Ramping up our online audience

We're closing in on 2500 Facebook fans -- 2500th gets the $30 gift certificate to the Fish Bowl restaurant at Millwood Lake I won in a recent auction in Ashdown. Like our page and join our team today!

https://www.facebook.com/harrelsonforsenate

Arkansas coverage on The Thicket

One of my daily stops on the blogosphere is The Thicket, a blog hosted by the National Conference of State Legislatures that often features issues and events taking place in capitols across America. The focus on the blog recently has been Arkansas, with a couple of entries about the historic speaker of the house election. Here are links:


Historic times for Arkansas legislature

Arkansas designates new leaders for 2013

Plowing new ground

With redistricting, legislators and candidates across the state are familiarizing ourselves with areas new to our district. While I have had the southern third of Sevier County already in my district, The city of DeQueen is new. I spent some time there this morning talking on the radio about goings on.

10 weeks out

Now that the 2012 fiscal session has adjourned, most legislators are hitting their districts with the upcoming election in both May and November, and I'm no exception. Saturday night was bingo night in Fouke (here I am calling a game below), and our sign crews are also starting to get out the large road signs.

Reviewing the new UA Campus in Texarkana with Chancellor Chris Thomason and UA System President Don Bobbitt

Back in Time Dinner in Ashdown

100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting

Drawing for ballot positions

I'm in Lafayette County tonight, where we're drawing for ballot positions for the May 22 Primary. I'm first on the ballot here. All of my counties are drawing either today or tomorrow. The Primary is 75 days away.

Weekend in the district

Lots going on over the weekend in southwest Arkansas. Here are a few pictures:

Revenue Stabilization Act passes, session adjourned

The House version of the bill that provides a balanced budget for the state passed the senate this morning by a vote of 27-5 (I voted yes). As an abundance of caution, we pass a senate version of the bill, and the house approved that yesterday. Both bills are now on the governor's desk, and the 2012 fiscal session now stands in recess. We'll come back March 9 at the latest to officially close out the session.

The few last minute issues that remained loose largely remain that way: the trucker issue is dead (it couldn't get the required 2/3 vote in the senate, and negotiations stalled overnight); the issue on the statutory foreclosures was resolved with compromising language, and all other issues will be taken up in the next legislative session.