Representative Jay Richardson Contact information

Jay Richardson, born on January 30, 1971, is an American politician who has been serving as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the 78th district in Sebastian County since 2019. He succeeded George McGill.

Richardson is a member of the Democratic Party. Shortly after taking office on January 15, 2019, Richardson and fellow newcomer state representative Megan Godfrey responded to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson’s State of the State address by issuing a statement. They urged him not to go through with his proposed 5.9% tax cuts and instead allocate more taxpayer money for highways and expanding pre-kindergarten education.

Speaking for the state Democrats, Richardson also urged Hutchinson to support the Democrats proposal for the creation of an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which the Democrats believe would go further to help working families. He also stated that roads and pre-K education funding should come before top-end tax breaks.

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Richardson co-sponsored legislation which created a statewide COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund. Richardson was elected unopposed in the general election on November 6, 2018. He also ran unopposed in the 2020 general election.

In terms of his personal life, Richardson was born on January 30, 1971. He is currently serving his third term in the Arkansas House. He represents District 49 which includes portions of Sebastian County. For the 94th General Assembly, Rep. Richardson serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Insurance and Commerce Committee. Rep. Richardson also serves on the Joint Budget Committee.

Richardson is in Business Development for Centuria Ventures. He graduated from John Brown University with a B.A. degree. He has served multiple terms in the Arkansas House, with elected terms in 2019, 2021, and 2023.