Interim study proposal seeks to abolish lottery

The Arkansas Legislative Digest noted in its weekly news summary today that Senator Sue Madison (D-Fayetteville) has filed a draft bill with the Legislative Council that would repeal law authorizing a state lottery. The bill, drafted for the 2010 Fiscal Session, would also immediately abolish the Scholarship Lottery Commission and transfer funds appropriated for operation of the lottery to the Department of Higher Education to fund scholarships. The measure was filed as ISP 182 and will likely be on the Legislative Council's agenda for adoption at its August 21 meeting.

Texarkana Chamber Legislative Breakfast

I'm on my way to our annual legislative update with the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, where my Texas-side counterpart and I will discuss some of the latest changes in law (many of which are taking effect today for us). This is normally a time when we'll talk about how we're trying to "erase" State Line Avenue in order to make living in a border city easier to do. Every large change that takes place in Austin or Little Rock can affect residents on both sides of the state line. Even the small citations can affect some folks (see old political cartoon pictured right).

Today, though, the agenda includes several issues being debated on the federal level: health care, EFCA, I-49, and cap and trade. I'll post an update after the breakfast.

Update: 9:50 a.m.: We had a good discussion this morning on an array of issues, including stimulus spending in both states, the budget surplus of both states, and a few federal issues. This might be the only time I've made a speech in the last three months that didn't draw a question on the lottery. Much of the audience was made up of Texans, so I suppose it's possible that they've already debated salaries, multi-state games, etc, and just aren't interested.

New laws take effect tomorrow

All legislation signed into law without an emergency clause or otherwise didn't contain an effective date (like the texting/driving bill) take effect tomorrow. The most widely-discussed new law is the animal cruelty law, and Arkansas will become the 46th state in the union to have a first offense felony aggravated cuelty to animals law.

Ross to hold conference call

At 11:00 this morning, Congressman Mike Ross will hold a press conference on the deal reached between Blue Dog Democrats and House leadership on health care reform and how the changes will impact Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District. The update will be followed by a question and answer session with reporters. The deal led by Ross includes changes that would also cut costs by about $100 billion over 10 years. Ross has received a lot of press over his role in this legislation, which will move forward in the U.S. House prior to the August recess.

The Ironman: You can quit, and they won't care...but you'll always know

It's a slow morning, and with occasional posters like Ironman finisher Mike Jones threatening mutiny here on Under the Dome, I figured a post catering to the runner/triathlete portion of the readership was in order. Plus, I raided the pantry last night and am in need of a little inspiration myself. A fellow endurance runner e-mailed me this video.

After seeing someone like Scott Goodfellow in this video get up and compete in the Ironman after being out cold on the pavement, all you can say is "yes, you can." Gotta admire people who are determined to get themselves through this, and I can surely identify. This year's Ford Ironman Championship is October 10 in Kona. That's the week after the Arkansas Traveller 100 mile race in the Ouachitas.

Flowers: I-69 in Arkansas is far off

A joint meeting of the House Transportation Committee and the legislature's Joint Performance Review Committee took place yesterday at the Southland Park greyhound track in West Memphis. It will continue today. During yesterday's meeting, AHTD Director Dan Flowers told lawmakers that Interstate 69 will be built on only a piecemeal basis unless the federal government makes a major financial commitment to the route.

The Federal Highway Administration approved the I-69 route through much of Arkansas in 2006. Estimates then put the highway's 185-mile Arkansas portion at $1.7 billion (which has already doubled). The state match is a little under a billion. Here's more from Trucker Magazine.

Governor Bob Johnson

Senate Pro Tem Bob Johnson will serve as acting governor for three days while Beebe and Halter are out of state beginning today.

-- Post From My iPhone

Flood watch -- UPDATE

Over 4" of rain has fallen since yesterday morning here, and more is on the way. I'll be away from the blog in court in Louisiana today. Be careful out there.

A River Runs Through It



Here's the scene on Hwy. 71 near Hosston, Louisiana (between the cock-fighting club and the Baptist Church) this morning as Parish Deputies were stopping traffic and placing high water signs in the road after water crested the ditches.

Driving through Louisiana with all this rainfall made me want to break out some Randy Newman:

Note to aspiring pols

It'd be a good idea, while governments are moving towards digitizing their public records, to go ahead and place a certified copy of your birth certificate in a ziplock baggy and put it in a bank vault somewhere, lest you somehow find yourself running for high office. Put your mom's video of the moment in there, too, in case the birth certificate isn't signed by a doctor.

In his daily briefing earlier today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs once again dismissed conspiracy theories about the president's citizenship and the birther issue, calling it "nonsense." Here's video:

Roby Brock's weekly Talk Business report

This week's Talk Business report by Roby Brock includes an interview with Mike Ross on the status of health care reform in Washington. Here's his video, along with another recent video that includes Ross on CNN. Ross states that there are three issues outside of costs that are key to bringing members of the Blue Dog coalition into the fold on this issue: (1) A public option plan will compete with private insurance; (2) "If you have health insurance today and you like what you’ve got, you will be able to keep it," he said; and (3) Ross also says the maintaining the right to "choose your doctor" is a provision that he won’t bend on.

Old stories finding their way into print

One of my granddaddy's stories found its way into the Demozette yesterday. Granddaddy, who served a couple of terms in the U.S. Congress before coming back to southwest Arkansas and making a hell of a name for himself in the courtroom, had oratorical skills that can't be learned. His only downfall was that he was addicted to the bottle. Here he is as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives back during the 1937 session as a 25 year old (right).

The piece in yesterday's Democrat-Gazette was featured in Perspectives in an article entitled "Against all odds,"  a story about a book written by Lynn Davis, former head of the Arkansas State Police. Below are a few quotes:

Davis was born and raised in Texarkana (pronounced Tex-Ah-Kana) in a family of lawmen... and then there was W.E. "Elvy" Davis, Lynn Davis' uncle. Elvy was sheriff of Miller County for 16 years. ... And he was Lynn Davis' childhood hero.
 
One day a man came to see Sheriff Davis. He needed a lawyer. Who's the best lawyer in town? he asked. "Boyd Tackett," Elvy Davis said.
 
