For the 89th General Assembly, Rep. Barnett serves on the Joint Budget Committee, Public Transportation Committee and the committee for Insurance and Commerce.

For the 88th General Assembly, Rep. Barnett chaired the Public Transportation Committee and served on the Insurance and Commerce Committee and the House Management Committee. In addition to serving as the Assistant Speaker Pro Tem in 2009, for the 87th General Assembly, Mr. Barnett served on the House Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology; the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs; the House Committee on Insurance and Commerce, and the House Public Transportation Committee.

Mr. Barnett is a graduate of Siloam Springs High School, and he earned a bachelor's degree in business from John Brown University. He is a former chairman of the Arkansas State Highway Commission, served as chairman of the Special Committee on Commissions and Boards for the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and was a member of the Siloam Springs City Council. He also serves on the board for the Illinois River Watershed Partnership.

A self-employed building contractor, Mr. Barnett enjoys flying airplanes in his spare time. He and his wife have three grown children.