Representative French Hill announces recipients of the 2024 Education Achievement Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today announced the high school recipients of his 2024 Education Achievement Award. There were 38 honorees throughout central Arkansas this year.

“I am proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Education Achievement Award. These bright students have worked tirelessly towards success in their studies and in their communities. I am inspired by the success and determination shown by each of these students and I wish them the best in all their future endeavors.” 

2024 Education Awards:

 Kady Beth Jacks (Bauxite High School), Caden Treat (Bauxite High School), Isabel Butler (Benton High School), Kaleb Marshall (Benton High School), Bennett Wilson (Bigelow High School), Maricka Farr (Bryant High School), Cole Giompoletti (Bryant High School), Laiken Cornett (Concord High School), Josey Sutherland (Concord High School), Annalise Montgomery (Conway High School), Avery Ferguson (Conway High School), Matthew Vano (Episcopal Collegiate), Willow Wagner (Episcopal Collegiate), Chanley Wood (Greenbrier High School), Kyla Hinton (Greenbrier High School), Lexie Wells (Harmony Grove High School), Tristen Hogan (Harmony Grove High School), Yahya Younus (Little Rock Central High School), Jadon Sanders (Little Rock Central High School), Khushi Patil (Little Rock Central High School), Ally Ballard (Little Rock Christian Academy), Kaiden Fox (Little Rock Christian Academy), Christian McGill (Maumelle Charter High School), Kerrigan Quast (Maumelle Charter High School), Bailey Mason (Maumelle High School), Victoria Barksdale (Mayflower High School), Aarya Patel (Morrilton High School), Julie Russell (Morrilton High School), Annabelle Angtuaco (Mount St. Mary Academy), Elizabeth Hunter (Mount St. Mary Academy), Rylee Ramsey (Pangburn High School), Cole Ramsey (Pangburn High School), Macey Chambers (Perryville High School), Zava Payne (Perryville High School), Jack Lowenthal (Pulaski Academy), Brooke Beckemeyer (Pulaski Academy), Reid Brafford (Shirley High School), Abigail Hensley (Shirley High School). 

Further Background:

 The Education Achievement Award is available to one senior and one junior from each high school in the Second Congressional District, nominated by either their counselor or principal. This award is designed to recognize those students who have shown a commitment to high academic achievement, as well as contributions to their schools and communities. Students were selected based on these qualifications: 

• Academics: Achievement of at least 3.5/4.0 GPA (or the equivalent)

• Community Service: Demonstrated commitment to the betterment of one’s community through projects with, for example, Scouting groups, Student Government Association, other volunteer organizations, etc.

• Leadership & Teamwork: Demonstrated leadership and teamwork through, for example, extracurricular activities such as athletic teams, school clubs, etc.

Crypto company wins judgment in lawsuit against Arkansas County

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A settlement has been reached in a case between Arkansas County and Jones Digital, LLC, a company which owns a cryptocurrency mine in DeWitt.

On Wednesday, the county agreed to a consent decree allowing the mine to resume operations and ordering the county to pay $90,000. This comes as two new laws regulating cryptocurrency mining in Arkansas passed in the state legislature.

Nearby residents allege the mine is loud and has unclear ties to foreign governments. Last October, the Arkansas County Quorum Court attempted to pass an ordinance banning noise above 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night. Jones Digital then sued the county, represented by Little Rock-based law firm Wright Lindsey Jennings.

Crypto company wins judgment in lawsuit against Arkansas County

Broader DNA and genetic testing to be requested in West Memphis Three case

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Pam Hobbs had one more motherly task to perform for her 8-year-old son, Stevie Branch. He along with his two friends, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore, were murdered May 5, 1993, in West Memphis. His lifeless body was at the funeral home, but he still needed her.

He needed socks. With tears in her eyes, Pam Hobbs said she slipped them onto her only boy. At that moment, she had no clue as to who ended her son’s life.

Advanced DNA testing may finally reveal who took Stevie’s, Christopher’s and Michael’s lives.

Broader DNA and genetic testing to be requested in West Memphis Three case

Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr., were convicted of the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis in 1993.

Pride parade, festival coming to SoMa

KUAR | By Maggie Ryan

Little Rock's SoMa neighborhood is kicking off June with a day of festivities celebrating the LGBTQ+ community. It’s the first time the nonprofit Central Arkansas Pride is organizing a parade in June, or Pride Month. For years, the nonprofit has held pride celebrations in October during LGBTQ history month.