Well, said the man, Boyd Tackett has a drinking problem, Who's the second-best lawyer in town? Elvy said: "Boyd Tackett drunk."

I've probably heard that one a thousand times since I was in the 6th grade, and it's one of many that are still told down here. You can learn a pretty good lesson in humility to have your teacher tell the class stories like that, but if you can't take a jab or poke fun at yourself...

I just got a call from Lynn Davis this morning making sure I wasn't mad. I told him those stories are one of the reasons I became a self-conscious teetotaler several years ago. He got a chuckle out of that. Here are a couple of more pictures -- the one on the left is one of granddaddy's events on his run for governor in 1952 when political rallies were the highlight of the week; on the right is a Polk County (Mena) murder trial in 1941 (he's seated right):

Small world

So I'm driving back to Texarkana post-JJ Dinner just now and see some people with car trouble here on I-30 in Little Rock. I stop to help, and it's a family from Texarkana on their way to St. Louis. As I was walking up to their car, they were like "Steve Harrelson?" It's campaign season 24-7 around here.

-- Post From My iPhone

Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

I'll post a few entries on Twitter tonight from the DPA's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, where Paul Begala will be the featured speaker. We'll wrap up tonight at the YD's After Dark party (also at the Verizon Center), then I'm back to Texarkana.

It's a slow Friday afternoon here at the Capitol. I'm looking through reports with staff from incidents and investigations that have taken place in Arkansas prisons in recent years in preparation for a legislative committee meeting in a couple of weeks. Next on this afternoon's schedule is a meeting with Robbie Wills and White House Southern Political Director Jeffrey Lerner here at the Capitol.

Governor's weekly radio address

Global markets for Arkansas products
Click play on the console below:



Arkansas has foreign offices in Tokyo and Beijing, and several other states have offices in Taipei, Hong Kong, and other cities across Asia (and other parts of the world) for purposes of economic development. Governor Beebe will travel to Cuba next week to look at ways that Arkansas could seize opportunities there in an event the trade embargo is lifted.

Friday poll: New minimum wage goes into effect today

Roby Brock reminds us that the federal minimum wage increases by 70 cents to $7.25 per hour today. That will raise wages in 30 states whose state minimum wage is not higher than $7.25/hr. Arkansas is among those.

Question: Did you ever work for minimum wage, and if so, what was the pay rate of your first job? $3.80/hr here working in a warehouse for a hardware store/distributor when I was 16. Funny thing: that old company is three blocks from my current office.

Double-dipping investigation

Rep. Allen Kerr (R-Little Rock), bolstered by press from the Arkansas Times and now from the Arkansas News Bureau, is working to try and uncover a scheme whereby elected county officials are temporarily "retiring" while actually working for free for a short time for purposes of being able to draw a paycheck and receive retirement benefits for the same job at the same time. A 1999 law allowed state workers to return to work after retiring for 30 days to receive their regular pay plus retirement benefits. This was apparently done in an effort to attract longtime Capitol employees back in place after term limits went into effect in order to maintain some institutional knowledge. We extended that time period from 30 days to 180 days in the last legislative session. The rationale for having such a policy is obviously made for state employees, but elected officials? Common sense says this can't be legal, and there's an AG opinion that corroborates that. If it's questionable, that loophole needs to be closed.

Snyder presides over the House today

Here's a screenshot of Arkansas's 2nd District Congressman Vic Snyder presiding over the U.S. House today in Washington while the Speaker of the House is out of the chamber. Flip it to C-Span -- he's still on.

Stimulus projects announced for 13 Arkansas communities

The Arkansas Recovery Office today announced 13 grants totaling more than $5.1 million to Arkansas communities, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Here they are:

City of Hughes: $1,472,500 Update sewer system and water line, replace meters and fire hydrants.
City of Sunset: $375,000 Bring sewage system up to ADEQ standards, rehabilitate water pumps stations.
City of Widener: $320,000 Repair sewer system, replace water lines and meters.
City of Humnoke: $300,000 Update water tank and pump station.
Crawford County: $250,000 Provide water and sewer hookups for low-to- moderate-income households.
City of Dumas: $250,000 Renovate building for the Delta Technology Education Center.
City of Foreman: $250,000 Renovate building to be used as a community center and computer lab.
City of Lake Village: $250,000 Repair and reconstruction of Luna Lane.
City of Rector: $250,000 Renovate buildings for use as a job training, technology and wellness center.
Searcy County: $250,000 Improve energy efficiency of the Searcy County Civic Center.
Yell County: $250,000 Construct a building for employment opportunities for the developmentally disabled.
City of Williford: $235,000 Renovate building for use as a public library.
City of Dardanelle: $200,000 Renovate building for use as a regional food bank.

Washington Post digs for diamonds in Pike County

Blake's Think Tank directs me to a Washington Post feature about digging for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds State Park south of Murfreesboro. This particular WP blog is dedicated to finding those altered by a flattened economy (Washington Post photo).

Bloghawgs

There's a new blog in town, one dedicated to Arkansas politics and Arkansas sports. It's being run by my friend BRett Kincaid and his friend Adam Butler. Click here. I've also posted a link over on the right.

Update: Add Ginny Blankenship to the blogroll. Ginny's with AACF, and this'll definitely be a daily stop for me.

PAYGO, the Blue Dogs' signature issue, passes House 265-166

Mike Ross tweets that moderate Blue Dog Democrats played an active role in pushing their signature legislation through the House today. The legislation at issue would reinstate a "pay-as-you-go" statute that requires tax cuts or new benefit programs be paid for with tax increases or cuts to other programs. If the "pay-go" law is broken and new legislation adds to the deficit, automatic spending cuts would kick in to make up the difference, similar to our Revenue Stabilization Act.

PAYGO rules were in effect in the late 1990s, which successfully resulted in a $236 billion surplus under former President Bill Clinton by 2000. The bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

Sen. Laverty recovering from liver transplant

State Sen. Randy Laverty (D-Jasper) is recovering after undergoing liver transplant surgery last week at UAMS. Laverty has served in the legislature since 1996. Here's more from Stephens Media.

