AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | W.I.N.S. in 2022

LITTLE ROCK – As 2022 comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my time as Governor and looking forward to what is ahead.

In January, I announced my W.I.N.S. initiative for my final year as Governor. Each letter in W.I.N.S. stands for a pillar that I have focused on to boost Arkansas to success. Workforce Training, Infrastructure, New Economy Jobs, and Strengthening Arkansas Families all aim to push Arkansas to being the best place the state can be – and help Arkansas WIN.

Arkansas has continually grown economically over the past eight years. Thanks to the people of Arkansas, we have made this state one of the premier locations for business owners to put their roots down and conduct business that gives well-paying jobs to hard-working Arkansans and puts more money into our state.

As this year and my term is coming to an end, Arkansas has never been in better financial shape than we are right now. We have lowered taxes, funded services, and we have over $2 billion in reserve accounts.

Even in the face of a pandemic, the state’s economy, like Arkansans themselves, remained resilient. In 2021, Arkansas was ranked number two in the nation for states with the most pandemic-proof small businesses. That speaks not only to the hard work of business owners who have chosen to live in Arkansas, but to the small business environment, workforce support, and resource access our state’s infrastructure had in place, ready to help small businesses.

Arkansas small businesses were rightfully ranked as having the greatest potential to bounce back because they had the least to bounce back from. Arkansas never shut down throughout the pandemic. Our state kept working, and our consistently low unemployment rate over the past few years reflects that. In fact, there are over 120,000 more people employed now than when I took office in January 2015.

The future success of our state demands that we improve the training of our workforce. Now with initiatives like the ‘Ready for Life’ program, it is easier for employees and employers to find each other, and it will offer business leaders a quick snapshot of the employee pool in Arkansas as they recruit talent.

Our infrastructure is the backbone of everyday operations in this state, and it is worth investing in to create a better quality of living. That is why we have invested almost $500 million in rural broadband expansion in our state.

In terms of new economy jobs, we expanded our high-tech jobs from the steel industry to software development, and this growth will continue with the recommendations from the Council on Future Mobility Report.  

Lastly, but certainly not least of the pillars of my W.I.N.S. initiative – strengthening Arkansas families. Over the past year, my focus has been to give families the best chance of success and to protect Arkansas children from child abuse and crime.

In November, I announced a monumental expansion in rural health services with the ARHOME Medicaid program. Thanks to the great work of the teams at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Life360 HOMEs will address the complex challenges facing many of Arkansas’s most vulnerable residents, including individuals in rural areas with serious mental illness and those in need of addiction services. I look forward to watching the full potential of this transformative program as it unfolds in the months and years to come.

As we conclude 2022, I am grateful for the W.I.N.S. we have had this year in improving our workforce, investing in our infrastructure, creating new economy jobs, and strengthening Arkansas families.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Joys of the Holidays

On behalf of the state of Arkansas, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season.

Christmas is my favorite time of year in the Natural State, especially in the halls of the Arkansas State Capitol.

During the month of December, student choirs travel from all over the state to sing in the rotunda in the center of the Capitol. Their songs echo to the ceiling and can be heard in all corners of the building. The beauty of their voices reminds me of the verse in Scripture about the angel and the multitude of heavenly hosts filling the sky and praising God at the birth of Jesus.

That’s what this season is all about. Despite the shopping, the crowds, and the stress, it is all about the birth in Bethlehem that changed the world.

This Christmas is a particularly special one as it marks the end of my final year as Governor. This year I am grateful for the gift of life, my family, and the privilege of a lifetime that has been serving the great state of Arkansas as Governor.

Some of the Christmas traditions I have been able to be a part of these past eight years have been especially memorable this year.

Last weekend, at the beginning of the Hanukkah season, I had the privilege of lighting the first candle of the Little Rock Chabad Menorah. In 2015, I was the first Arkansas Governor to light the Menorah publicly. It was a humbling experience then, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to join the Central Arkansas Jewish community in celebrating the eight days of Hanukkah each year since then.

A couple weeks ago, I once again got to host the “Christmas at the Capitol” event where we collected gifts for children in the foster care system in Arkansas. Those who donated gifts made a small gesture that will make more of an impact than they will ever know.

After all, giving is a core part of what Christmas is all about. Arkansans are some of the kindest, most giving people I have ever been around. That is especially evident during the holiday season. One of the best parts of being Governor is getting to meet Arkansans from every corner of the state and from all walks of life.

The holiday season often brings out the best in people. I encourage you to extend goodwill toward our fellow man and find a way to serve someone who is less fortunate. Consider giving not only monetary gifts but giving your time. In the words of Mother Teresa, “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”

I encourage everyone to find a way to celebrate this spirit of giving not only this week but throughout the year. Tell your family, friends, and coworkers how much you appreciate them. Be kind to others – you never know what type of day they are having. You could be a light in their dark season.

I hope each of you are able to reflect on your blessings, remember the reason for this season, and find joy in being able to call Arkansas home.

Audio: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address Arkansas’s Historic Economic Growth

LITTLE ROCK – Today I would like to talk about a priority I’ve had since taking office in 2015. Job creation is critical to our economic growth and our future as a state.

When I was elected, there were 1.2 million people employed in Arkansas. Even after a global pandemic that impacted much of the world’s working force, Arkansas sits at a 3.5% unemployment rate, and we have 125,000 more people working in jobs around the state today than we did 8 years ago. This is possible thanks to the help of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The state’s economic development team has signed 495 projects since January 2015 resulting in creating more than 25,000 jobs for Arkansans.