Joe Johnson is communications director for Central Arkansas Pride. In his eyes, the addition of a parade in June ties in to their mission of celebrating pride “365 days a year.”

“This is really a groundbreaking event for Central Arkansas, particularly in Little Rock.'' Johnson said. “We’re actually able to realize an LGBTQIA celebration during Pride Month.”

Pride parade, festival coming to SoMa

Image by Hanyang Zhang

Marchers unfurl a rainbow flag at the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington, D.C., in June.

Boozman, Tim Scott introduce resolution condemning campus Anitsemitism

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced a resolution to condemn the recent explosion of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, call out university presidents who have enabled and refused to take action against this antisemitism and urge the Biden Department of Education to take necessary actions to ensure that colleges and universities are complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students.

“College and university administrators as well as the Biden administration have a duty to protect Jewish students on campus and forcefully condemn the antisemitism and hate on display across too many higher education institutions. There is no excuse for half-hearted efforts or stalling. I’m proud to join Sen. Scott and our colleagues in standing up for Israel and the Jewish Americans who deserve this basic protection,” Boozman said.

“Antisemitism is rearing its ugly head at college campuses across our nation. Jewish students are being targeted with violence and harassment, and the university presidents and administrators, who should be defending them, are caving to the radical mob and allowing chaos to spread,” said Scott. “Every Jewish student has the right to attend class, study, and walk campus safely. The ‘adults’ who refuse to uphold that right must be held accountable.”

The resolution is cosponsored by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL) and Thom Tillis (R-NC).

The full text of the resolution can be found here.

1 in 5 Arkansas children lost Medicaid during ‘unwinding’ process, report finds

KUAR | By Mary Hennigan / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

About 20% of children insured in Arkansas’ Medicaid program lost access during the state’s “unwinding” period, according to a report released Thursday from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

“Arkansas did move very aggressively, and I think you can see that reflected in their losses,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown organization.

In six months, the Arkansas Department of Human Services disenrolled 184,500 people from Medicaid; more than half, 94,000, were children.

The report, which analyzed every state’s performance during the unwinding as of December 2023, ranked Arkansas with the sixth highest percentage decline in Medicaid coverage for kids. Arkansas’ rate more than doubled the nationwide average of 10%.

1 in 5 Arkansas children lost Medicaid during ‘unwinding’ process, report finds

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Jasmine James, third from left, talks about her experiences with Medicaid during an event held Friday in front of DHS offices in Little Rock. A group called Make Medicaid Better gathered in front of the Department of Human services offices in downtown Little Rock Friday morning to seek a response from the department about changes to Medicaid the group had suggested to DHS in an earlier meeting.

The Supply Side: Online grocery sales expected to reach $204.61B in 2024

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

According to market research firm eMarketer, U.S. digital grocery sales will grow 11.5% to reach $204.61 billion this year. And there’s still room for growth, as digital grocery will represent just 13% of total grocery retail sales in 2024.

The eMarketer data indicated that the share of online grocery sales peaked at 18.7% of sales in 2022 amid the pandemic. Grocery e-commerce sales totaled $183.56 billion last year and comprised 15% of total sales.

Separate reports from Mercatus/Brick Meets Click indicate that during the first quarter of 2024, online grocery sales totaled $24.4 billion, down 3.55% from $25.3 billion a year ago. The March report indicated online grocery sales were flat to a year ago, but February sales were down 8% year over year, while January sales were up 1.8%.

The Supply Side: Online grocery sales expected to reach $204.61B in 2024

Canfor acquires El Dorado lumber facility for $73 million

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Canfor Corporation has entered into a purchase agreement with Resolute El Dorado Inc., an affiliate of Domtar Corporation, to acquire its El Dorado lumber manufacturing facility in Union County, Ark. The facility produces dimensional lumber and specialty wood products.

According to a company release, the transaction is a $73 million acquisition. Canfor said it plans to invest $50 million in planned upgrades. Production capacity is expected to increase to 175 million board feet per year.

“The El Dorado mill is an important part of the regional forest ecosystem. Together with Canfor’s adjacent El Dorado Laminating Plant and nearby Urbana Plant, this acquisition aligns with our growth-focused strategy in areas with access to high-quality globally competitive timber supply,” said Lee Goodloe, President of Canfor Southern Pine. “The talented team at the mill is one of the many reasons that we pursued this opportunity, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Canfor team.”

Canfor acquires El Dorado lumber facility for $73 million

Major Arkansas row crops seeing rapid planting across state

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — You could be forgiven for wondering who fired the starting pistol so early.