WSJ: Mike Ross, "Blue Dog" has his day

Congressman Mike Ross, pictured right leaving the White House yesterday, continues to be one of the most visible figures on Capitol Hill this week. Today's news includes a Wall Street Journal article on the current healthcare debate. Ross has said that he wants to improve the health plan, not kill it:

"There are a number of potential cost-cutting measures which I think the American people expect before we consider any kind of new revenue," Ross said after the White House meeting Tuesday. "They want us to squeeze every ounce of savings that we can out of the current system. That's what we're demanding."

"We want a bill that we can vote for," he said. "A lot of people say, 'Why do health-care reform when the deficits are so big?' But that is when we've got to do it," because rising health-care costs threaten the nation's long-term fiscal balance, he said.

Rep. John Lowery gets some national press on cap and trade

State Rep. John Lowery (D-El Dorado) testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works yesterday in opposition to the Waxman-Markey environmental cleanup bill. Here are a few links:

Associated Press
The American Spectator blog
Colorado Energy News

Most compelling reason to date for health care reform

I just finished an office conference with a constituent that wants to carry the banner for healthcare reform. He's a working man, has no health insurance, and has been the primary breadwinner for his wife and son. His wife, 40 years old, went in to a rural ER with complaints of dehydration and a headache. She was given a shot for the headache and sent home with instructions to drink Gatorade. She was also told that it appears that something is attacking her nervous system such as a brain tumor or something. She was not referred to a larger hospital because "you know how they are about being referred patients with no insurance." She died the next day of a ruptured brain tumor. Best healthcare system in the world? Why don't you ask this family about that. They can't even afford to pay the bill from the ER that night and are avoiding calls from collectors.

Was malpractice a contributing factor? Could her life have been saved? I'm sure there's plenty of blame to go around in this particular instance, but if the family files suit, then it just perpetuates the belief that lawyers are the cause of the high cost of insurance.

Maybe government-run, socialized medicine is not the answer -- maybe a public option isn't even the answer -- but dammit, I'm tired of seeing families like this in my office. I don't want to see my kids and grandkids strapped with a national debt that can never be paid, but taking care of hardworking Americans ought to be at the top of our list. Health care is not a right, but living in the greatest country in the world ought to have its benefits, and access to adequate medical care ought to be one of them.

My poor little live oak

When Camille was born, I had delusions of planting a live oak so that by the end of her years, it would have the stature of one of those century-old live oaks in southern Louisiana like the one below.

Four summers in, I'm not sure this puny thing is going to make it. I had it shipped from coastal Georgia, and even though we're in the same "zone," it looks like it's just too hot here, even with daily watering. I know these things are slow to grow, but the hardwoods my neighbors have planted have grown by leaps and bounds compared to this one.

Need help brainstorming for a constituent

I've been working with a constituent needing some sort of help staying in college, and after working on this for several weeks, I'm just about resigned to the fact that I won't be able to help her.

Facts: A 19 year-old constituent received a Chancellor's scholarship out of high school and attended UALR this past year as a freshman. In order to keep her scholarship, she had to maintain a 3.25 GPA. She made a 3.125, and the scholarship will not be reinstated. She has secured a loan in the amount of $1,750, but that won't cover enough to get her back in school for the fall term.

In her own words: "I have a dream and I need financial help to achieve that dream. I work a part time job to try to help with living expenses. I had to sit out for the summer because I didn't have money to pay tuition. I registered and had to drop out because of lack of college funds."

Arkansas Academic Challenge: She didn't meet the criteria for the Arkansas Academic Challenge grant out of high school because she couldn't demonstrate financial need. Now that she's a year in, she can demonstrate financial need but doesn't qualify because she's not a first time college student.

I know this is not an uncommon situation around the state and is likely one of the core reasons that voters overwhelmingly supported the lottery, but I would appreciate any thoughts you might have regarding other sources of financial aid. We both keep hitting a brick wall, and I told her I'd make a last-ditch effort before it's too late to enroll by posting something here. Shoot me an e-mail if you have any thoughts.

Rainy Tuesday

Not much on the radar here this afternoon but work, so here are a few pictures of the route between Mt. Ida and Kirby on the way back home, taken late this morning.

Library at Norman, Arkansas
(my grandfather was born two miles from here in a house in Black Springs)


Smoky mountain in Pike County


Hwy. 27 near Glenwood

Transportation and infrastructure at Mountain Harbor

I'm back in my district after returning from the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives Annual Summer Conference at Mountain Harbor Resort on Lake Ouachita. We discussed highways and other infrastructure needs (water/rail) balanced against a growing sentiment from the public to reduce spending on all fronts.

Here's Arkansas Highway and Transportation Director Dan Flowers discussing the needs of the state regarding highway construction and maintenance (it looks like it's dark outside, but this was taken while one of the storms was moving through the area this morning). While state revenue has increased over the last several decades, revenue from motor fuel taxes has remained stagnant, making his job difficult. Flowers told the audience that the state needs an additional $200 million annually just to adequately maintain our current highways.

Back in Arkansas

Had to get through a few delays, but I made it back to Arkansas a few minutes ago. There are no legislative meetings this week due to the NCSL annual meeting in Philadelphia, so I'm the only person in the apartment building tonight. I'm leaving for Mountain Harbor at 7:00 in the morning to sit on a panel to discuss transportation with the Chamber of Commerce. I'll post an update from the meeting there in the morning.

Ross is Blue Dogs' Bulldog

Roll Call, a beltway publication, has a top story today on the rising influence of Mike Ross within the Blue Dog Coalition and in Congress. Click here for the article.

New Media/New Politics in Philadelphia

I'm here in Philadelphia, where the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures has begun. I'm on the faculty and am about to begin here in the Grand Ballrom on my session: New Media and Staying Ahead of the Story. Internet service is spotty, but I'll try and live blog if I'm able.



Update: Good discussion on the rise of new media and its impact on traditional media. Lots of questions on journalistic ethics in new media and staying on script (or varying from it) when something goes viral (good or bad). Can't answer that one. I'm amazed at the number of people who keep up with national blogs -- left and right -- daily. All in all, it was a very spirited discussion.

I have no other duties here, so I'm on my way to the airport and will be back in Arkansas tonight. I'm sitting on another panel at Mtn Harbor in the morning.

