Jan. 15 webinar to discuss impact of 2024 elections on ag law, policy

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the 2018 Farm Bill having expired and an election cycle that has come and gone, what’s on the horizon for agricultural law and policy?

According to Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, one word encapsulates what can be expected: change.

“Election cycles bring with them many changes that have lasting impacts,” Shipman said. “With new members of Congress, as well as narrow Republican control of the White House and narrow control of Congress, among many other factors, 2025 is set to be very impactful for agricultural law and policy.”

On Jan. 15, Shipman will present the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC, webinar, titled “Looking Ahead: Impact of the 2024 Elections on Ag Law and Policy.”

During the National Ag Law Center’s Jan. 15 webinar, Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, will discuss what the country’s recent political changes mean for the future of agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

Shipman brings an insider’s view to this webinar. He has served in the agriculture law and policy industry for more than two decades, with roles in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Senate Agriculture Committee and more. In 2002, he was USDA’s principal negotiator with Congress on the 2002 Farm Bill.

“Change in government impacts agriculture across the country,” Shipman said. “It’s important for agricultural stakeholders to grasp what is ahead amidst changing structures.”

The presentation will begin at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is free of charge online on the NALC website.

“Hunt has years of experience working on Capitol Hill and knows where things stand, as well as great perspective on where they are heading,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “From administration, to policy and regulatory landscape, to the Farm Bill and beyond, Hunt offers valuable insight.”

Shipman said he looks forward to discussing what the country’s recent political changes mean for the future of agriculture.

“We’ll also discuss who is or who may be involved in agriculture under the Trump Administration, potential regulatory changes, along with what the path forward to reauthorize the Farm Bill may look like, as the 2018 Farm Bill expired in September,” he said.

For information about the NALC, visit nationalaglawcenter.org. The NALC is also on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Subscribe online to receive NALC Communications, including webinar announcements, the NALC’s Quarterly Newsletter, and The Feed, which highlights recent developments in agricultural law and policy.

About the National Agricultural Law Center 

Created by Congress in 1987, 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, agribusinesses, state and federal policymakers, lenders, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, students, 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.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — John R. Montgomery, M.D., and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D., have joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeons. Both will also serve as assistant professors in the College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

Montgomery comes to UAMS from New York City, where he completed a two-year fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Previously, he completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Michigan Medicine, which is a research university in Ann Arbor, and a research fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy (CHOP).

Nakamura joins UAMS from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he completed fellowships in transplant surgery and transplant surgery research, and performed numerous liver and kidney transplant surgeries, including robotic-assisted surgeries.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

John R. Montgomery, M.D., (left) and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D.

Incoming Chairman Hill announces new Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Incoming House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) today announced that Ben Johnson will serve as his Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee.

Johnson has worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly a decade. He most recently served as Staff Director for the House Small Business Committee, where he was responsible for managing the Committee staff and advancing Chairman Roger William’s priorities. Prior to joining the House Small Business Committee, Johnson handled the financial services portfolios for Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM).

New Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee Ben Johnson

“I have known Ben throughout my decade in Congress and have watched his impressive career progress. From his early days managing the financial services portfolios of Rep. Williams and Rep. Pearce to his most recent role as Staff Director on the House Small Business Committee, Ben possesses a deep understanding of American businesses, families, and seniors having access to business capital, mortgage credit, and investment advice and services. His time on the House Small Business Committee, paired with his decade of deep legislative knowledge in Congress, will make him an outstanding Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee. I look forward to working with him as my Staff Director and watching his career continue to evolve as a leader on my Committee.”  

Cotton to Garland: The DOJ is targeting cops while ignoring criminals

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the Department of Justice for its recent push to impose federal consent decrees on multiple police stations across the country. This gross overreach undermines public safety and our police. 

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“No police department—like any human institution—is without flaw, but federal consent decrees have a well-established and atrocious record of increasing crime and endangering law-abiding citizens. Violent crime has surged in seven out of twelve cities that entered federal consent decrees since 2012. For instance, violent crime soared by 61 percent in Los Angeles County, 36 percent in Albuquerque, 27 percent in Seattle, 20 percent in New Orleans, and 19 percent in Maricopa County. 

