Beebe sworn in as Arkansas' 45th governor
BYLINE: By ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: LITTLE ROCK
Before his inaugural address, Mike Beebe spoke briefly to the Arkansas House and Senate after being sworn in as the state's governor. He recalled sitting in the well of the House to watch past inaugurations.
"It's fun on this end, too," Beebe said.
Beebe was sworn in as Arkansas' 45th governor Tuesday, completing a journey that took him from tiny Amagon to a 20-year career in the state Senate and finally the job he has eyed for years.
In his inaugural address on the state Capitol steps, Beebe said he does not believe that Arkansas, which faces an ongoing battle over how it funds its 450,000-student school system, must continually face economic and educational hardships.
"I refuse to accept that hard times or perennial problems are our lot in life," Beebe told a crowd of more than 2,000 people. "We Arkansans are imbued with a spirit of persistent hope."
Beebe offered few specifics on his policy proposals those would come Wednesday, he said but he said his term will mark a new course for the state.
"Where others have witnessed history repeating itself, let us seize our opportunities and create a new awakening to the possibilities of change and the promise of success in our state now, today," he said.
Beebe, 60, was a near-sure bet for a second term as attorney general last year but in 2005 entered the contest to replace Republican Mike Huckabee in the governor's office. He considered a run in 1998, when Huckabee first sought election, and again in 2002, when Huckabee ran as a popular incumbent.
The son of a single mother who worked as a waitress, Beebe remembered his path to college and law school, to the state Senate and to a tenure as one of the state's most powerful political figures.
"Anyone who has made the journey from where I started to where I stand today knows that absolutely anything is possible," Beebe said in his inaugural address.
Born at Amagon, population 89, Beebe grew up in Newport but he and his mother lived in various cities, including Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis, before he reached high school. He graduated from Arkansas State University, paying for his education with loans, summer jobs and part-time work. He has a law degree from the University of Arkansas.
He served in the state Senate from 1983 until 2003, when he was elected attorney general. He briefly flirted with challenging Huckabee in 2002 but opted to wait four years. He defeated Republican Asa Hutchinson in November.
At a church service that opened Tuesday's inaugural ceremonies, the Rev. Larry Benfield, the Episcopal bishop of Arkansas, mentioned several national rankings in which Arkansas falls at the bottom, including the infant mortality rate.
"I bet that when we do justly in the eyes of God, then those old embarrassing rankings of Arkansas will start to rise," Benfield said.
Huckabee, who campaigned for Hutchinson during the election, did not attend Tuesday's inaugural events. He instead opened a nationwide tour to promote his latest book.
The crowd for the inaugural ceremony included former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker, who preceded Huckabee, and former Gov. David Pryor, the last governor who was a former legislator. Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, a potential Democratic presidential candidate, also attended the inauguration.
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor released a statement honoring the new governor.
"He is a living example of the American dream and what heights can be reached when one seeks to serve others," said Pryor, D-Ark. and the son of the former governor.
Beebe said in brief remarks Tuesday he wanted to unite Arkansans.
"Let us knock down the barriers and say to everyone, black and white, men and women, rich and poor, rural and urban that we have awakened to the possibilities of change and to the promises of success," Beebe said. "Follow your hopes and dreams. Follow them right here in Arkansas. We will be stewards of our heritage and the authors of our future."
After the speech, Little Rock lawyer Denese Fletcher said she believed a Democratic governor could do more to bridge the political gaps facing the state.
"I think it's become more difficult everyone has their own political agenda," said Fletcher, 42. "I think he is going to make sure Arkansas has the benefit, not a particular political agenda. The citizens are going to get the benefit."
Beebe thanked his supporters at an inaugural ball Tuesday night with a room packed with over 3,400 people at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock.
"None of this is possible without the people like you in this room today," Beebe said, his voice hoarse after a day of inaugural activities. "You're not sitting back and waiting for someone else to do the job. You have carried us to where we are today."
Beebe and first lady Ginger Beebe led off the ball dancing to "Only You" by The Platters. The first lady's dress was a custom design from the Nicole Miller Signature Collection.