New Arkansas AG vows to avoid 'political calculations'

Little Rock, Ark. (AP) — When Leslie Rutledge takes office next week, she'll be the first woman to serve as Arkansas' attorney general, the first Republican in the modern era and, to hear her tell it, an elected official not wondering what political job she'll pursue next.

Arkansas' previous 11 attorneys general have all sought another major office: three became governor, five launched bids for governor and three ran for the U.S. Senate, one successfully. One who became governor — Bill Clinton — then became president.

"I have plenty to do in the next four years to not spend time on political calculations," Rutledge said Friday in an interview with The Associated Press. "What I'm not interested in is pontificating and sitting up late at night wondering what I want to be."

Voters last year learned from Rutledge's television commercials that Rutledge is a "Christian, pro-life , gun-carrying conservative woman." In Friday's interview, she offered more details:

Feds vs. State

Rutledge, 38, spent a year campaigning against what she believed was a "federal overreach" into state affairs and mentioned President Barack Obama on the stump so often it seemed he was her opponent, not Democrat Nate Steel. She renewed her criticism of the Affordable Care Act on Friday, but found that Arkansas' "private option" Medicaid plan, which uses federal dollars to buy health insurance for poorer Arkansans, was acceptable because state lawmakers were able to put their own thumbprint on it.

"I like that Arkansas was able to decide for ourselves," though it took a court decision to make it happen, she said.

While Obama leaves office in two years, Rutledge said oppressive federal intervention will remain.

"The policies, those programs that have been put in place during this administration ... will still be there," she said. "The role of the attorney general has been to push back if necessary."

Different bosses

Rutledge was a lawyer for former Gov. Mike Huckabee and will serve as the state's official lawyer to Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson. She wouldn't directly compare the two but noted their different backgrounds — Huckabee's as a Southern Baptist minister and Hutchinson as a former congressman, prosecutor and Homeland Security administrator.

"I think each person who comes into office brings their own experiences and brings their own perspective," she said. "My experience makes me different in that sort of perspective, and being the first woman elected and the first Republican elected." Democrats controlled Arkansas state government from Reconstruction until the GOP took control of the Legislature in 2012 and all seven statewide offices in 2014.

Human trafficking:

Rutledge praised outgoing Attorney General Dustin McDaniel for boosting a cybercrimes division and said she would like to teach the public and law enforcement officials about human trafficking.

"They have this misconception of what human trafficking is, as if it is a semi-trailer full of children or women," she said. "It may be someone who has communicated with a predator on the Internet and they have run away from home."

Abortion, gay marriage:

Rutledge said the state would continue appeals of court decisions overturning a law banning abortion at 12 weeks and a voter-approved gay marriage ban.

By Kelly P. Kissel, Associated Press. Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Gayly – January 10, 2015 @ 3:15pm.