Your department is reportedly nearest to entering consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, where murders have already reached record highs in recent years. The last thing these cities need is unqualified defund-the-police radicals like Kristen Clarke micromanaging their police departments for the next ten years.”

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

The Honorable Merrick Garland

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 20530 

Dear Attorney General Garland, 

I write to express my deep concern with your department’s attempted last-minute takeover of a dozen police departments across the country using federal consent decrees. 

According to The Washington Post, your department has opened “pattern or practice” investigations into twelve state and local law-enforcement agencies in a rush to gain federal control of these agencies before President Biden leaves office.

No police department—like any human institution—is without flaw, but federal consent decrees have a well-established and atrocious record of increasing crime and endangering law-abiding citizens. Violent crime has surged in seven out of twelve cities that entered federal consent decrees since 2012. For instance, violent crime soared by 61 percent in Los Angeles County, 36 percent in Albuquerque, 27 percent in Seattle, 20 percent in New Orleans, and 19 percent in Maricopa County. 

Your department is reportedly nearest to entering consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, where murders have already reached record highs in recent years. The last thing these cities need is unqualified defund-the-police radicals like Kristen Clarke micromanaging their police departments for the next ten years. 

Crime has risen during the Biden administration and your tenure as Attorney General. We should be arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating criminals—not handcuffing our police. I object to your efforts to perpetuate this administration’s failed policies. I urge you to drop these midnight lawsuits and let the new administration get about the business of protecting Americans from violent criminals. 

Sincerely, 

Tom Cotton
United States Senator 

President Biden blocks U.S. Steel sale to Nippon

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Citing national security concerns, President Joe Biden has blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese-based Nippon Steel Corporation. The $15 billion deal, more than a year in the making, was halted by the president on Friday (Jan. 3).

“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said in a released statement.

Both U.S. Steel and Nippon immediately threatened legal action. In a jointly released statement, the two steel manufacturers said there is no threat to national security and this was a politically motivated move.

President Biden blocks U.S. Steel sale to Nippon

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — A discovery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) that a viral protein helps a cancer-associated herpesvirus evade the immune system has led to a five-year, $2.9 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Craig Forrest, Ph.D., will use the grant to help reveal functions of the viral protein known as latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA). The research is focused on LANA’s roles during infection by the gamma herpesvirus known as Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV).

Forrest, a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology, hopes the work will someday lead to a vaccine for Kaposi sarcoma and other cancers caused by gamma herpesviruses.

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

UAMS researcher Craig Forrest, Ph.D. (center), and his lab team hope their work will ultimately lead to a cancer vaccine. With Forrest are (l-r) Sheldon Zeltner, Chandra Penthala, Shana Owens, Ph.D., and Steven Murdock, Jr. Image by Bryan Clifton

Farm aid could be on the way with proposed Continuing Resolution

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK – Amid worries that an expired Farm Bill would leave farmers without an economic safety net, Congressional leadership released a Continuing Resolution Tuesday that includes $10 billion for crop producers. 

FARM AID -- Nine program crops covered in the Continuing Resolution are relevant to Arkansas farmers.

This new agricultural aid package follows the payment mechanism laid out by the previously proposed Farmer Revenue Assistance Mitigation Act. Hunter Biram, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said the payments are based on three key variables: National season-average price reported, 10-year national average yield and 2024 cost of production.  

“Two key elements of this payment mechanism differ from the FARM Act,” Biram said. “The payment factor has been reduced from 60 percent to 26 percent of the estimated economic loss. However, a minimum payment has been included.”  

Biram said the minimum payment will be the product of 8 percent of the statutory reference price laid out in the 2014 and 2018 farm bills and the national Price Loss Coverage payment yield to be determined by USDA. 

“Among the nine program crops that are relevant to farmers in the southeast, three should expect to see the minimum payment be greater than the estimated payment,” Biram said. “This includes barley, peanuts and rice. The other six program crops considered will receive the estimated payment per acre. These include corn, cotton, grain sorghum, pats, soybeans and wheat.”  

Although the resolution has been the subject of much discussion, Biram said it is important to remember it still has to pass. 

