Holland was elected to the Senate from District 6 in 2010 for a two-year term when he defeated the DemocratJohn Paul Wells, a former state representative from Paris in Logan County, 14,838 to 9,602. Shifted to the District 9 seat vacated by the term-limited Republican Kim Hendren in 2012, Holland defeated Rick Green in the Republican primary, 2,438 to 2,201. He then prevailed over the Democrat Tracy Pennartz, 13,414 to 10,472, in the general election. His current two-year term expires at the end of 2014. Holland is the Senate assistant president pro tempore for the Third District, a post also held by Kim Hendren prior to 2013. He is the chair of the Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee, and a member of the Budget, Education, Energy, and the Academic Facilities Oversight committees. Holland opposes abortion, having voted to ban the practice after twenty weeks of gestation or whenever fetal heartbeat is determined. He voted to allow university staff to carry concealed weapons. In 2013, Holland joined the Senate majority to reduce the amount of weekly unemployment compensation benefits and to test the recipients for illegal use of narcotics. He voted successfully to override Governor Mike Beebe's veto of a bill to require photo identification when a voter casts a ballot in Arkansas. He voted against successful legislation to make the office of prosecuting attorney in Arkansas nonpartisan. Holland voted to allow handguns to be carried on church properties and sponsored a bill to forbid the release of information on the holders of concealed carry permits. In the Republican primary election held on May 20, 2014, Holland was unseated for his party's nomination by the outgoing District 21 State RepresentativeTerry Rice of Waldron. Rice prevailed with 3,457 votes to Holland's 2,710. The two differ over the private option version of Medicaid expansion. Since July 2016, Holland has served as Executive Director Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. That commission functioned within the Arkansas Department of Commerce until that department was abolished in 1983. It establishes policy and makes funding and regulatory decisions relative to soil conservation, nutrient management, water rights, dam safety, and water resources planning and development.
