Longest Ark. legislative sessions in the past 55 years

The recent three-day natural gas special session spurred a conversation about the longest special and regular legislative sessions in Arkansas history. It just so happens that the legislative summary of the five acts enacted during this week's special session published by the Bureau of Legislative Research includes a list of legislative sessions dating back to the 59th General Assembly in 1953. The Legislature convenes for regular session on the second Monday in January in each odd-numbered year for 60 days. The session can be extended by two-thirds of the each house of the Legislature. Here's a list of the five longest sessions along with the governor at the time.

97 days: 85th General Assembly -- 2005 (Huckabee)
97 days: 83rd General Assembly -- 2001 (Huckabee)
96 days: 81st General Assembly -- 1997 (Huckabee)
94 days: 84th General Assembly -- 2003 (Huckabee)
93 days: 67th General Assembly -- 1969 (Rockefeller)

The longest special session was the 89 day education session of 2003 and 2004.