Polling on the lottery

Roby Brock's Talk Business political blog releases some polling numbers on the lottery this morning. It's a mixed bag on the favorability of the lottery, which suggests to me that some, at least, are taking a wait and see approach. 71% strongly believe that a salary of $300,000+ is too high for the lottery director. Frankly, I'm surprised that it's not 15 to 20 points higher. I know people who think our $15,000 legislative salary is too high. Click here for the polling data.

Arkansas Saturday night

I spent the evening over in Lafayette County at the Boyd Hill Firehouse Political Jamboree. An auction was held to benefit the reserve deputies in that county, and I brought home a few trinkets.

Update (Noon Sunday): Just landed in Philadelphia and am trying to decide between naughty (going to get a Philly Cheesesteak at Geno's) or nice (going for a run up the famed steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Rocky statue). I only have about four hours before I need to continue working on my presentation for tomorrow morning's NCSL opening session. This is a quick trip -- I'm back in Arkansas in 30 hours.

Saturday in downtown Texarkana

All my running/biking partners are on vacation, so I'm skipping out on the exercise and am practicing law early this morning. The only thing on my calendar today is a campaign event over in neighboring Lafayette County tonight, so I'll hang around here today until then with wall-to-wall coverage of the British Open and the life of Walter Cronkite in the background.

Coast-to-coast cycling campaign stops by the office today

Cyclists from all over the country just stopped by the office here in Texarkana on their way to Delaware from California. The team is campaigning to raise money and awareness for clean water and HIV/AIDS prevention in Africa. The 3,172 mile journey started in Santa Monica on the Pacific Ocean and will end at the Atlantic Ocean in Delaware. They traded mountains for heat and took the southern route -- if you're in southern Arkansas today, be on the lookout for them on Highway 67 as they ride from Texarkana to Arkadelphia. Some of them are even blogging about it. Here's a pic:

Friday reading

Judging by my inbox, a grassroots campaign from the right has begun to petition state legislatures around the country to double the number of amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Based on the recommendations here, the federal constitution would be expanded from 26 to 64 amendments and would cover just about every aspect of life except what time I need to set my alarm to wake up each morning. I particularly like the population control amendment:

AMENDMENT 53: POPULATION AND STATES

THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING CITIZENS AND GUESTS SHALL NOT BE MORE THAN 300,000,000 PEOPLE. ONCE THAT NUMBER IS REACHED, ALL IMMIGRATION SHALL BE FROZEN UNTIL ATTRITION REDUCES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO BELOW 300,000,000. THERE SHALL ONLY BE THE EXISTING 50 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AS PART OF THE UNITED STATES. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SHALL NOT HAVE REPRESENTATION.

Attrition? More on the jump.

AACF releases guide to the Arkansas tax system

Here's an interesting read about the state's tax and budget system. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, which lobbies for a balanced tax base and transparency in government in the name of child advocacy, offers some analysis on the tax system in Arkansas. The report was authored by AACF Policy Director Ginny Blankenship and Jay Barth, candidate for Arkansas Senate, District 34.

Governor to Mississippi for annual meeting

Governor Beebe leaves for Biloxi today to attend the National Governors Association's 101st Annual Meeting. Lt. Governor Halter will serve as acting governor in his absence. The governor will return Monday.

Status of political parties' coffers in Arkansas

In addition to individual candidates for office, organized political parties filed their quarterly reports yesterday. Here are the results:

Party		Contributions received		Expenses
Republican Party		$67,203		$71,928
Democratic Party		$146,950		$20,337
Green Party		$379		$367

Update: And, exploratory committee reports aren't due until the end of the month, but one candidate who's filed an exploratory committee for state senate and is raising funds is Rep. Jonathan Dismang. He's raised $17,390, and I've added to the post below.

Response on the lottery expenses/salaries

Lots of activity on the lottery front today. I've been asked by two three reporters for a response on those calling for resignations of lottery officials today. In addition to what I wrote in the comments section earlier this week, here's my response:

Reasonable minds will prevail here, but I think everyone just needs to calm down and take a step back and relax. The voters elected to give the lottery commission autonomy, and those calling for resignations simply need to let the process work. If the Arkansas lottery falls short of expectations, voters will have the opportunity to revisit whether or not we need a lottery in the state. If the lottery is a huge success, the voters may view the high administrative expenses as a necessity. We simply need to let the process play itself out.

I don't like seeing these high salaries being paid out at the expense of scholarships, but my constituents didn't want the legislature micromanaging in the day to day operations of the lottery, and I intend to honor that request with the expectation that the lottery commission will act in the best interests of Arkansas students and taxpayers.

McDaniel to testify this afternoon for Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is testifying on behalf of Obama Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor this afternoon. You can follow his tweets here. Here's the latest:

The first panel of witnesses testifying now. Senators trickling in. Room is packed.

Live online video from C-Span is here.

Philadelphia and working with the media

I'm headed to Philadelphia this weekend for the National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting. I'm sitting on a panel Monday morning to discuss the need for developing good interview skills and talking points among elected officials in the ever-evolving world of traditional and modern media. I'll be on the panel with State Senator Ric Cantrell (R-Utah) and Stateline.org Executive Editor Gene Gibbons, who worked as a White House correspondent for Reuters prior to launching stateline.org, one of the most exhaustive and interesting resources on the web pertaining to state government.

It'll be a quick trip, as I'm sitting on another panel in Hot Springs Tuesday morning with the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce.

Water service grant awarded to Miller County

I've seen first hand how persistence and organization can help see a complex and costly project through to its completion. Haze Hudson of Texarkana has chaired a rural water authority for years in his quest to extend water service out to residents and businesses in Genoa and beyond. Some of his work paid off this week when Hudson was notified that the organization was awarded a $700,000 grant from the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Program for digging ditches and running water lines to the houses of residents who qualify. The water project will ultimately connect to the Texarkana system. I've met with Hudson and his engineers and supporters many times and will meet with them again this afternoon in Genoa as we try and sign up 250 more residents to the service in order to make the project a reality. Here's more from the Texarkana Gazette.

