Arkansas Business

Gov. Mike Beebe on Thursday appointed former Arkansas House Speaker Robert Moore to a 10-year term on the Arkansas Highway Commission.

Moore, 68, is a Democrat from Arkansas City who championed the issue of highway funding as a representative from 2006 to 2012. He replaces commission chair Madison Murphy of El Dorado, whose 10-year term is expiring.

"As Speaker of the House of Representatives, Robert was an outspoken and successful advocate for improving Arkansas highways and our state as a whole," Beebe said in a press release. "He will continue that work on the commission while providing a strong voice to represent south Arkansas."

Moore is a former 20-year director of the state's Alcohol Beverage Control board and past chairman of the Arkansas Transportation Commission.

The 89th General Assembly, which convened Monday, is expected to consider using state general revenue for highway funding, although Arkansas voters approved a 10-year, $1.8 billion funding package last year.

A possible $1 billion economic development package announced earlier this week would have infrastructure needs, Beebe said.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)