We can all be glad the exhausting, tumultuous, sometimes divisive legislative session adjourned last week. One bright spot was major changes planned for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) didn’t materialize.
Sometimes I truly hate writing some of the articles I do. Such was the case last week with the tragic and untimely death of area first-responder Kevin Patrick.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that lengthens prison sentences for violent offenders and requires prison inmates to work harder to qualify for parole.
Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, all age 9. Mike Hill, 61, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60. All six died last week when a former student opened fire in The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn.
As I often travel between home and Washington, D.C., I’m constantly reminded how blessed we are to live in The Natural State. With its beautiful rivers, majestic mountains and incredible wildlife, Arkansas has long celebrated and utilized these resources in a variety of ways. The abundance of natural treasures is one of the many reasons people are drawn to the state for recreation opportunities.
In every regular session the legislature can refer up to three proposed constitutional amendments to voters.
Two things are scheduled to happen on Saturday. Let’s hope the weather cooperates so both events can have good results.
The legislature has advanced a long list of bills to prevent voter fraud and protect the integrity of elections.
An interesting discussion took place Monday night at the Madison County Quorum Court meeting.
The Arkansas House last week approved a proposed law that could make school and public librarians open to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content. Seven Republicans joined 18 House Democrats in voting against Senate Bill 81, which I wrote about in last week’s edition of The Record. If the bill becomes law, local quorum courts could actually be the ones to decide what materials appear in libraries. Rep. DeAnn Vaught, a Republican from Horatio, voted against the bill, calling it “government overreach.”
The 118th Congress has already provided multiple opportunities to roll back proposed or recently enacted rules, regulations and legislation that is bad for Arkansas and our country.
Now that the legislature has given final approval to the education bill proposed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, I can say that she successfully completed one the most politically courageous moves I have ever witnessed.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed her signature education package into law last Wednesday, just two weeks after the bill was filed. The Arkansas Senate the day before approved Senate Bill 294, also called the LEARNS Act, on a vote of 26-8, after it was amended in the House of Representatives.
Military service is a family affair. There is a lot asked of loved ones of who serve alongside the men and women who wear our nation’s uniform. They move away from family and friends to support our country’s readiness at home, during deployments and amid mission transitions. These families need to know we’re doing our very best to make sure they have a good quality of life. That’s why I’m helping lead a push to modernize and expand means to better support their evolving needs.
Denton Grubb received a well-earned birthday party and recognition event for his 100th birthday last week. The Alabam native turned 100 last Wednesday. The day before, the Madison County Veteran Services Office and Madison County American Legion put on a wonderful program for Grubb at the Madison County Senior Health and Wellness Center. The dining hall was packed.
The City, County, Local Committee of Arkansas House of Representatives started late last week due to a technical glitch. Sometimes, technology can fail.
When I lived in El Dorado, I helped the Habitat for Humanity chapter there build more than 30 houses for deserving working families. I showed up my first Saturday with a hammer, very little construction experience, but a wealth of desire to help others.
The federal government can be difficult to maneuver, and it can be especially frustrating when trying to get help in a hurry. The good news is my staff and I here to help. We have been recognized for outstanding constituent service and routinely help thousands of Arkansans navigate federal agencies to get answers, navigate the bureaucracy and secure needed paperwork.
It was truly a pleasure to recently sit down for a chat with Denton Grubb, who will turn 100 years old on March 1. You can see a profile on Grubb in this week’s Lifestyles on Page 6A.
We love the state of Arkansas. It’s full of dichotomous beauty. Like the Ozark Mountains and the Mississippi Delta, both are beautiful for different reasons. With talent ranging from Al Green to Johnny Cash to Justin Moore, Arkansas’s musicality is as wide ranging and diverse as its people.