48th Arkansas General Assembly

• Senator Granville Jones (D-31st) died, replaced by L. Walter Wheatley by election
• Representative William U. McCabe (D-Baxter County) died, no record of a successor being elected or appointed
• Representative S. A. Turner (D-Cleburne County) died, no record of a successor being elected or appointed

• Senator R. E. Spence is appointed to the 1st Senatorial District due to the resignation of his father, W. E. Spence.

The 48th General Assembly generally dealt with routine matters. They created the county highway fund^[1] and abolished the elected office of Arkansas State Superintendent of Public Instruction, converting the office to the Arkansas Commissioner of Education, which was appointed by the Arkansas Board of Education.

Governor Parnell sought approval from the legislature to send a government reorganization plan to the voters. The plan would have reduced all state elections to once every four years, with only the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general remaining as elected officials and reorganizing the executive branch into twelve departments. The plan was viewed as an increase in the governor's power and never gained traction with the legislature.^[2]

A special session was called in October 1931 to reduce 1932 acreage in cotton cultivation by 30% from 1931 levels (to reduce overproduction).^[3] A second special session was called in March 1932 for a myriad of subjects. The legislature ratified the lame duck amendment to the United States Constitution and dealt with various financial matters in the state, some caused by the Great Depression in the United States. Though the governor's stated matters had been dealt with, the House voted 82-7 against adjourning on April 12. Governor Parnell then declared the session over, overriding the vote. However, a rump group of 69 House members persisted until the Arkansas Supreme Court disbanded the proceedings on April 14.^[4]

The senate was controlled completely the Democratic party. Eighteen senators were lawyers, five were farmers, three were merchants, with one each listing their occupation as: cotton buyer, insurance man, editor, banker, manufacturer, minister, car dealer, and doctor.^[5]

• President of the Senate: Lawrence Wilson
• Secretary: M. E. Sherland^[6]