Final day to file campaign reports

Today is the final day to file campaign contribution and expenditure reports with the Secretary of State. Unfortunately, modern campaigns require money to get the candidate's message to the voters, and unless the candidate is independently wealthy, he or she has to go out and raise it. My report is on file and can be found here (it shows contributions of $43,307.20 from 175 contributors since beginning my campaign on May 18). The big stories, though, are Dustin's haul ($478,000 for the quarter) and Rep. Dan Greenberg's report in his race for the state senate, which includes a personal loan to his account in the amount of $100,000. Here's a list of candidates (including office sought) and the amount raised to date:

Candidate		Office Sought		Contributions
Dustin McDaniel		Attorney General		$502,585
Pat O'Brien		Secretary of State		$121,501
Dan Greenberg		State Senate, District 22		$104,400 (includes personal loan of $100,000)
Jay Barth		State Senate, District 34		$90,895
Johnny Hoyt		State Senate, District 18		$75,200 (includes personal loan of $25,000)
Stephen Magie		State House, District 46		$61,450
John Paul Wells		State Senate, District 6		$61,248
Steve Harrelson		State Senate, District 21		$43,307
Monty Davenport		Land Commissioner		$32,241
Scott Pace		State House, District 31		$22,933
Gene Shelby		State Senate, District 19		$20,621
Dawn Creekmore		State Senate, District 22		$17,717
Sue Madison		State Senate, District 7		$17,700
Jonathan Dismang		State Senate, District 29		$17,390
John Vines		State House, District 25		$13,575
Ken Casady		Saline Co. Prosecuting Attorney		$12,140
Eddie Joe Williams		State Senate, District 28		$10,320
Linda Chesterfield		State Senate, District 34		$9,401
Barbara Nix		House District 28		$3,500
Garry Smith		House District 7		$1,401
Mark Wilcox		Secretary of State		$1,200
Robert Thompson		State Senate, District 11		$1,000
Allen Kerr		State House, District 32		$500

There are candidates whose reports have not been posted yet. I'll supplement this post with other reports at the end of the day. State law requires that any candidate for state or district office to file a report if they have raised or spent $500. You can search all reports online at the Secretary of State's site.

At the federal level, Blanche Lincoln has raised $2,993,149 in her bid for reelection to the U.S. Senate.

Exchange students and hard labor

CNN.com is running an expose that may hit close to home here in Arkansas. Officials are seeking criminal charges after foreign exchange students in Pennsylvania found themselves caught in a nightmare of neglect, malnourishment and abandonment by those supposed to protect them.

Here in Arkansas, Sen. Sue Madison sponsored a bill that became law that is designed to protect students after it was discovered some in northwest Arkansas were forced to do manual labor, live in unfit conditions and even forced to hand over their money to host families. "You make a complaint to the State Department and you basically never hear from them again," Madison said.

Saunders to back out of Senate race

Rep. Rick Saunders (D-Hot Springs) says that he will back out of his bid for the state Senate in 2010 and will not seek another elected office once his House term expires in December, 2010. Saunders, who serves as chairman of the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committee, had announced his intentions to seek the seat being vacated by the term-limited Sen. Terry Smith (D-Hot Springs). Others who have announced for the seat include Democratic Rep. Gene Shelby and Republican Rep. Bill Sample.

In a news release, Saunders says that "on the advice of my physician, I have determined that I will not seek the open State Senate District 19 seat here in Hot Springs." He further states that such a run would not be in the best intersts of his long-term health.

Ross revives bill today to give access to local channels

Mike Ross introduced legislation today in Congress to give satellite and cable customers across the nation access to their in-state news, sports, and local programming.

This is one issue important to many outside central Arkansas, and particularly those on the Arkansas-Texas border (none of whom receive in-state programming but are instead in the Shreveport, La. media market). Most Shreveport stations do have a segment on Texarkana news, but many residents would like to have the option of watching Arkansas news, and more importantly, the Arkansas Razorbacks.

It's been an issue in my household for as long as I've lived. More than once, my dad hauled the family up to Hope to rent a hotel room for the sole purpose of using the tv to watch the basketball Hogs play in a weeknight televised game.

Southern Fried

Had lunch with Rex Nelson today and am checking out the inaugural post on his blog, Southern Fried. We've learned that his dad and my granddad worked on the same officiating crew. It sounds like it'll be an interesting read. I've added it to the blog roll over on the right. If you're interested in learning more, a reception will be thrown in his honor today at 4:30 at the Whitewater Tavern.

Desegregation litigation

I'm in Little Rock for a legislative hearing on the half-century-old desegregation litigation. I'll post an update from the Capitol. It will be the first committee meeting since the death of Andree Roaf, who once served as the federal court's longtime desegregation monitor. Arkansas taxpayers continue to spend $60,000,000 annually on this litigation. Before the hearing, though, I'm headed over to Brave New for lunch with Rex Nelson. He's unveiling his new political/general interest blog -- Southern Fried -- today.

Howard Memorial Hospital dedication

I'm driving up to Nashville after church for the dedication of the new hospital on the west side of town. The facility is one of a half dozen in southwest Arkansas that has applied to participate in the newly-enacted statewide trauma system. Sen. Blanche Lincoln will be among those in attendance.

Elsewhere today, the Governor's Mansion will host the Third Annual Beebe Backyard Burger Bash from 4:00p.m. - 6:00p.m. I have to be in three different courts in three different counties tomorrow, so I'll be skipping that and spending most of the afternoon at the office.

Issue of the day in Arkansas: Card Check

Lots of money is being spent in print and television advertising on the Employee Free Choice Act here in Arkansas this weekend. Labor officials are marching in Little Rock, and events took place around the state this morning on the issue, including a 9:00 event here at Cooper Tire in Texarkana. Dozens left this event on buses headed for Little Rock. Much of the discussion down here focused on lobbying Lincoln and Pryor to get involved in the process and, even if wholesale changes are made to the legislation, to offer some substantive modifications that will help American workers. There may be some fertile ground there, since John Brummett's Saturday column indicates the Chamber's willingness to explore a "tweaking" of the process.

In attendance down here this morning were International Steelworkers President Leo Gerard, AFL-CIO National Secretary Richard Trumka, and Arkansas AFL-CIO President Alan Hughes. Here I am with Arkansas YD Amanda Boulden and David Hardt of Dallas, President of the Young Democrats of America.