In 2022 so far, we have signed 19 new incentive agreements with companies investing their resources into our state, which in turn is creating more than 2,900 jobs for Arkansans. This includes the historic investment with U.S. Steel committing more than $3 billion to create the most advanced steel-making facility in North America in Osceola, Arkansas.

Two weeks ago, I joined Commerce Secretary Mike Preston for a ribbon cutting of Lockheed Martin’s new facility in Camden. They invested more than $142 million to expand their facility by 85,000 square feet to increase production capacity for the world’s most advanced air defense missile.

In that same week, Preformed Line Products announced plans to expand operations in Rogers. They will invest $16 million to expand its Rogers facility by 82,000 square feet and plan to add 50 more employees in the coming months.

Another win for Arkansas is Veolia, which is expanding in Arkadelphia. Veolia is a global company that designs and provides water, waste, and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. In 2019 alone, Veolia Group supplied 98 million people with drinking water and 67 million people with wastewater service around the globe. Last week, they announced a $600 million investment in Arkadelphia – or specifically, Gum Springs – that will create 125 new jobs by 2024.

And then on Tuesday of this last week, Owens Corning, which produces construction materials, announced plans to expand its existing facility by 70,000 square feet. This $24.5 million investment plans to add 50 new jobs in the Fort Smith area.

Since January 2015, we have lowered taxes, reduced regulations, and increased the speed to market by cutting permitting time — all of which improve growth.

Now we are seeing historical investments with Arkansas companies expanding every week and new companies committing their resources to put down their roots in our state.  

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Taking Steps to Reduce Violent Crime

LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about the steps we are taking to reduce violent crime in Arkansas.

In 2017, there was a shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge in Little Rock. It was a senseless, violent tragedy that occurred right here in our capital city, and it caught the attention of everyone.

After that shooting, it was clear more needed to be done. We had to get a better handle on the violence here in Central Arkansas. As a result, I directed the Division of Community Correction to reinstate the Intensive Supervision Program.

This program is composed of officers who monitor high-risk parolees and probationers in Central Arkansas. The officers are able to provide closer supervision on those that have spent time in prison and released on parole and who pose a greater risk than others. Many of these people are just trying to get a second start in life, and we want to be able to help them to do that.

But we knew this would not be enough to cover the caseloads of our most at-risk offenders.

In April of this year, I announced a new expansion of the Intensive Supervision Program, which has funded 10 more officers to manage the workload of supervising of more high-risk offenders in Central Arkansas. This also expanded coverage from Pulaski County to several counties nearby, including Lonoke, Jefferson, Faulkner, and Saline.

The increase in officers, in turn, created a substantial increase in the seizures of firearms and drugs, along with arrests and new charges for parolees.

From January to April of this year, only four officers were available to handle all intensive supervision cases. In that time, there were 28 arrests and four firearm seizures. Since the addition of 10 more officers in April, there have been 109 arrests and 48 firearm seizures.

We have seen encouraging results so far, and the numbers tell the story; the more resources we put into this program, the better they can manage supervising our most at-risk parolees.

I also created the Gang Enforcement Task Force in July 2017. The task force consists of 10 participating agencies and includes authorities from the local, state, and federal levels. For the past five years, the GET Rock Task Force has worked against dangerous gangs and violent drug trafficking organizations every day.

Other steps we are taking to reduce violent crime include the prison expansion at Calico Rock. This expansion, once complete, will provide additional capacity for serious violent offenders within the Department of Corrections. At the first of the year, we had nearly 2,600 state inmates in county jails. After I directed the Department of Corrections to take steps to reduce the backup, we have dropped that number to 2,029 as of August of this year. The extra prison space at Calico Rock will further relieve the pressure on our local jails.

Due to the pandemic, there was a backlog in the state court system, with many cases not being processed. With legislative support, I allocated $1 million for supporting public defenders and prosecutors, which in turn helped move cases along.

This week, to provide more permanent relief to the court system, I have asked the General Assembly to approve $4.5 million for additional state prosecutors, and another $4.5 million for additional public defenders.

I believe the preeminent role of government is to ensure public safety, and violent crime is an issue that must be solved at the local level. But I am committed to providing every available resource to local law enforcement in Arkansas to make our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Governors Working Together

LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about a recent partnership with the state of Oklahoma. On Wednesday, I joined Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on the Oklahoma State University-Tulsa campus to sign a Memorandum of Understanding stating that we are working together to make the Arkansas-Oklahoma corridor a center of excellence in advanced mobility. This includes autonomous vehicles, drone deliveries, and electric vehicles.

Arkansas and Oklahoma already lead the nation in advanced mobility, so joining our two sandboxes of innovation together will bolster our competitiveness for the future.

The East and West coasts get a lot of attention as tech centers, but Arkansas and Oklahoma are rich with a history of leading in aviation and transportation.

From the pioneer aviator Wiley Post in Oklahoma to our own Louise Thaden, who set transcontinental speed records, we have set the pace for innovation and new modes of transportation.

This partnership will accelerate work on advanced mobility and further enhance our region’s reputation as a leader in technological innovation.

Oklahoma has been a vital economic partner to the Natural State for many decades, and this MOU will provide an opportunity for our states to continue the partnership we've experienced over the years to make our region a hub for advanced mobility.

Crossing state lines to join forces with other states' governors is not something unfamiliar. Binding our different perspectives and resources with our like-minded goals allows us to produce bigger and better results.

Earlier this year, I was joined again by Governor Stitt and Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana to establish a regional hub for the development, production, and use of clean hydrogen as fuel and manufacturing feedstock.

