What did transportation in Arkansas look like before the modern highway commission, and why was that change needed?

We arrived at our current structure, um, historically through trial and error.

So we had, um, our commission was formed in 1913, and then over the years, as different, um, commissions were assembled, as different governors were elected, legislators were elected, it changed many times over the years.

And so the number of commissioners, the powers they had, who they reported to, the structure, all of that, uh, changed many times, and it was very inconsistent for our state.

And we were not able to have, um, the consistent oversight and efficiencies that we, that we enjoy today.

And so, um, Governor, uh, McMath, in, uh, 1949, '50, started looking at this, and he reached out to two legislators, Mack and Blackwell, and they are the ones that formed the amendment to the Constitution.

And so by it becoming a constitutional amendment, Amendment 42, it en- enabled the state to stop changing it all of the time, because it would takes a constitutional amendment to change the structure of the commission.

[laughs]