“The deadline to pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown is Dec. 20,” he said. “While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) have both  voiced support for economic assistance to farmers, there has been opposition from GOP hardliners who have voiced frustrations over not pushing funding issues to 2025. 

“Economic assistance seems likely, but we will not know with full certainty until the bill passes. The situation is very fluid,” Biram said. 

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

Arkansas awarded $17 million grant to support maternal health initiatives

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas has been awarded a $17 million grant, the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Human Services announced Monday (Jan. 6).

Applying for the TMaH grant was among the recommendations made by the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health established by Gov. Sarah Sanders’ executive order last year. The funds will support efforts to improve the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and babies, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) said.

The grant will provide the funding over 10 years to several state Medicaid agencies, including Arkansas, with a goal of reducing disparities in access and treatment.

Arkansas awarded $17 million grant to support maternal health initiatives

Winter Storm Watch for Arkansas Thursday and Friday

Western to southwestern Arkansas and the Ouachita Mountains is expected to see the greatest snowfall accumulations.

• WHAT HAS CHANGED: • Forecast liquid-equivalent (QPF) was increased across the forecast area, which has increased forecast snowfall amounts. • A Winter Storm Watch has been issued across portions of western, southwestern, and central Arkansas, following the areas of highest confidence for winter weather impacts Thursday through Friday (January 9-10).

• WHAT WE KNOW: • A strong storm system is forecast to move across the southern Gulf Coast Thursday through Friday, and is expected to bring impactful winter weather to the state. • Greatest confidence for impacts remains across western to southwestern Arkansas.

• WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: • There is still uncertainty regarding the exact placement of where the greatest snowfall amounts could occur. This will be addressed over the next few runs of forecast data. • There is also uncertainty across the Arkansas/Louisiana border region with regard to mixed precip types (freezing rain versus wintry mix). Expect changes and refinement to the forecast!

Confidence continues to increase on an impactful winter storm across the state during the Thursday-Friday timeframe (January 9-10). New updates with this briefing include the issuance of a Winter Storm Watch for a large portion of the state. 

 The greatest impacts are currently expected across western to southwestern, and portions of central Arkansas. Expect changes to the footprint of greatest snowfall accumulations, and the Winter Storm Watch!

UAMS Receives $1.9 Million Department of Justice Grant for Emergency Response Program in Little Rock Schools

Dec. 30, 2024 | LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Institute for Digital Health & Innovation has received a three-year, $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to create a community-based emergency response program in Little Rock schools.

“We are grateful to have been awarded these funds by the Department of Justice and look forward to improving safety infrastructure for our partner schools,” said Joseph Sanford, M.D., the institute’s director.

The Little Rock Violence Intervention and Safety Innovative Outreach Network (LR VISION) will implement advanced safety technologies, including behavioral threat assessments, to manage and intervene in potential threats early. It will provide campus digital mapping to enhance emergency responses, anonymous reporting systems that are safe and confidential, and comprehensive site assessments to identify and address safety concerns within school infrastructures.

UAMS Receives $1.9 Million Department of Justice Grant for Emergency Response Program in Little Rock Schools

The UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation is working on a community-based emergency response program for the Little Rock School District.

Arkansas Clean Plant Center leads global effort to wipe ‘phantom agents’ from pathogen regulatory lists

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Wiping “phantom agents” from a list of suspected plant pathogens would improve agricultural efficiency and food security by updating regulations on international shipment of pathogen-free plant materials destined for countries where they are needed.

Phantom agents are suspected pathogens that have been reported in scientific literature going back to the early 1900s with no real evidence they exist, according to Ioannis Tzanetakis, professor of plant virology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and director of the Arkansas Clean Plant Center. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

PHANTOM AGENTS — Scientists around the globe have called for reform in testing some regulated pathogens because there is no way to accurately test for them. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

The Arkansas Clean Plant Center led the efforts of a team of 185 agricultural scientists from more than 40 countries that test for plant pathogens. They are calling for the removal of more than 120 phantom agents from regulation lists because they are outdated and impede access to plant materials clean of pathogens. Clean plants are needed for the sustainable production of crops.

India, for example, is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, but its lack of disease-free propagation material limits its yield potential, Tzanetakis said.