This is a bipartisan agreement that combines our three states to compete for funding from the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act of 2021. With the portfolios each of our states offer combined, we are competitive due to our ability to uniquely handle the production, storage and distribution, and consumption of hydrogen.

Another example of the cooperation with neighboring states is the I-49 corridor with Missouri. At the end of last year we completed the final stretch of the I-49 Missouri-Arkansas Connector. Joining forces with Missouri and Governor Mike Parson, the I-49 connecter now consists of more than 1,600 miles of roadway, connecting six states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

Another example is when a crack was discovered and shut down the I-40 bridge in Memphis in May 2021. Arkansas joined with Tennessee to fix and reopen the bridge because the closure threatened many lives and put a pause on the much-needed movement of commerce.

Governor Bill Lee and I understood the importance of the connector bridge, and we both knew we needed to act quickly. Our two teams developed a plan that emphasized a sense of urgency while keeping safety as the number one priority.

On the front of cybersecurity, Governor John Bel Edwards and I share similar views on the importance of preparing our country for the digital age. Our two states have been on the frontlines of cybersecurity education, in addition to working toward a comprehensive cybersecurity ecosystem. Good stewardship of our resources includes guarding the gates into our systems and protecting information.

States become stronger when they combine their resources and expertise, and it starts with governors who share similar goals bridging the gap.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Special Session Successes

LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about the excellent position our state is in to provide additional financial relief for Arkansans.

In December, we cut nearly $500 million in taxes which was the largest tax cut in Arkansas history. This gave the people of Arkansas some financial relief and continued my promise of cutting taxes for everyone.

But as the cost of living continues to go up, Arkansans need more money in their pockets now. Because of the work we have done to be more efficient in state government, we have created a record surplus in the last fiscal year, and it is clear the state is collecting more than it needs. This gives us the ability to provide financial relief in a time when Arkansans need it most.

Just eight months later, I have signed into law an acceleration of the historic December cuts while also signing into law funding for a new grant program to help schools better protect our children.

With the support of the Arkansas General Assembly, we have been able to lower the individual tax rate to 4.9%, which will save taxpayers a total of $295 million just this year. In 1929, the state income tax was at 5.0%. In 2014, the state income tax was at its highest level at 7%, but our reserves were empty. Less than eight years later, we will have the lowest income tax in state history since its creation, all while having more than $2 billion in state reserves. We also created a $150 nonrefundable tax credit for low- and middle-income Arkansans, saving taxpayers another $156 million this year.

This means the total individual tax relief this year alone is more than $400 million.

My other goal for this special session was to ensure our children are protected in their schools. When parents drop their children off at school, they want to have confidence their children are going to be safe. I proposed we transfer $50 million from the state surplus for the purpose of a school safety grant program. The General Assembly concurred with this plan.

At the beginning of the month, the Arkansas School Safety Commission presented an interim report to me highlighting recommendations for schools to ensure the best protections for our children.

With this grant program, we can provide funding for school districts to increase security measures on their campuses. This will benefit all schools, but especially those who need the most help meeting the recommendations.

I applaud the work of the General Assembly for putting more money back into the pockets of Arkansans and for ensuring schools have the proper resources to keep our children safe.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | My Year as Chairman of the National Governors Association

LITTLE ROCK – Two weeks ago, I passed the gavel to my successor as chair of the National Governors Association, and today I’d like to talk about my year as leader of the NGA and the opportunity to work with other governors on some of our nation’s biggest challenges.

I accepted the gavel virtually in my office at the capitol a year ago during the NGA’s annual summer meeting.

This year, we met in Maine, so I passed the gavel in person to the new chair, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

My term as chair offered the opportunity to show off Arkansas and our Computer Science Initiative, which I declared as my Chairman’s Priority. By my final day as chair, 50 governors of states and territories, which was a record, had signed the computer science education compact.

By signing, governors were committing to establish plans to expand computer science in schools and to fund the expansion so that we can create new paths to success after high school.

At the NGA summer meeting, Patrick Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, spoke about the value of our initiative. Mr. Gelsinger noted that modern life is becoming more digital, and everything digital runs on semiconductors. The manufacturing of semiconductors requires talent and money, which is why we must provide first-rate education for our young people.

He also discussed the federal CHIPS Act, which is the abbreviation for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America. The CHIPS Act would provide about $50 billion in subsidies to support the manufacture of computer chips in the United States. Congress passed the bill, the goal of which is to decrease U.S. dependence on chips that are manufactured overseas. The CHIPS Act had bipartisan support from the governors.

On my first day as chair in July 2021, I reminded my fellow governors that states are laboratories of democracy. I challenged them to innovate, determine what works best, and to share what they have learned.

I suggested that we should lead with civil discourse, respect others in our debates, and rise above party differences to work together. Those words were as relevant today as they were a year ago.

As I reflect on my term as NGA chairman, I am grateful and amazed at the opportunities I have had to serve. I grew up on a farm. My dad was a farmer, and neither of my parents graduated from college. But they gave my siblings and me opportunities they never had. Because of their sacrifice, I’ve had incredible opportunities in life.

In the public arena, I served as United States Attorney under Ronald Reagan and in the United States Congress. In the Bush administration, I served as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and undersecretary at Homeland Security. I’ve prosecuted neo-Nazis and criminal organizations. I helped guide the nation after 9-11. I returned to Arkansas, and then eight years later, I ran for governor and won.

I shared with the governors that I have attempted to follow my parents’ example and to live by their faith and work ethic. My hope is that as governors, we will inspire our young people to participate in our democracy and to understand the importance of public service.

