Pocahontas

Pocahontas: "It has become the party of big government, big brother and big spending," Collins-Smith said. "It’s uncontrolled tax and spend policy has caused us to live far beyond our means and it brought our great country to the brink of financial ruin." The 49-year-old Collins-Smith represents a district that includes Randolph County and a portion of Sharp County in northeast Arkansas. Her seat, however, was redistricted so it would have put her against an incumbent Republican next year. Linda Collins-Smith made the announcement Wednesday morning during a news conference at the State Capitol. Collins-Smith, speaking in front of a group of Republicans including Lt. Gov. Mark Darr, U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin and State Chairman Doyle Webb, said the state Democratic Party had "no room for real conservatives. Have not left the Democratic Party, she said. "But the party left me. And I believe it has left the majority of good, decent, freedom-loving people of Arkansas behind. Collins-Smith said her efforts to avoid excessive taxation, to make Arkansas more business-friendly and to support pro-life measures were met with strong resistance within the Democratic Party. And she criticized it for not letting a bill to eliminate the state capital gains tax get out of committee. She said the state party marches lock-step with the liberal agenda of the national party. A state legislator from Pocahontas who was elected as a Democrat said Wednesday she is switching parties and becoming a Republican.