Blue Dog Dems come out against current health bill

The influential, fiscally-conservative Blue Dog Democrats, led by Congressman Mike Ross, have come forward opposing the health care bill in its current form. There are 52 of them, which means that they'll be able to successfully block the bill if they can hold together their opposition. I'll provide a link when I can get to a laptop (this iPhone 3G, which is already obsolete, doesn't cut and paste), but it was on the front page of CNN.com a few moments ago.

-- Post From My iPhone

Update: Link

On with Neal Gladner this morning

I'll be going on with Neal Gladner this morning on "Talk of the Town" on Newstalk 1340 KZNG in Hot Springs in a few minutes to discuss the lottery, the trauma system, the budget and other current Arkansas topics. I'm in Little Rock this morning and will meet with Texarkana constituents this afternoon before heading home tonight. The governor is addressing the Arkansas Home Builders Association State Convention this morning in Hot Springs, and the Arkansas Press Association is holding its annual Honors Banquet in Rogers, where Bill Halter is receiving the Arkansas Headliner of the Year for 2008.

Campaign contribution reports to begin rolling in

Candidates who will appear on the 2010 ballot who've either raised or spent $500 are required to file quarterly reports showing contributions and expenditures. The 2nd quarter of 2009 ended June 30, and candidates who are required to file a contribution and expenditure report must do so by July 15.

Only one report has been filed so far for this quarter, that of state Senate District 28 candidate Eddie Joe Williams (R-Cabot). Williams raised over $10,000 in this last quarter and has some elected officials appearing on his donor list, including state Sen. Gil Baker and state Reps. Jonathan Dismang and Davy Carter. Other donors include consultant Clint Reed and Tommy Bond of Jacksonville. Williams, the mayor of Cabot, will face George S. Smith in the primary, and the only announced Democrat for this seat is former Rep. Lenville Evans.

Update: The 2nd to file is Rep. John Paul Wells (D-Paris), candidate for state senate (District 6), with over $48,000 raised, not including another $12,000 already on hand.

Update II: 3rd to file is Stephen Magie of Conway, a Democrat seeking the House seat being vacated by Robbie Wills. He raised $61,450.

Arkansas Highway Commission seeks funding for high speed rail study

The Associated Press reports that the Arkansas Highway Commission has agreed to seek funding for a study of high-speed passenger rail connections in Arkansas. The commission authorized the state Highway and Transportation Department today to apply to the Federal Railroad Administration for money to pay for the study. Hopefully, I can save them some money and duplicative efforts. Pursuant to Act 1391 of 2009, $100,000 in state GIF has been funded for this very purpose.

Turk plant permit rejection is headed up to the Arkansas Supreme Court

The Arkansas Public Service Commission and SWEPCO announced that they've petitioned the Arkansas Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals' ruling that would force SWEPCO to start over in its effort to obtain a permit for the $1.6 billion power plant to be constructed in Hempstead County. The main thrust of the appeal focuses on the argument that the appeals court ignored decades of procedural rules in revoking the permit.

Local PSA on consumer confidence

I'm taping a tv spot today that will run locally designed to bolster consumer confidence and re-energize our local economy. Local commerce needs the business and schools and local governments need the sales tax revenue for public works. Times are tight but every little penny helps.

Constituent stops by to sing praises of ASMSA

A constituent from Genoa stopped by this morning to let me know that her son, a high school sophomore, took the ACT to assess where he was among his peers. He posted a perfect score on the math portion, a near perfect 35 on reading, and a 33 on the science portion. He's already maxed out all math classes offered at Genoa, so he's headed to the Arkansas School for Math, Sciences & the Arts next year to compete with other academically advanced high school students. If you can get in, it's a great education for little in the way of costs (a $305 assessment is all that is required). The student body is made up of 125 juniors and 125 seniors. Former chairmen of the board there include state Rep. Johnnie Roebuck and Skip Rutherford.

As with everything else, there are funding issues with the school. It has begun a capital campaign for expansion. Some look to the state for more funding, some rely on the City of Hot Springs as the successful bidder for the much-sought-after facility, and some rely solely on funds directed to the UofA, since the school is a campus of the UofA system. Unlike other high schools, it doesn't qualify for campus improvement funds and isn't funded like most other public schools. Regardless, it's a great campus that should be appreciated as one of the premier high schools in the nation.

Assessing the state of Arkansas prisons -- UPDATE

Much has been made of recent events within the Arkansas Department of Correction and whether an outside investigation should take place. While I've not called for a full-blown investigation, I see nothing wrong with having an outside organization with experience in these matters review our policies for suggested revisions. One of the things I did learn at the most recent meeting ALC subcommittee meeting is that our policies have been developed using "best practices" that have been devised by the national organization responsible for accrediting the ADC.

Staff for my Judiciary committee has provided me with a list (through the National Conference of State Legislatures) of groups who could or have completed studies or assessments of state corrections institutions. For example, one inexpensive and simple revision includes installing a biometrics scanner at the entrance of the prison requiring a fingerprint or retinal scan that accounts for everyone leaving the prison. This could have prevented the recent event where two inmates simply walked out of an Arkansas prison wearing guard uniforms they made. The NCSL also provided articles on the use of biometrics in corrections -- pretty interesting info.

Here are some of the other links provided by NCSL for the serious policywonks:
ARS
An evaluation of a policy on Georgia
Center for Effective Public Policy
some reports by CEPP
Crime and Justice Institute
Jim Austin, president of JFA Institute
Public Safety Performance Project of the Pew Center [2]
Council of State Governments, Justice Center
Vera Institute of Justice

Some other states have utilized their colleges and universities to review prison policy:
Minnesota
California
Washington
New York

Update: Sheriff Ken Jones of Union County writes in to say that the Board of Corrections has convened a committee to study the ADC's facility entrance and exiting policies and that he'll be chairing it. There's no one better to review these policies than Jones.