AUDIO: A Fraught History of Abortion and Contraception in Arkansas

By Jacqueline Froelich KUAF

A century before Roe v. Wade federally legalized abortion in America, girls and women in Arkansas seeking to prevent or terminate unwanted pregnancies were often required to resort to extreme measures. Independent historian Melanie K. Welch, Ph.D. chronicles the history of contraception and abortion in Arkansas.

https://www.kuaf.com/show/ozarks-at-large/2022-07-28/a-fraught-history-of-abortion-and-contraception-in-arkansas

J. Froleich/KUAF

Lavender was a common herb consumed by women in the 19th century as an abortifacient.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Supporting our Teachers

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’s education system greatly depends on our ability to attract and retain teachers. We need to make sure the pay reflects the importance of their job and our respect for their role in shaping the lives of the next generation of leaders.

When the pandemic impacted the world, our schools were heavily burdened. Education could not waiver even during a time when things felt so uncertain.

Arkansas was one of the few states that kept schools open thanks to the amazing teachers in our state. In fact, Arkansas ranked #2 in the nation for days of in-classroom instruction during the pandemic. That puts us in front of Texas and Florida. And so, we must be able to provide for those who are willing to go on the frontlines for our children’s future.

Teacher pay has been one of my top priorities since running for Governor in 2014. Since then, we have increased the minimum teacher pay to align with many of our surrounding states.

In 2019, I signed the Teacher Enhancement Act that took our minimum pay of $31,400 and raised it to $36,000 annually by 2022.

This increase was needed for our teachers, but it is not enough. Arkansas is still ranked 48th in the country for teacher starting pay even after that increase. 88% of our school districts start teachers below a salary of $40,000. We are 14th out of 16 states in our region for minimum starting salary, and we rank 13th out 16 for average salary. Nearly 70% of all our teachers are making below $40,000 a year. 

Our goal should be to have 100% of our teachers making above $40,000. We know teachers are important, but we must show them why Arkansas is a place they’ll want to teach and live.

For that reason, we must give our school districts more resources to recruit teachers. We have seen firsthand how providing the right resources can bring growth like we’ve seen with the Computer Science initiative. 

In 2015, we started the initiative with fewer than 50 computer science teachers in Arkansas. By providing more resources and incentives, we now have more than 650 certified computer science teachers with more coming by the fall. We have gone from fewer than 1,000 students learning about computer science to more than 12,000 with that number increasing every year. 

There is a reluctance by some in the General Assembly to raise teacher salary because of the concern over a future economic downturn. We currently have over $2 billion in state reserves and our surplus.

I am confident in our future ability to fund these initiatives, but the General Assembly controls the purse strings of state government, and I respect their constitutional role. While we might not get it done this year I hope it remains a priority in the future.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Combatting Violent Crime

LITTLE ROCK – Today, I would like to talk about the national increase in violent crime, and what we are doing to combat that here in Arkansas.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world felt like it came to a halt while we dealt with the issues of public health. But violent crime did not slow down. In fact, violent crime actually increased since 2018. Homicides in Arkansas were 224 that year, but in 2020, the number was 310, an increase of 38 percent. All this is according to data from the Arkansas Crime Information Center.

Government has no greater responsibility than to assure public safety, and at the state level, we are taking several measures to address this increase in crime and the current threat to public safety.

First, we have tangibly shown our support of our law enforcement.

I signed into law a $5,000 bonus for every certified full-time police officer in the state. We raised the salaries of our state troopers and have expanded the number of positions at the Arkansas State Crime Lab to accelerate rape-kit testing. Finally, we also allocated money to enlarge the prison at Calico Rock.

The prison expansion is necessary because our local court system does not have enough flexibility or adequate space in the county jails due to the lack of space in our prison system.

This last week, based on recommendations by Secretary Solomon Graves and the Division of Community Correction, I announced the expansion of the Intensive Supervision Program.

This expansion will add officers to a team dedicated to providing a higher level of support and supervision to those who pose a higher risk of violent crimes.

These are those that have spent time in prison and were released on parole. We want them to get a second start in life, and our ultimate goal is to help them do that. But you have an element of those who pose a greater risk than others, and the design of the Intensive Supervision Program is to focus on those high-risk offenders.

I have asked the General Assembly to approve $1 million in funding for this initiative. It will cover new positions at a five-county area in Central Arkansas. This initiative will help keep our streets safter and curb violent crime.

It is a dangerous but important time to be in law enforcement as violent crime is on the increase. Our need to support the men and women who put their lives at risk increases every day.

I want officers to know we support them, and we want to make their job as safe as it can be.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | The Masketeers of Mountain Home

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LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about two doctors and the mask-making company they started in Mountain Home.

Dr. Rob Conner, a veterinarian, and Dr. Kyle McAlister, a radiologist, created The Masketeers early in the COVID-19 pandemic because masks were hard to find.

They made it their mission to find a supply of adequate face masks to protect themselves, their employees, and Mountain Home. Their solution was to launch a company to make them.

Since The Masketeers went into full production last January, the company has sold over 2 million masks, selling them in all 50 states and worldwide on the six inhabited continents.

Their route to opening is a good guide for entrepreneurs. Their success is encouraging to anyone with similar dreams.

As with many successful companies, the doctors founded theirs to meet an urgent need, which was a face mask that would protect people from COVID-19.

They designed and manufacture a high-filtration mask, which is a respirator mask similar to the N95.

The Masketeers produces 30,000 masks per eight-hour shift, but the small company can ramp up production to three shifts, seven days a week if the demand increases.

