Bruce Cozart

Bruce Alan Cozart (born October 3, 1955) is a general contractor in Hot Springs, Arkansas, who is a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from District 24 in Garland County.
In his third term, Cozart is ineligible under state term limits legislation to seek a fourth term in the state House in 2016.

Background

A native of Pearcy in Garland County, he has since 1977 owned Bruce Cozart Construction, Inc., which engages in both commercial and residential buildings. A graduate of Lake Hamilton High School in Pearcy, Cozart served from 1991 to 2001 on the Lake Hamilton School Board, of which he is also a past president. He is affiliated with the Arkansas and Hot Springs home builders associations and Habitat for Humanity.

Cozart is a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Hot Springs. He and his wife, Deborah L. Cozart (also born 1955), have two sons, Trevor H. Cozart (born 1979) and Cody Z. Cozart.

Political life

In the 2010 general election for House District 24, Republican candidate Keith Crass, an accountant from Hot Springs, died at the age of fifty-one of a heart attack during the campaign. Crass nevertheless defeated the Democratic candidate, Garland County Judge Larry Williams, 4,988 (55.7 percent) to 3,972 (44.3 percent).

A special election was hence held on March 8, 2011. As the Republican nominee, Cozart defeated another Democrat, Jerry M. Rephan, in a low-turnout contest, 1,862 (60.4 percent) to 1,223 (39.6 percent). Cozart won a full term in the general election held on November 6, 2012. He serves on both the House committees of Education and City, County, and Local Affairs.

Cozart has a conservative voting record in the state House. He voted to override the vetoes of Democratic Governor Mike Beebe to enact legislation requiring photo identification for casting a ballot in Arkansas and to ban abortion after twenty weeks of gestation; he was the co-sponsor of both of these measures. He voted to ban abortion whenever fetal heartbeat is detected and to make the death of an unborn child a felony in certain cases. He voted for curriculum standards for Bible instruction in public schools. Cozart co-sponsored legislation to allow handguns on church properties. He voted to empower university officials to carry weapons in the name of campus safety. He did not vote on measures to make the office of prosecuting attorney in Arkansas nonpartisan or to allow the sale of up to five hundred gallons per month of unpasteurized whole milk directly from the farm to consumers.