Train roll on

A new supply of the Army's light tracked combat vehicle fleet arrived today by rail here in Texarkana. While 80% of the folks that have called here in the last three weeks call to tell me that they're against "just about all" government spending and the stimulus in particular, our largest employer here in this region is the Red River Army Depot, which repairs, rebuilds, overhauls, and converts these tanks and humvees. Just sayin'

Texarkana hospital among 62 facilities applying for trauma system funds

Sixty hospitals have applied to receive funding for the soon-to-be enacted trauma system that is being developed with funds from the newly-enacted tobacco tax. Among the applicants is Christus St. Michael hospital (pictured right), a local hospital that is located on the Texas-side of Texarkana. The funding is figured on the number of Arkansas patients that are being served, so if approved, it would likely receive less funding than others in the same level of trauma centers. St. Michael has applied for level 3 funding. No application has been received from Wadley Hospital, the other local Texarkana hospital (Update: a Wadley spokesperson tells me they did not apply). I'll post a full list of the 60 applicants once I receive it.

Update II: Thanks to Dept. of Health spokesman Ed Barham, here's a complete list of the 62 applicants and the level of trauma center sought by each:

Level	Hospital	City	State
1	UAMS Medical Center	Little Rock	AR
1	Regional Medical Center at Memphis	Memphis	TN
1	St. John's Hospital	Springfield	MO
1	Arkansas Children's Hospital	Little Rock	AR
1	Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center	Memphis	TN
2	Jefferson Regional Medical Center	Pine Bluff	AR
2	Sparks Regional Medical Center	Fort Smith	AR
2	St. Joseph's Mercy Health	Hot Springs	AR
2	Baptist Health Medical Center - LR	Little Rock	AR
2	Saline Memorial Hospital	Benton	AR
2	St. Vincent Infirmary	Little Rock	AR
2	Conway Regional Medical Center	Conway	AR
3	White County Medical Center	Searcy	AR
3	North Metro Medical Center	Jacksonville	AR
3	North Arkansas Regional Medical Center	Harrison	AR
3	White River Medical Center	Batesville	AR
3	Arkansas Methodist Medical Center	Paragould	AR
3	Johnson Regional Medical Center	Clarksville	AR
3	Christus St. Michael Health System	Texarkana	TX
3	Ashley County Medical Center	Crossett	AR
3	Baptist Health Medical Center - NLR	North Little Rock	AR
3	Baptist Health Medical Center - Arkadelphia	Arkadelphia	AR
3	Baptist Health Medical Center - Heber Springs	Heber Springs	AR
3	Baptist Health Medical Center - Stuttgart	Stuttgart	AR
3	Mercy Medical Center	Rogers	AR
3	St. Bernards Medical Center	Jonesboro	AR
3	St. Edward Mercy Medical Center	Fort Smith	AR
3	Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center	Russellville	AR
3	St. John's Hospital - Berryville	Berryville	AR
3	Baxter Regional Medical Center	Mountain Home	AR
4	McGehee - Desha County Hospital	McGehee	AR
4	Pike County Memorial Hospital	Murfreesboro	AR
4	Mercy Hospital Turner Memorial	Ozark	AR
4	North Logan Mercy Hospital	Paris	AR
4	Mercy Hospital Scott County	Waldron	AR
4	Crittenden Regional Hospital	West Memphis	AR
4	Five Rivers Medical Center	Pocahontas	AR
4	Dewitt Hospital	DeWitt	AR
4	Physician's Specialty Hospital	Fayetteville	AR
4	John Ed Chambers Memorial Hospital	Danville	AR
4	Lawrence Memorial Hospital	Walnut Ridge	AR
4	Little River Memorial Hospital	Ashdown	AR
4	Piggot Community Hospital	Piggott	AR
4	Hot Spring County Medical Center	Malvern	AR
4	Drew Memorial Hospital	Monticello	AR
4	River Valley Medical Center	Dardanelle	AR
4	Ozark Health Medical Center	Clinton	AR
4	Chicot Memorial Hospital	Lake Village	AR
4	Bradley County Medical Center	Warren	AR
4	Forrest City Medical Center	Forrest City	AR
4	St. Vincent - North	Sherwood	AR
4	St. Anthony's Medical Center	Morrilton	AR
4	Community Medical Center of Izard County	Calico Rock	AR
4	Mena Regional Health System	Mena	AR
4	Helena Regional Medical Center	Helena	AR
4	Ouachita County Medical Center	Camden	AR
4	NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital	Jonesboro	AR
4	Fulton County Hospital	Salem	AR
4	Howard Memorial Hospital	Nashville	AR
4	Stone County Medical Center	Mountain View	AR
4	Arkansas Heart Hospital	Little Rock	AR
4	DeQueen Medical Center	DeQueen	AR

Lunch with the Oaklawn Rotary

I'll venture across State Line Avenue for lunch and speak to the Oaklawn Rotary, which is made up of residents of both sides of the state line, to talk politics and to give a legislative update.

Proposals to change highway funding to "follow the cars"

There's been some discussion in Arkansas media recently about whether highway funding should "follow the cars." The issue has been raised by Reps. Donna Hutchinson and Mark Martin, a few chamber officers in northwest Arkansas, and most recently, John Brummett in his Tuesday column. In political terms, this would mean shifting much of the highway funding from southern (4th CD) and eastern (1st CD) Arkansas to more populous areas of the state. This raises an interesting issue for a guy whose House district would likely benefit from such a scenario (54,000 cars travel through Miller County on I-30 daily, which is comparable to I-540 traffic counts in Benton and Washington counties), but which would be detrimental to southern Arkansas as a whole.

While the distribution of funds is an issue, it's not the only issue. The biggest problem is that there simply aren't enough funds to maintain the roads we have, nor is there enough in the way of matching funds to construct all the new interstate highways needed in the state. Highway Commission spokesman Randy Ort was quoted yesterday as saying that highway needs in the populous, traffic-congested central and northwest parts of the state are not being met, but neither are the needs in agricultural eastern and southern Arkansas, where farmers are troubled by narrow bridges and roads with no shoulders. “It’s not because of the distribution in funds, it’s because we don’t have the money,” Ort said. "No one is getting what they need." Former Highway Commissioner Ron Harrod noted that “if you pull the money and let the money follow the traffic you abandon half the system,” Harrod said, stating that nearly 50% of state roads handle about 80% of the traffic.