Most of these phantom agents were described before modern molecular techniques, and there are no samples or genome sequences available to study them. Despite the lack of evidence of their existence, the suspected pathogens made their way into international regulations that control the shipment of plant materials.

The result, Tzanetakis said, is a confusing mix of real and phantom agents on regulatory lists that must be ruled out by the sender before plants can be shipped from country to country.

“We have tried to clean the list of regulated pathogens to make this process much more mainstream,” Tzanetakis said. “What we call phantom agents are names where there’s not really any knowledge of what they are, nor are there any places on this planet where you can go pick this plant and say it is infected with agent X.”

In a Plant Disease article recently published by the American Phytopathological Society, Tzanetakis and a broad host of co-authors identify phantom agents in eight crops that still appear on regulated pathogen lists even though there is no way to accurately test for them.

The article is titled “Streamlining Global Germplasm Exchange: Integrating Scientific Rigor and Common Sense to Exclude Phantom Agents from Regulation.”

“With today’s technology, if an indicator plant shows symptoms, it would undergo analysis by high-throughput sequencing, also known as HTS,” Tzanetakis explained. “If this process identifies a novel agent, it’s unlikely to be attributed to a phantom. Instead, it would be recognized as a new pathogen of the host. As a result, phantom agents tend to persist indefinitely.”

High-throughput sequencing is a scientific method that allows researchers to quickly sequence DNA from a large numbers of samples and/or organisms simultaneously.

Start clean, stay clean

The Arkansas Clean Plant Center, or ACPC for short, is the newest center for berries in the National Clean Plant Network. The network, also known as the NCPN, was created to protect U.S. specialty crops from the spread of economically harmful plant pests and diseases. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds the NCPN, which includes scientists, educators, state and federal regulators, nurseries and growers who work together to make sure plant propagation material is clean and available.

Labs like the Arkansas Clean Plant Center conduct testing to identify and verify the presence of plant pathogens like those on regulatory lists. The ACPC also provides “clean-up” services to ensure that plant material is the best quality possible before providing it to nurseries, breeding companies and growers.

Tzanetakis said cleaning plant material might be responsible for the elimination of some of the pathogens on the list of phantom agents. Suspected pathogens could also be caused by either a single or multiple viruses now known under a different name, or possibly even eliminated through resistance in modern cultivars.

For example, among the list of phantom agents is “Strawberry band mosaic virus,” something described as a disease once in Hungary in the 1960s on an old cultivar by its display of symptoms based on a single picture present in a publication.

REFORM CALL —  Ioannis Tzanetakis is professor of plant virology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and director of the Arkansas Clean Plant Center. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“Given the limited information provided in the single report, the agent cannot be studied further,” Tzanetakis and his co-authors noted.

The ACPC lab is one of only two in the National Clean Plant Network with in-house HTS capabilities, which streamlines the testing and clean-up processes for breeding lines that improve quality control in pathogen testing.

The goal, Tzanetakis said, is to improve crop production and ensure that farmers have access to high-quality, disease-free plants without unnecessary obstacles.

“Those regulations are in place even though we have so many better tools to test for a disease,” Tzanetakis said.

New tools in the toolbox

Tzanetakis said that NCPN labs like the Arkansas Clean Plant Center are designed to test for and eliminate viruses from plants.

Once the plants are “clean” — that is, free from systemic pathogens like viruses — the ACPC maintains “G1” — Generation 1 — materials to offer “the highest level of protection against re-infection by systemic pathogens,” Tzanetakis added.

“This ensures the long-term maintenance of G1 materials, providing breeders and stakeholders with confidence in the quality and integrity of their advanced selections,” Tzanetakis said.

Along with HTS-based virus diagnostic tools and robotics for nucleic acid extraction, Tzanetakis noted that the ACPC is also staffed by a team of experts.

The collective experience, facilities, equipment and staff, Tzanetakis said, add up to “smooth virus elimination operations, offering solutions for selections that are difficult to propagate in vitro, while also keeping pace with and tailoring new protocols for virus elimination.”

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

Federal judge puts Arkansas foreign ownership restrictions on hold

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A federal judge in Arkansas has halted enforcement of the state’s foreign ownership restrictions for plaintiffs owning a crypto-mining business.

