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, 19:54, February 5, 2021
{{Infobox officeholder
| name=Kenneth Bernard Ferguson, Sr.
| birth_date=August 4, 1951
| birth_place=Place of birth missing
| residence=Pine Bluff, Jefferson County<br>[[Arkansas]], USA
| death_date=
| death_place=
| death_cause=
| resting_place=
|office=[[Arkansas]] State Representative for District 16
| term_start=January 2015
| term_end=
| preceded=James Word
| succeeded=
| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]
| alma_mater=
| occupation=
| religion=[[Baptist]]
| spouse=Cassandra Ferguson
| children=Four children}}
'''Kenneth Bernard Ferguson, Sr.''' (born August 4, 1951),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/kenneth-ferguson/106432513?fname=kenneth&lname=ferguson&|title=Kenneth Ferguson|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}</ref> is an [[African-American]] retiree from Pine Bluff, [[Arkansas]], who is a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state representative for District 16, which includes Jefferson and Lincoln counties in the southeastern portion of his state. Ferguson has held his legislative seat since January 2015.<ref name=kbh>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansashouse.org/member/360/Kenneth%20B.-Ferguson|title=Kenneth B. Ferguson|publisher=arkansashouse.org|accessdate=April 15, 2015}}</ref>
Ferguson was elected in 2014 in House District 16 to succeed the term-limited African-American Democrat James Word, also of Pine Bluff. In the [[primary]] election, Ferguson led two opponents but was forced into a runoff contest with intraparty rival, Win Trafford (born c. 1972), also of Pine Bluff, whom he led by nineteen votes. In the second round of balloting with a low turnout, Ferguson prevailed 1,170 (54.5 percent) to Trafford's 978 (45.5 percent). Ferguson faced no opposition in the November 4 [[general election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ballotpedia.org/Arkansas_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2014|title=District 16|publisher=ballotpedia.org|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}</ref>
Representative Ferguson holds these committee assignments: (1) Revenue and Tax Committee and (2) City, County, and Local Affairs.<ref name=kbh/>
In February 2015, Ferguson was one of twenty legislators who opposed House Bill 1228, authored by [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bob Ballinger]] of Carroll County in northwestern Arkansas,<ref name=religiousfreedom/> which sought to prohibit government from imposing a burden on the free exercise of religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/bill/19610/51617/141580/prohibits-government-from-burdening-exercise-of-religion#.VSl8TsstEqQ|title=HB 1228|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=February 5, 2021}}</ref> Representative [[Camille Bennett]], a Democrat from Lonoke, called for a reworking of the legislation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atlanticbb.net/news/read/category/General/article/the_associated_press-indiana_arkansas_try_to_stem_religious_objections-ap|title=Indiana, Arkansas try to stem religious objections uproar|publisher=Atlantic Broadband|date=April 3, 2015|accessdate=April 14, 2015}}</ref> She claimed that the Ballinger bill would establish a "type of religious litmus test" which could impact nearly any law under consideration by the legislature.<ref name=religiousfreedom>{{cite web|url=http://www.fox16.com/story/d/story/opponents-of-religious-freedom-bill-point-out-law/24249/AsrrUGLEdkuquASB01ZrLA|title=Opponents of Religious Freedom Bill Point Out Law Differences, Possible Unintended Consequences|publisher=Fox Channel 16|location=[[Little Rock]], Arkansas|date=April 1, 2015|accessdate=April 14, 2015}}</ref> The measure was subsequently passed by a large margin in the House and signed into law in revised form, SB 975, by [[Governor]] [[Asa Hutchinson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/2015/04/02/house-committee-passes-new-rfra-bill-headed-for-full-house/70828864/|title=Gov. Hutchinson signs revised religious freedom bill; HB 1228 recalled|publisher=KTHV-TV|location=Little Rock|date=April 2, 2015|accessdate=April 15, 2015}}</ref>
Ferguson is a former resident of Roanoke in Denton County in North [[Texas]], dates unavailable.<ref name=inteli/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Kenneth}}
[[Category:Arkansas]]
[[Category:African Americans]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:State Representatives]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
[[Category:Baptists]]