WITH A QUICKNESS — Row crop planting in Arkansas is racing ahead at a rate not seen in the last five years, with more than 83 percent of rice acres already planted — nearly double the five-year average for this point in the season. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Row crop planting in Arkansas is racing ahead at a rate not seen in the last five years. According to an April 29 U.S. Department of Agriculture report, 83 percent of the state’s planned rice acreage had been planted — nearly double the five-year average for this point in the season.

Arkansas soybeans are even further ahead of expectations, with 56 percent of planned acreage already planted, compared with the five-year average of 23 percent normally planted in the last week of April. The state’s corn crop, too, is racing ahead of its five-year average, with 81 percent of planned acreage already in the ground.

Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the roots of the 2024 season’s rapid pace lay in the relatively dry winter that preceded it.

“We’re on a sort of parallel to last year’s planting season,” Hardke said. “Growers were able to complete an enormous amount of field preparation over the winter months, and as soon as the early planting window opened up, they hit the ground running.”

Of course, that parallel carries a certain burden. While Arkansas growers enjoyed near-record rice yields last year, a region-wide “traffic jam” between harvesters and mills caused much of that yield to suffer in quality, as high heat and humidity took their toll on grain kernels as they languished in the fields.

Hardke said that while the weather, regardless of the season, is beyond human control, growers almost always benefit from early planting.

“Early planting gives you the best chance of maximizing yields,” he said. “If you have an opportunity to plant and you choose not to, it’s a gamble. For all we know, it’s going to start raining and never really let up for the rest of the spring. Take advantage of the windows you’re given.

“Northeast counties have received low rainfall this spring and an elongated planting window, while as you move southward, rain amounts have been increasingly higher and planting windows fewer and further between,” Hardke said.

With so many different crops going into the ground at once, producers may find themselves with serious time management challenges come harvest time.

“As we break the traditional mold of planting corn, then rice, then beans, we’re going to have to be flexible and responsive in terms of our stages of management,” Hardke said. “My best advice is to start harvest on the early side so that more of the overall harvest is within the optimal timing.”

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

ARPQC Launches Website to Provide Information About Maternity Care Services, Initiatives

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ARPQC), a partnership launched last year between the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the Arkansas Department of Health and 34 birthing hospitals across the state, launched its new website recently, creating a hub for patients and health care providers alike to access pivotal information related to maternal health care in Arkansas.

The site, arpqc.org, houses information about the collaborative, provides education to help patients make informed health care decisions and includes resources for health care providers.

The ARPCQ’s mission is to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality in Arkansas. Between 2018 and 2020, 38 women in Arkansas died from pregnancy-related causes. According to the state’s review panel of medical experts, more than 90% of these deaths were potentially preventable.

ARPQC Launches Website to Provide Information About Maternity Care Services, Initiatives

Lawmakers approve voter registration signature rule

From the Arkansas Advocate:

An Arkansas legislative committee on Thursday reviewed and approved an emergency rule that permits electronic signatures on voter registration applications only when they’re completed at certain state agencies.

The Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners last week gave initial approval to the rule, which requires paper registration applications to include a “wet signature,” meaning an applicant signs with a pen.

Board Director Chris Madison told the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Executive Subcommittee on Thursday that the rule was designed to create consistency because electronic signatures were being accepted by some county clerks and rejected by others.

Lawmakers approve voter registration signature rule

Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate

Rep. Bruce Cozart (L) and Sen. Terry Rice (R) listen to Arkansas Board of Election Commissioner Director Chris Madison discuss a new voter registration rule during a legislative committee meeting on May 2, 2024.

AG sues over Biden Administration efforts to close ‘gun show loophole’

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

Arkansas’ attorney general is heading up a legal challenge to the Biden Administration’s attempt to close what’s known as the “gun show loophole.”

Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Wednesday he’s leading a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging a new rule proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The rule would require thousands more firearm dealers to obtain licenses and run background checks on potential buyers.

In a press conference Wednesday, Griffin said the Biden Administration overstepped its authority in making the rule.

AG sues over Biden Administration efforts to close ‘gun show loophole’

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Efforts by the federal government to close the so-called “gun show loophole” are the target of a lawsuit by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

Windstream, Uniti reunite in $13.4 billion merger

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Privately-held Windstream and publicly-traded Uniti Group – two Little Rock-based companies that once were a combined entity – are reuniting in a proposed $13.4 billion merger.

