Joe Farrer

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Farrer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in Faulkner County.[3]

Farrer is a former Lonoke County justice of the peace. He also owns a laundromat.[3]

Farrer was unopposed in 2012 for the Republican nomination in House District 44. He then handily defeated the Democratic candidate, Judy Riley, 6,397 (64.4 percent) to 3,539 (34.6 percent). The incumbent Democratic representative, Mark Perry, was moved from District 44 and was reelected in the revised House District 42.[4]

Farrer serves on these House committees: (1) Public Transportation Committee and (2) Insurance and Commerce, (3) Energy.[2][3]

Representative Farrer was a co-sponsor in 2013 to the establishment of a spending cap on the state budget, but the bill failed by a two-vote margin in the House. He co-sponsored legislation to amend state income tax rates. He joined the majority to override the vetoes of Democratic Governor Mike Beebe to enact legislation, which he co-sponsored, to require photo identification for casting a ballot in Arkansas and to ban abortion after twenty weeks of gestation. Representative Farrer further co-sponsored legislation to ban abortion whenever fetal heartbeat is detected, to forbid the inclusion of abortion in the state insurance exchange, and to make the death of a fetus a felony in certain cases. He voted to allow the carrying of concealed weapons on college campuses, and co-sponsored similar legislation to allow concealed weapons to be carried in places of worship. He voted against legislation to make the office of prosecuting attorney in Arkansas nonpartisan. He supported the bill, signed by Governor Beebe, to permit the sale of up to five hundred gallons per month of unpasteurized whole milk directly from the farm to consumers.[5]

Farrer and his wife, the former Victoria Marie Binns, known as "Vikki" Farrer (born 1966), have three children.[3] They reside in Austin in Lonoke County.