If you take much of the highway money from the 1st and 4th congressional districts, it'll only serve to compound deteriorating roads until wholesale reconstruction is required. Besides high traffic counts on I-30 and I-40 and US Highways, rural roads in southern and eastern Arkansas are taking a beating from logging trucks and 18-wheelers who are taking product from the forests and farms to the mills and markets.

Political issues. Then there's the political angle. I heard one legislator complaining yesterday that if it weren't for legislators in the 1st and 4th congressional districts doing the heavy lifting, there wouldn't be much in the way of highway revenue to divide. For example, here's a map showing the House vote of the governor's 2008 severance tax plan, the proceeds of which go to add'l highway funding (green voted for the tax, red voted against):

Legislators for decades have complained that many in the northwest quadrant oppose any and all taxes, but when it's time to divvy up the loot by way of highway, educational, and infrastructure funding, they claim that they're entitled to more of it. There's nothing wrong with that -- it's part of the political process, and besides, that area is an economic engine for the state, and they should get more of it to provide essential services for populous areas. Most other lawmakers would agree and have supported taxes in the past that support projects in northwest Arkansas, including the tobacco tax (NW satellite medical school campus), the severance tax (goes to roads and highways, including what most consider one of the most important projects in the state, the Bella Vista Bypass), and proposals to increase funding for higher education, much of which goes to our flagship university in Fayetteville. Still, it is an issue that exists in the halls of the Capitol and shouldn't be ignored if a debate arises regarding highway money "following the cars."

This debate will continue on forever, much like the funding mechanism to distribute funds to public schools. So long as there are differences in demographics and economics between all corners of the state, these types of issues will be solved only by debate, negotiation and compromise.

EBD approves 2010 health insurance rates

One of the inequities that exists between certain sectors within state employment includes the difference in health insurance premiums between teachers and other state employees. One of the reasons that the difference exists, in my opinion, is that the Arkansas Supreme Court has not given "Lake View" credit to the legislature in increasing health insurance benefits for teachers and other school employees. Therefore, help for teachers has come more slowly, and as a result, a gap has continued to widen between the health insurance premiums paid by the state's teachers and other state employees. The 2010 schedule for health insurance premiums will be as follows:

Active State Employees		$95.78
Active Teachers		$152.70
Retired State Employees		$235.74
Retired Teachers		$527.62

Thanks to House leadership, the legislature did appropriate $15 million in recurring funds for active teachers in this category in the last session. A retired school teacher will pay more in monthly premiums than the other three groups combined ($484.22 versus $527.62). The state budget increased the contribution for state employees from $350 per budgeted position to $390. At the same time, the school group lost $24.11 in subsidy while the insurance increased $31.29. The state retiree only plan dropped $26.66 to $235.74 per month while a school retiree only plan increased $55.40 to $527.62. Yes, on average, school teachers do make more than their state employee counterparts, but all teachers are degreed employees. It is getting hard to imagine anyone who can justify this kind of disparity, and it's difficult to recruit teachers when half of their active rate is 50% higher than their state employee counterpart and their retiree benefit will go towards health insurance premiums.

July 21 Political Animals Club: Ernie Passailaigue

Arkansas Lottery Executive Director Ernie Passailaigue
will be the speaker at the next meeting of the Political Animals Club. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, July 21 at the Governor's Mansion. If interested in joining PAC, send an e-mail to Steve Ronnel at SteveR [at] metalrecyclingcorp [dot] com.

I've received more than one e-mail from constituents asking about this remark in the press:

Lottery Executive Director Ernie Passailaigue asked legislators to ignore criticism in the news media and from constituents about high salaries and other lottery issues, such as whether Arkansas should allow keno. “You cannot go back and talk to the average person about this [creating a state lottery] because they will not understand it,” said Passailaigue, who started work Monday.

Update: Here's a swift response from the lottery office (.doc), that includes a description of the startup. The response also states that after Arkansas voters approved the lottery, we had the choice of either having a good lottery or a bad one. The staff worked from 8:00 am to at least 9:00 pm each day over this past holiday weekend to ensure the former, and they're confident that the decisions made by the Arkansas Lottery Commissioners will be vindicated by the results produced once the operation is up and running.

4th of July pictures

Back from Lake Greeson, where we held our little annual get together, and where the Haaks held their annual fireworks show (pictured right from atop Beacon Hill looking at the boats watching from the water). A few pictures:







2008 Independence Day pictures
2007 Independence Day pictures

Sunday morning

At the lake trying to watch Roddick and Federer with six kids between me and the tv set.


-- Post From My iPhone

At the lake with Kincade

Made it to Pike County and am talking politics with David Kincade, APG, and others.



-- Post From My iPhone

Palin to step down as governor of Alaska

At the end of the month, Governor Sarah Palin will resign as governor of Alaska and transfer power to Lt. Gov. Parnell. The reason seems to be that after coming to the conclusion that she won't seek re-election in 2010, she doesn't feel as though she can be a lame duck governor. She cited wasteful spending by other lame duck governors and said she doesn't want this to be "politics as usual." KTUU-TV (NBC); Anchorage Daily News: Palin to quit as Alaska governor.

Update: Former Fed prosecutor and opposition researcher Tim Griffin, appearing on MSNBC, says this press conference sends "all the wrong signals."

Slow Friday

Wrapping up my law practice and constituent phone calls for the week and am turning my attention to some legal questions for my campaign, like whether I can transfer assets from my old House campaign (1,500 yard signs, stakes, buttons, t-shirts, banners, etc.) into my new Senate campaign, and if so, how to report it. Seems okay at first glance, but it's always best to get a clear answer on the front end and not after it's being questioned on the front page somewhere. I've kept it all stored away for six years, and it would sure be a waste if I had to throw it away.

My family and in-laws are already up at the lake, and I'll join them tonight.

Summer programs

Slow political day here in Texarkana, so in between appointments here at the office, I ran over at lunch to visit with Pastor Anthony Ware and the kids in his Summer Enhancement Program at Miles Chapel CME.



The courthouses are closed tomorrow, so this office is likely to be a ghosttown, but I'll be around the office and the blog.