The Masketeers buys its nonwoven material from a company in Ohio. The material for ear loops comes from North Carolina, and the plastic-coated wires that fit over the nose are from California.

The production of protective equipment in Mountain Home, Arkansas, is an ideal model for our country. As a nation, we must be able to manufacture our own products and not depend upon foreign suppliers.

The young man who oversees The Masketeers’s team of 10 employees is 23-year-old Hunt Nosari, who grew up in Mountain Home. Hunt returned to his hometown after he earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Arkansas.

Although there has been some confusion over the past two years about the importance of masking, there is no question that a tight-fitting respirator-style mask can slow the transmission of COVID-19. The Biden administration announced this week that it will send 400 million N95 masks to pharmacies and community centers to distribute free next week.

This is an important message as the number of actives cases continues to set records in Arkansas. The vaccine and masks remain the best weapons to fight COVID-19.

Thanks to The Masketeers and Dr. Rob Conner and Dr. Kyle McAlister for helping to slow the pandemic and for building a template for other entrepreneurs.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Overcoming a Year of Challenges

LITTLE ROCK – As we close out another tough year, I’d like to praise the 3 million people who call Arkansas home. Arkansans always are the first to arrive, they give all they have, and they don’t leave until the job is done. During this last year, Arkansas has had its share of challenges, and we have faced each one with determination and compassion.

This year, thousands of people have been stepping up as we continue to navigate the pandemic: first responders, health care professionals, educators, business owners, and volunteers who sewed masks and distributed them out of their homes.

And then in February, we had one of the snowiest months in our history. The entire population of Pea Ridge lost natural gas. Gurdon’s twenty-one inches of snow was the most in the state, and in Little Rock, the fifteen inches tied a 103-year-old record. Just as you would expect, Arkansans complied with the requests from utility companies to reduce consumption of natural gas and electricity. Crews spent a week away from home, working in the cold to clear roads. Power company linemen tromped through snowy woods and climbed ice-covered poles to restore electricity. Police officers rescued drivers and worked dozens of accidents on slick roads.

And then came the tornadoes this last month. Three weeks ago, I visited communities where tornadoes had destroyed homes, businesses, and a nursing home. In Monette, the nursing home staff stood between windows and their residents. Some used mattresses to protect them. In Trumann, volunteers ran out of room for storing donations.

As I toured the towns, we addressed practical matters to ensure they had food, water, and a place to shelter.  But mostly I listened. They’ve lost homes. They’ve lost memories. They expressed heartache, and it was important for me to hear their story. There’s heartache today. There’s going to be heartache a month from now, but they will rebuild.

Before Christmas, the president had approved my request for a federal disaster declaration in the counties where the tornadoes struck, and I am grateful for his quick response and for the financial assistance this will mean for the individual homeowners who lost so much.

In every crisis our state has endured, Arkansans have set aside their convenience and personal comfort to help. The disasters that strike our state don’t define us. We have defined ourselves as compassionate and generous in the midst of challenge. 

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Firsthand Perspective from the Southern Border

LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about my recent trip to the southern border of Texas. General Kendall Penn, Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard, joined me for a visit with members of the Arkansas National Guard who are in Texas to support Operation Lone Star. They are doing a fantastic job for our state and nation. We also went on a fast boat inspection of the Rio Grande River and received a briefing from the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol in the Rio Grande sector. 

The issues at the border are familiar to me. When President Bush appointed me as Undersecretary in the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, one of my tasks was to oversee security of our southern border. The problems were challenges 20 years ago. But the current number of illegal crossings and apprehensions, the volume of illegal drugs seized, and the human trafficking are far worse than we’ve ever seen, especially in Texas.

Under Operation Lone Star, there have been nearly 7,000 arrests and nearly 150,000 illegal aliens that have been apprehended and referred to federal immigration authorities. And then Border Patrol apprehensions and seizures are on top of those numbers.

We have a crisis at the border. It is a humanitarian crisis, a border-security crisis, and a public health crisis all rolled into a national security threat. It’s never been worse than it is right now. Any time you have migrants coming across our border from scores of countries, waiting for the right moment and then successfully coming in, this is not a closed border.

Until January, U.S. border policy had controlled the flow of illegal crossings and drugs. But those policies were reversed, and that puts all of us at risk, especially those who live along the border in Texas and Arizona. We must change our policy in order to regain control.

I was one of 26 governors who signed a letter requesting a meeting with President Biden to discuss the crisis. After three weeks, the President has not responded. On Wednesday, nine other governors joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott for a press conference to demand federal action to control the border.

Governor Abbott has allocated more than a billion dollars to continue building the wall along the Texas border and to initiate other measures to protect his state.

The illegal immigration and drug smuggling is a national problem. Those who cross illegally don’t remain in Texas and neither do the drugs. They are coming into Arkansas and all over the United States. Every state has an interest in bringing this under control.

Late Monday night, we took a boat tour along a section of the Rio Grande River that is a hotspot for smugglers. Then we hiked through the brush on the Texas side of the river. The people who patrol at night work in total darkness and rely on night-vision goggles.

Arkansas is doing its part as we are asked. The men and women from the Arkansas National Guard who deployed in July are doing an incredible job of maintaining vehicles for the Texas National Guard.

My trip was useful as I saw firsthand the enormity of the challenge along our border and to personally thank the men and women who serve our country as Border Patrol agents and as National Guard members.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Taking Arkansas’s Computer Science Education Initiative to the Nation

LITTLE ROCK – I became chair of the National Governors Association in July, and today I’d like to talk about this as an opportunity for Arkansas to inspire other states with our focus on computer science education.