Uniti Group, then known as CS&L, spun off from Windstream when it was a publicly-traded company nearly a decade ago. Uniti is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns wireless towers and fiber operations, while Windstream is a telecommunications and broadband company with with heavy operations in the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. The two entities went through years of litigation over contract arrangements, a move that contributed to Windstream’s reorganization bankruptcy in the late 2010’s. Windstream is Uniti’s largest customer.

The new deal, which has been approved by both company’s board of directors, brings the companies back together. The transaction factors in about $4.4 billion in company revenues, $8 billion in corporate debt, $425 million in cash, and $575 million in preferred equity.

Windstream, Uniti reunite in $13.4 billion merger

Severe Weather Briefing for Arkansas from the National Weather Service in Little Rock

• There is a potential for severe weather today through Wednesday. The greatest risk of severe storms in Arkansas will be on Wednesday.

• In the near term, an outbreak of severe weather is expected in the Plains today. A line of strong/severe storms will approach northwest Arkansas tonight, but should weaken as it progresses into the state during the predawn hours Tuesday. Additional isolated to scattered thunderstorms will pop up Tuesday afternoon, but any severe weather will be spotty.

• Chances for severe weather will increase Wednesday as a storm system tracks from the southern Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley, and drags a cold front into Arkansas. Ahead of the front, well above average temperatures and humid conditions will create a very unstable environment. All modes of severe weather are in play, including tornadoes. Heavy downpours may lead to localized flash flooding.

Walmart shutters 51 health centers and ends virtual care service

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Walmart’s experiment in the muddled healthcare sector ended abruptly Tuesday (April 30) when the retailer reversed course and announced it is closing healthcare centers and ending its virtual care service.

The 51 Walmart Health centers are across five states, including two in Northwest Arkansas and one in Fort Smith. A timeline for closing was not disclosed.

Walmart launched its health centers in 2019 and said the five years brought meaningful lessons, pivoting, and trying to evolve ways to help customers better navigate primary care. However, the “challenging reimbursement environment and escalating operating costs” made the venture unsustainable for the retail giant.

Walmart shutters 51 health centers and ends virtual care service

A Walmart Health Clinic coming to Rogers at Store No. 1 at 2110 W. Walnut Street.

Judge hears arguments in suit challenging Arkansas critical race theory ban

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

Attorneys presented oral arguments Tuesday in a case over how race can be discussed in Arkansas schools.

A group of plaintiffs made up of students, parents and educators is suing to stop a law banning so-called “critical race theory" in Arkansas. They are being represented by the Laux Law Firm. The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction to stop the law immediately before a trial can be held to better examine the merits of the legislation.

The critical race theory ban is in Section 16 of the education law known as Arkansas LEARNS. The law defines critical race theory as material that “encourages” discrimination or any teaching that one race is better than another.

Judge hears arguments in suit challenging Arkansas critical race theory ban

Michael Hibblen/Little Rock Public Radio

Arguments were made for and against a preliminary injunction over Arkansas' ban on critical race theory in schools on Tuesday.

‘The Deal with Dicamba’ the focus of May 15 NALC webinar

By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The rollercoaster of changing state and federal policies regarding dicamba has kept producers on their toes in recent years. Earlier this year, a federal court in Arizona called into question the future of over-the-top dicamba use for producers.

Brigit Rollins, staff attorney for the National Ag Law Center, will present a webinar on "The Deal with Dicamba" on May 15. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo)

“The Feb. 6 decision from the U.S. District Court of Arizona was another major development in the ongoing saga impacting producers’ methods for protecting their crops,” Brigit Rollins, staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, said. “Pending a possible appeal, producers will not be able to rely on over-the-top dicamba as they may have in the past.”

On Feb. 14, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice stating that it would allow farmers and producers to use their remaining dicamba stocks.

“We’ve seen this in the past, where the EPA allows producers to use dicamba stock that was purchased prior to a ruling,” Rollins said. “The end date for sale and distribution of dicamba stocks, as well as the end date for use of existing stocks, varies from state to state, so it’s important that producers consult the EPA’s notice to ensure they are complying with the new policy.”

May 15 webinar

Rollins will discuss dicamba during the next National Agricultural Law Center webinar, which will be held on May 15. The webinar, titled, “The Deal with Dicamba: Overview of Recent Legal Developments,” will begin at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. The event has no cost and registration is available online.

A recurring theme in the ongoing saga of dicamba lawsuits is environmental plaintiffs claiming the EPA has violated both the Endangered Species Act, or ESA, and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, known as FIFRA.

