 1619 Project in Arkansas public schools.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://katv.com/news/local/arkansas-bill-to-ban-teaching-of-1619-project-fails-in-house-committee|title=Arkansas bill to ban teaching of 1619 Project fails in House committee|website=katv.com}}</ref> He sponsored a resolution on African American history that downplayed the role of slavery in the American history and criticized Democrats; it was defeated 22–4.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/feb/10/senators-resolution-on-black-history-raises-ruckus/|title=Senators' resolution on Black history raises ruckus|date=February 10, 2021|website=Arkansas Online}}</ref>
In 2020, Stubblefield clashed with Governor Asa Hutchinson, a fellow Republican, over refugee resettlement in Arkansas, which Stubblefield opposed and Hutchinson supports. At a Senate committee hearing, Stubblefield said that "Every morning when I wake up and turn on the national news, sometimes I ask myself a question: 'Am I still in the United States of America?'"<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/world/africa/trump-refugees-local-governments.html Trump Threw Weighty Refugee Decisions to Local Government, With Painful Results], ''New York Times'' (February 1, 2020).</ref><ref>Rolly Hoyt, [https://www.thv11.com/article/news/politics/arkansas-governor-defends-decision-to-accept-new-refugees/91-80fb7cfe-f108-487d-a3ab-2405d84cbc2e Gov. Hutchinson takes heat for allowing refugee resettlement in Arkansas], KTHV (January 13, 2021).</ref> David Ramsey of the ''Arkansas Times'' criticized Stubblefield for his statements, calling it "rank demagoguery."<ref>David Ramsey, [https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2020/01/13/demagogue-of-the-day-gary-stubblefield Demagogue of the day: Gary Stubblefield], ''Arkansas Times'' (January 13, 2020).</ref><ref>David Ramsey, [https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2020/01/13/hutchinson-defends-resettlement-program-right-wing-demagogues-grouse Hutchinson defends resettlement program; right-wing demagogues grouse], ''Arkansas Times'' (January 13, 2020).</ref>
In 2021, Stubblefield sponsored nullification legislation that would have banned Arkansas state and local police from enforcing federal gun laws, and threatened to impose criminal liability on state and local officers for assisting in enforcing federal gun laws. Similar "nullification" laws have been held by the courts to be unconstitutional, and opponents charged that the passage of the bill would break down federal-state cooperation and endanger public safety. The bill passed the Senate on a 21–12 vote, but was vetoed by Governor Hutchinson, who previously vetoed several other "culture war" bills passed by fellow Republicans in the state legislature.<ref>Andrew DeMillo, [https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-legislature-legislation-gun-politics-asa-hutchinson-7b4b415a54bdc3bb0cf7ae1eb44f9020 Arkansas governor vetoes bill nullifying gun restrictions], Associated Press (April 23, 2021).</ref><ref name=ClearsFirstVote>Andrew DeMillo, [https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-gun-politics-b871f501a2265382a8f2ffca178456a0 Override of Arkansas gun measure clears first vote in Senate], Associated Press (April 26, 2021).</ref> However, the Senate voted (by a simple majority) to override the veto, with Republicans in the chamber split on the override.<ref name=ClearsFirstVote/>
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Arkansas, Stubblefield staunchly opposed the appointment of Dr. José Romero to head the Arkansas Department of Health due to Romero's discouragement of the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19; there is no evidence to indicate that hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial, is an effective COVID-19 treatment.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Bailey|first=Austin|date=2021-04-08|title=Romero gets plenty of criticism but also an up vote from Senate rules committee|url=https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2021/04/08/romero-gets-plenty-of-criticism-but-also-an-up-vote-from-senate-rules-committee|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Arkansas Times|language=en-US}}</ref> Romero was ultimately confirmed on a 25–8 vote.<ref>Michael R. Wickline, [https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/apr/09/senate-confirms-romero-25-8/ Senate confirms Romero 25-8: Doctor held health agency reins for much of pandemic], ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' (April 9, 2021).</ref> During the pandemic, Stubblefield also touted ivermectin, a cattle dewormer, as treatment against COVID-19; the FDA does not recommend ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Brantley|first=Max|date=2021-07-31|title=Holy cow! A tale of herd immunity and COVID-19|url=https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2021/07/31/holy-cow-a-tale-of-herd-immunity-and-covid-19|access-date=2021-08-01|website=Arkansas Times|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Personal life and death== Stubblefield was a Baptist.<ref name=bap/> He died at the UAMS Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, on September 2, 2025, at the age of 74.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senator Gary Don Stubblefield|url=https://www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com/obituary/senator-gary-stubblefield|publisher=Brotherton Brothers Funeral Homes and Cremation Services|access-date=September 4, 2025}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Stubblefield, Gary}}
Category:1951 births Category:2025 deaths Category:People from Charleston, Arkansas Category:Republican Party Arkansas state senators Category:Baptists from Arkansas Category:21st-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly Category:Republican Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives Category:Farmers from Arkansas Category:20th-century American farmers