Each chair of the NGA is allowed to launch a Chairman’s Initiative. Today at the National Press Club in Washington, I announced that during my year as Chair, I will showcase Arkansas’s successful computer science education initiative as a model for others.

NGA’s tradition of bringing governors together dates back to 1908 when President Teddy Roosevelt invited governors to Washington to discuss conservation issues.

President Roosevelt knew that to improve conservation practices in the United States, he needed the support of the governors. In the same fashion, Arkansas has the chance to increase our leadership role in computer science education.

As we emerge from the pandemic, governors are concerned about the shortage of employees. This was the perfect opportunity to share with others what we have learned about strengthening the workforce with a robust computer science education foundation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by 2029, the number of computer science and information technology jobs will grow by 11 percent. Computing occupations are currently the top source of new wages in the United States. A computer science major can earn up to 40 percent more than the average college graduate.

There are over 410,000 open computing jobs nationwide, and there aren’t enough qualified people to fill the jobs. The global competition for talent is intensifying, which is why it is so important for the United States to step up computer science education. If Arkansas companies can’t fill their openings with homegrown talent, they will recruit elsewhere. The story is the same nationally.

Computer science courses are mandatory for students in 44 countries, but in the United States, only 47 percent of high schools offer computer science. Only three states require all students take at least one computer science class in order to graduate.

In Arkansas, we were the first state to require all schools to offer at least one class, and we are one of the three states that requires a computer science credit to graduate.

The education of computer science reaches beyond coding. Young people who take computer science perform better on AP calculus exams than students without computer science. Even as early as elementary school, students who study computer science outperform their peers in reading and writing. Digital literacy is the foundation our nation needs to succeed in the high-tech economy of the 21st-century in everything from logistics to farming to national security.

In Arkansas, we have been increasing the options for a high-tech education, and now, thanks to Teddy Roosevelt’s vision to gather governors, we have the opportunity to tell our story to the rest of the nation.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Enriching Lives with Arkansas Rice

LITTLE ROCK – September is National Rice Month, Arkansas produces more rice than any other state, and an Arkansas family farm recently sold their rice to China, the first shipment from an Arkansas grower ever. Today, I’d like to talk about ... rice.

We’ll start with rice by the numbers. Arkansas produces more than 48 percent of the rice grown in the United States. Arkansas’s No. 1 agricultural export is rice, which is valued at $722 million. Rice grows in more than 40 counties in Arkansas, with Arkansas County growing the most rice in the state. Arkansas has 1,877 rice farms, and 97 percent of those farms are family owned and operated. In 2021, Arkansas farmers grew approximately 1.2 million acres of rice with an estimated yield of 167 bushels per acre. That is a lot of rice.

Arkansas produces predominately a long-grain rice on 1.1 million acres, but we also produce a small amount of medium grain and short grain rice. And the state’s rice industry donates nearly 170,000 pounds of rice a year to the less fortunate in Arkansas, which is more than a million servings of rice.

The family from Atkins that just announced its sale of rice to China has been farming for 10 generations – from Scotland in the 1700s, to Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kansas. In 1957, Charles and Grace Ralston moved their farming to Arkansas, six years before Tim Ralston was born. Tim and his wife, Robin, now own and operate Ralston Family Farms.

For the first fifty years in Arkansas, the Ralstons raised soybeans, corn, cattle, and a few acres of rice. When the local water district made water from the Arkansas River available, the Ralstons turned to rice. Eight members of the family – from 25 years old to 58 – work the farm, where they do everything from planting to milling to packaging and distributing their rice. Last year, they raised 4,000 acres or rice, and their ability to track their rice from planting to the shipping appeals to the Chinese grocery distributor who bought the Ralston rice in July. Their first commercial shipment to China was 20 metric tons of long grain rice, which arrived in July, and a second shipment is  en route.

As of today, about 20 percent of the Ralstons’ crop is in, and they expect to complete the harvest in early October. The Ralstons’ rice is sold in every state and in about 6,000 stores. They eat rice at least once a day, and at church potlucks, everyone knows there will be at least one rice dish on the table.

The Ralstons embody the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that has fueled so many companies in Arkansas. They saw a need and an opportunity, and this year they made history by selling their product to China.

The Ralstons’ rice is more than a commodity, and growing rice is more than a job. When they exported that first shipment to China in July, they were shipping a piece of their heart and their heritage. The rice raised in the Arkansas soil will enrich lives in China, and perhaps shrink the distance between our nations and our cultures. Everybody loves rice, and it’s a good development for the state’s rice growers and the Ralstons to imagine that at a potluck supper, someone will bring a casserole made with Ralston Rice from the Natural State.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Every Day Counts for Children Waiting to be Adopted

LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about Every Day Counts, the three-month initiative of the Division of Children and Family Services and Project Zero to focus on finding adoptive families for children in Arkansas’s foster care systen.

As with everything else in life, COVID-19 hurt some of the good work we were doing in the adoption system. The courts shut down, and as a result, the number of children waiting to be adopted has increased over the past 18 months because we were not able to place them in permanent homes as quickly. The Department of Human Services conducted much of its business virtually.

To make up the lost time,  the Division of Children and Family Services and Project Zero developed the Every Day Counts campaign to emphasize the urgency of finding a home for these children. These 349 kids waiting for adoption are in foster care through no fault of their own. Every day a child spends in foster care is one day too many.

Of the 349 children, DHS has identified 162 children of them who are near adoption and hope to move them into their forever families during the ninety-day campaign.