“A large part of why we get these court decisions impacting access to products such as dicamba is due to the EPA’s approach to meeting its ESA responsibilities while carrying out actions under FIFRA,” Rollins said. “The EPA is in the process of developing its new policy for how it meets these responsibilities. Because of this, we are expecting future changes to how producers are able to use pesticide products.”

Rollins discusses the history of dicamba and policy in her article series “The Deal with Dicamba,” which is available online on the NALC website. She also reviewed the EPA’s new ESA-FIFRA policy in a previous NALC webinar, which is available to watch online.

“Brigit is an expert in pesticide developments and policy,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “She has created great NALC resources on this topical area, such as the NALC Endangered Species Act Manual, and has presented excellent webinars in the past.”

The NALC has had two prior “The Deal with Dicamba” webinars presented by Rollins. Recordings can be found online in the NALC’s Webinar Series archive.

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s twice-monthly newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture.

About the National Agricultural Law Center

The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.

The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

Number of foreign military jets at Fort Smith could rise; basing cost up to $850 million

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

The foreign military pilot training center in Fort Smith has yet to become operational or even see its first jet find a home in a hangar, but the number of planes could potentially rise, and the cost to establish the center is also up from initial estimates.

Rob Ator, a retired Air Force colonel and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission director of Military Affairs, said Monday (April 29) that efforts are underway to prepare Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith to handle 48 fighter jets instead of the original 36.

Ebbing, home to the 188th Wing in Fort Smith and co-located with the Fort Smith Regional Airport, was selected in March by the U.S. Air Force to be the long-term pilot training center supporting F-16 and F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Finland and other countries participating in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Specifically, Singapore is expected to base 12 F-16s at Ebbing, with slots for 24 F-35s from the participating countries.

Number of foreign military jets at Fort Smith could rise; basing cost up to $850 million

Col. Jay “Evil” Spohn, commander of the 188th Wing based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, on Monday (April 29) addresses attendees of a Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce event.

Arkansas ACLU sues to restore gender-neutral driver’s licenses

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

A new lawsuit is challenging the State of Arkansas’ policy shift away from gender-neutral driver’s licenses.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas filed the lawsuit on behalf of five plaintiffs Tuesday against the state Department of Finance and Administration, which said in March it was rescinding its policy allowing for a gender-neutral option on driver’s licenses. Drivers could previously list “X” on their licenses instead of choosing between male or female.

The lawsuit argues the rule was implemented without adequate notice or any opportunity for public comment, in conflict with existing Arkansas law. The ACLU says the department also has failed to demonstrate any urgent threat to public health or safety that the policy change is addressing.

Arkansas ACLU sues to restore gender-neutral driver’s licenses

Arkansas Department Of Finance And Administration

A sample of an Arkansas driver's license with "M" listed under "sex."

Cotton to Bowser: Allow D.C. Police to uphold the law

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Senate Cotton urged Mayor Bowser to reverse her decision to not let the D.C. Metro Police assist George Washington University officials restore order on the school’s campus due to protestors setting up an encampment.

Hundreds of students gather in front of Gelman Library before the start of a protest march to the White House. (Photo: Logan Werlinger/GW Today)

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“Whether it is due to incompetence or sympathy for the cause of these Hamas supporters, you are failing to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens by letting a terrorist-supporting mob take over a large area of a university. Your actions are a good reminder of why Washington, D.C. must never become a state.”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

April 29, 2024

The Honorable Muriel Bowser
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Mayor Bowser,

Since last week, protestors have "occupied" George Washington University's campus and are demanding that the university divest from the one Jewish state.

Campus officials requested help from the D.C. Metro Police last week, but even as they prepared to assist the "mayor's office told police to stand down and said it would look bad publicly for police to disrupt a 'small number of peaceful protestors.'"

I'm writing to inform you: What looks bad publicly is D.C. allowing a band of antisemitic, mask- wearing fanatics who call for an "intifada revolution" to tum a university into a pro-Hamas encampment.

I have no doubt that if protestors were illegally gathered in opposition to Washington, D.C.'s disastrous record on crime, you would have quickly ordered the police to intervene.

Whether it is due to incompetence or sympathy for the cause of these Hamas supporters, you are failing to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens by letting a terrorist-supporting mob take over a large area of a university. Your actions are a good reminder of why Washington, D.C. must never become a state.

I'm calling on you to reverse your decision and allow the D.C. police to uphold the law.

Sincerely,