Jones Eagle LLC, which operates near DeWitt, Arkansas, and mines digital assets like cryptocurrency, came under investigation by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Arkansas Attorney General following the state enacting Act 636 and 174 during the 2023 legislative session. Both acts involve restriction of foreign ownership of U.S. land, and Act 174 specifically prohibits foreign-owned entities from acquiring or holding any interest in a digital mining business in the state. Qimin “Jimmy” Chen, who was born in China and is a naturalized American citizen, exercises control over Jones Eagle as sole owner of Eagle Asset Holding, Inc.

Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, testifies to the Senate Ag Committee on Sept. 27, 2023. The committee held a hearing on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. (Image courtesy U.S. Senate)

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a press release in December 2023 stating that Jones Eagle was under investigation for potentially violating state foreign ownership restrictions, as the entity “may have significant ties to China.”

Jones Eagle filed a lawsuit against the state of Arkansas in November 2024, claiming the investigation was unconstitutional and requesting a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. Judge Kristine Baker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas issued a temporary restraining order for 14 days on Nov. 25, and on Dec. 9 issued a preliminary injunction. The decision renders Acts 636 and 174 unenforceable against Jones Eagle until further notice from the court.

The preliminary injunction order is sealed — which means it is not accessible to the public — to protect Jones Eagle’s confidential business details. However, the Notice of Preliminary Injunction Order can be viewed online.

“In recent years, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in national interest and activity regarding the topic of foreign ownership of U.S. land, and particularly agricultural land,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center. “It’s an extremely active issue at both state and federal levels, although there are currently no federal laws restricting foreign persons, entities, or governments from acquiring or holding private U.S. agricultural land.”

Almost half of all U.S. states have some kind of law limiting foreign ownership. In 2023, Arkansas became the first state to enforce a foreign ownership law when it ordered a subsidiary of Syngenta Seeds, another Chinese-owned company, to divest itself of farmland in Arkansas.

What’s next?

“The injunction is limited to Jones Eagle and does not apply to others who may be subject to Acts 636 and 174,” Pittman said. “Arkansas can continue to enforce foreign ownership restrictions under these acts.”

A redacted version of the preliminary injunction is expected to be released in the coming weeks.

More details regarding the case are available online on the NALC website.

For the latest in agricultural law and policy developments, including foreign ownership, subscribe at no cost to The Feed, a twice-monthly newsletter from the NALC. The NALC is also on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Womack Supports FY25 National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, D.C.—December 11, 2024…Today, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) voted to pass H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The annual legislation authorizes $895.2 billion for our national security, including resources to enhance military preparedness, improve quality of life for our troops and their families, deter foreign adversaries, and focus the Department of Defense on its core mission. Congressman Womack secured Arkansas’ Third District priorities within the legislation, including authorizing funding for construction of the Ebbing Air National Guard Base Academic Training Center.

President Trump NDAA Signing 2020-Flickr Image

Congressman Womack said, “Passing the NDAA is vital to the safety and security of our homeland and strength of America’s armed forces. This year’s legislation aims to deter adversarial threats abroad and bolster defense capabilities nationwide—including in Arkansas—while improving the quality of life for servicemembers and their families. Although I’m strongly opposed to the decision to circumvent state’s rights regarding the forced federalization of National Guard formations, opposing this legislation is not the right way to address the issue. We can’t deprive our military of the resources needed to protect our nation. Today is a step in the right direction. However, the mission is not complete until we put resources toward these priorities in full-year defense appropriations.”

Provisions in the bill Womack strongly supports:

• Encourages Department of Defense (DOD) to continue investing in expanding Iron Dome system production capacity in the United States, namely at the Camden, Arkansas facility.

• Authorizes funding for Ebbing Air National Guard Base Academic Training Center in support of the F-35 FMS mission.

• Authorizes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers, along with a 4.5% pay increase for all other servicemembers.

• Expands access to childcare and employment opportunities for military families.

• Refocuses the DOD on military readiness instead of domestic social policy by gutting DEI programs and prohibiting CRT.

• Extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) and increases a funding authorization for new military technology to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Reaffirms U.S. support to Israel against Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.