One of the many heroes of the campaign is Christie Erwin, who founded the non-profit Project Zero ten years ago with the goal of reducing the number of children in need of adoption to zero. Christie and her husband have fostered more than fifty children and adopted two.

Christie dreams that Arkansas could be the first state without a single child waiting for adoption. She dreams of the day that instead of a waiting list with children’s names, the list will have families waiting to adopt with no children available.

On Wednesday, Christie helped throw a Sweet 16 birthday party for Dwynea, who is in the foster care system. A news crew from TV station KARK broadcast a story about the party. A photo of Dwynea and a short video about her are among the dozens of stories on Project Zero’s Arkansas Heart Gallery.

The Heart Gallery is one of Project Zero’s most important tools in finding adoptive families. Christie tells the story of a young man whose story on the Heart Gallery didn’t attract much notice. But one year, a couple who had seen his story went to an event for foster children and prospective parents with the intention of meeting him. They recognized him, spent the evening with him, and eventually adopted him.

Christie said that to see him adopted into a family after six years in a state facility and pull his life together and graduate from high school was a very special moment.

The Every Day Counts campaign will put short films about each of the children and teens waiting to be adopted on its Arkansas Heart Gallery so that families can hear their stories in their own voice.

During July and August, sixty-two children were moved to their forever families, and we hope to make even more progress in the next three months.  

In Project Zero’s math, one plus one equals zero. Place one child with one family enough times and eventually the number of children on the waiting list will be zero. I often refer to my goal of improving the quality of life for all Arkansans. That is a long-term ambition. Adoption is a way to improve the quality of life for one Arkansan – a child – right now.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | A Thousand Deep: Reflections of 9/11

LITTLE ROCK – On September 11, 2001, I had just taken charge as administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. For today’s weekly address, we are offering a shortened version of A Thousand Deep: Asa Hutchinson Remembers 9.11 which is a video with my reflections about the day of the 9/11 attacks and the valor of America's response.

***

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was strapped into a National Guard plane that lifted off into an empty sky from the Albuquerque airport. The scene was the same around the nation. Within hours after a 33-year-old Egyptian terrorist crashed a Boeing 767 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, the FAA had stopped all air travel over the United States.

At 7 that morning, I was preparing to leave my hotel in Albuquerque when I heard the first report that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Only a month earlier, on the nomination of President George W. Bush, I had taken the job as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. I had traveled to New Mexico for a public debate with Governor Gary Johnson about drug policy.

My staff and members of my security team understood quickly that we wouldn’t be returning to Washington on a commercial flight. We went to the Albuquerque DEA office. We sent out word to all of the field divisions to work their informants for any hint of a further attack.

By the time we had secured a National Guard plane and pilot to take us to Washington, 29-year-old Arkansan Sara Low was already among the victims. Sara, a native of Batesville, was an attendant on Flight 11, the first plane to crash into the World Trade Center. Malissa White-Higgins, born and raised in Bald Knob, Arkansas, worked in human resources for Marsh & McLennan on the 99th floor of the North Tower. She died after the plane struck.

***

We evacuated the DEA offices in Washington, which were directly across the street from the Pentagon. Several DEA employees had seen American Airlines Flight 77 crash into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., nearly an hour after the first crash.

Navy Operations Specialist Second Class Nehamon Lyons, the third Arkansan to die on 9/11, was killed in the assault on the Pentagon. He was born in Pine Bluff in March 1971. He was 30.

***

As our plane entered Washington airspace that evening, a fighter jet accompanied us to a military facility. At the smoke-filled DEA headquarters, I gathered with my executive staff. I had been on the job for a little over a month, and my job was changing dramatically. The DEA was pivoting from the war on drugs to the war on terrorism. Our agents across the country were watching for any tip about another attack.

I went home about midnight.

***

A week or so after the attack, Attorney General John Ashcroft called a meeting of the Justice Department in the Justice Department Command Center. Attorney General Ashcroft said: “I’ve just been told by the President of the United States, ‘Don’t let this happen again.’ I’ve got to expect more from each of you. You’ve got to expect more from all of your people. You’ve got to work longer hours. You’ve got to work harder. We’ve got to do everything we can to make sure there is not another attack. We’ve got to change from prosecution to prevention. If you are not willing to carry out that responsibility, say so now, and get up and walk out.”

***

The terrorists and their sponsors hoped to destroy the United States. Although they killed nearly 3,000 people, our enemies learned that they had mistaken America’s kindness, generosity, and compassion for weakness. In the same way that many of our enemies before them have underestimated our strength, the attackers mistakenly believed that they could deliver a sharp blow, and America would falter.

The terrorists did, indeed, strike a grievous blow. But as the world knows, their mission failed. Utterly and completely.

***

The 9/11 attack brought out the best in Americans, from our next-door neighbors, first responders, elected officials, and law enforcement at all levels. Twenty years later, I am still amazed, but not surprised, at the dedication of DEA employees.

As the administration and the FAA talked about how to get our planes flying again, we knew we needed to enlarge our Air Marshal Program. I sent out a directive to DEA employees asking for volunteers to work as a sky marshal.  We needed a hundred.

We got four hundred.

DEA employees lined up – a thousand deep. That’s a powerful message and a forceful discouragement to our enemies. When America is called to stand against evil, we will line up on the front lines a thousand deep.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Special Session and Vaccines

LITTLE ROCK – This week, I issued a call for a special session of the General Assembly, and today I’d like to explain why my action was necessary.

In the spring, I signed Act 1002, a law that prohibits a government agency from establishing a mask mandate. That made sense to me at the time because I oppose any government-issued statewide mask requirement. And now we have vaccines available. Also, at the time, the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths and hospitalizations was very low. In other words, we were coming out of the pandemic nicely. But as happens in life, everything changed.

The Delta variant, which is more transmissible than previous variants, arrived, and our cases, hospitalizations, and COVID-related deaths increased. It became clear to me that the law needed to change, and I actually said I regret signing the bill. That statement created somewhat of a firestorm, but it is important for leaders to adapt and change strategies when the facts change – particularly when you are in an emergency. 

With public schools opening for in-person instruction this month, I decided we needed to enact exceptions to Act 1002 to give schools some flexibility regarding face masks in congregate settings, and this should be limited to those students under twelve years of age. This was necessary because those under twelve are not eligible for a vaccine.

I convened the General Assembly to make this limited exception in order to provide more protection for those under twelve, and the law would leave the final decision in the hands of the local school board.

Pursuant to my call, the General Assembly met and considered the exception but failed to act. This leaves us all with the urgent need to get more of our students, teachers, parents, and community vaccinated. If we can’t provide life-saving vaccines to those under twelve, then we have to form layers of protection around them.

So that will be my focus in the coming days. Perhaps you will join me in one of my Community COVID Conversations – or Town Halls – to respectfully discuss how we can stop this virus with more vaccinations.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Summer Reading List: History, Biography, and a Novel

LITTLE ROCK – Since the days I was taking out Hardy Boys mysteries from the Gravette School Library, I have always been in the middle of reading a book or two. The First Lady and I read to our children and our grandchildren. I encourage families to keep books at home to read aloud and to encourage children to read on their own. A primary education goal for my administration has been to raise the level of literacy in Arkansas, which is why in 2017 we launched the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence or R.I.S.E. The goal of R.I.S.E. is to create a culture of reading in our state.

Our reading initiative also focuses on the science of reading, which is phonics, and making sure every child reads at grade level, and if they fall behind, to help them catch up.

When it comes to books, biographies and books of history are my favorites, and today I’d like to mention the books that are on my short list to read this summer.

And so the first on my list is a book about Harry Truman. It is called Dewey Defeats Truman. In his book, the author, A.J. Baime, notes at least one similarity between the elections of 1948 and 2016. I will let you read and figure out the similarity.

The second book is included on the list since this is the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attack on the United States. It is called The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett Graff. It is a book I wanted to read as we should never forget the attack and the resiliency of Americans.

My list also includes books by a couple of Arkansans. The Long Shadow of Little Rock, Daisy Bates’s memoir, which is her account of the events that we know as the Little Rock Crisis. Daisy Bates’s story and courage should inspire us all.

The one book of fiction on my list is a novel titled A Noble Calling by Rhona Weaver, who lives in West Little Rock. Her husband is retired FBI agent Bill Temple.

The story is a character-driven mystery that Rhona set in Yellowstone National Park. The star of the story is a young man from Heber Springs who played football at the University of Arkansas before he became an FBI agent. Rhona has named him Win Tyler, and the books involves intrigue that goes all the way to Russia.

And then I recommend the book called The Man Who Ran Washington by Peter Baker. It is about the life of former Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury James Baker. If you like the inside story of the White House during the Reagan and Bush years, this is a must-read.

That’s enough reading to occupy me at least until Labor Day.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | COVID Conversations

LITTLE ROCK – Last Thursday was the first of my Community COVID Conversations in Cabot, and I am so grateful for the crowd who attended and filled every seat with the overflow left standing along the walls. The time was well spent with citizens asking questions and providing ideas as to how to overcome the hesitancy of some in getting vaccinated. 

Let me describe the challenge we face. One month ago, our active COVID cases had declined along with our hospitalizations. We were increasing our vaccinations across the state, and we were very optimistic about the return to normalcy.

And then during the last month, we saw our rate of vaccinations stall at about 40 percent, and the Delta variant showed up, a right-left punch that has led to a dramatic increase in the daily number of new COVID cases, along with an increase in hospitalizations.

Someone at the Cabot meeting suggested we offer more incentives to encourage people to take the vaccine, but the success of the incentives we’ve already offered was limited. The fishing licenses and lottery tickets we offered were worth a try, but we learned that the incentive wasn’t effective in changing the mind of someone who isn’t already inclined to get a vaccination.

The most powerful incentive is the reality that if Arkansas doesn’t significantly increase its rate of vaccinations, we won’t be getting rid of COVID-19 and its spinoffs anytime soon.

The best incentive is to appeal to the hearts of Arkansans with the fact that taking the vaccination is the best way to  protect family and friends. Education is our most powerful tool.

In Arkansas, we have chosen the path of personal responsibility. The state is wide open. We aren’t mandating masks or vaccinations. We know what we must do, and for the most part, Arkansans have done the hard work. The big task before us now is to vaccinate more Arkansans.

But there is good news and reason for optimism.  The three vaccines are effective against all the COVID variants, including the Delta variant. The vaccine reduces the symptoms in those who do catch it; 90 percent of those who get the vaccine are not hospitalized, and the vaccine cuts the chance of death to almost zero. More than 50 percent of the population of Bradley County has been fully vaccinated.  In the coming weeks, I expect more counties to reach that interim goal that I set, and then we can go up from there.

Next week, I will hold COVID Community Conversations in Batesville, Blytheville, the Forrest City/Marianna area, and Texarkana.  My hope is that Arkansans, as they always do, will rise to the challenge, overcome the objections to the vaccine, and help us beat the pandemic so we can quit having these COVID conversations.