• Reaffirms U.S. support to the defense of Taiwan against CCP threats.

• Authorizes full funding for the deployment of National Guard troops at the southwest border and increases authorized funding by $20 million for DOD counternarcotics activities.

• Blocks the Biden Administration’s plan to reduce the number of U.S. Special Forces, warfighting aircraft, and defense missiles.

Additional Provisions Congressman Womack Helped Secure:

• Hot Springs, AR Army-Navy Hospital: Provides Arkansas three years to request permanent ownership of the former Army-Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, AR, and in the event of this request, would extinguish any reversionary interest in the property by the United States.

• National Digital Reserve Corps: Creates a National Digital Reserve Corps to help federal agencies address cyber-attacks and critical workforce gaps as needed.

• Expansion of National Guard State Partnership Program: Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to assess and report on the feasibility and benefits of expanding the National Guard State Partnership Program in the Pacific Islands.

• Assessment of U.S. Coast Guard Involvement in State Partnership Program: Directs the DOD to conduct a study on how to more actively consider and support the U.S. Coast Guard’s involvement in the State Partnership Program in the Pacific.

The FY25 NDAA will now advance to the Senate for consideration. 

Polish F-35 jets expected to soon arrive in Fort Smith

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

The first two F-35 fighter jets built for Poland will soon roll off the Lockheed production line in Fort Worth, Texas, and Col. Nicholas Ihde is ready to fly one of the fifth-generation jets to Fort Smith and “bring to fruition” the U.S. Air Force foreign pilot training center.

Ihde, commander of the 85th Fighter Group at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, told Talk Business & Politics on Thursday that the jets expected to arrive in September could arrive in Fort Smith as early as Dec. 20. He said the noisy arrival of the first two jets should put to rest any concerns about the reality of the high-profile training center.

“There’s been some naysayers around that think this is never going to come to fruition because it was so far out in the future. What I would tell you is we are right around the corner. In the next week or two I’m going down to Fort Worth to fly the first Poland jet here to Ebbing,” said Ihde, who officially took command of the 85th in early July.

Polish F-35 jets expected to soon arrive in Fort Smith

F-35 jet built for Poland (photo from Lockheed)

Representative French Hill statement on House Financial Services Committee Chairmanship

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after the Steering Committee elected him to be the next Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

"I am humbled that my colleagues have placed their trust in me to lead the House Financial Services Committee as their next Chairman. It was a privilege to join my exceptional colleagues, Representatives Andy Barr, Bill Huizenga, and Frank Lucas, in sharing our visions for this committee.

"I look forward to working alongside Speaker Mike Johnson, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, and our whole leadership team as we work in tandem with President Trump and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott to bring common-sense economic policies that will produce a new era of American prosperity shared by all our citizens across our land."

ICYMI: Rep. Westerman Featured on "Why America is struggling with EVs" Documentary

WASHINGTON - Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04) was recently featured in the MotorTrend documentary, "Why America is Struggling with EVs" to discuss unnecessary government subsidies and mandates regarding EVs which ultimately harm, not help Americans. 

Watch the full documentary at the link HERE.

Topline quotes:

“When the internal combustion engine came along, you didn’t need a government subsidy to build gas stations. The market demanded filling stations along the roadways and people built them – they’re still building them today. Why does it take a government subsidy to build a charging station? It’s because they’re trying to force something in the market where government has no place forcing it in the market. Pushing EVs through government subsidies and regulations, I think, is bad policy.”

"[EVs are] being billed as the solution to a climate issue and they’re not [the solution]. 13.49% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the United States. 29% of that comes from Transportation. Then you look at all of Transportation which includes planes, trains, and automobiles. Only 57% of the emissions come from light duty trucks and passenger vehicles. So now you’re down at 2.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from U.S. light duty trucks and passenger vehicles. If we were totally serious about reducing carbon emissions, there would be a much greater focus on nuclear power."

"We’re doubling down on wind and solar and we’re doubling down on EVs when there’s a lot bigger piece of the pie that could be captured by building nuclear power plants and either keeping the hydro that we have or expanding the hydro that we have.”

"[China] doesn’t have a free market system, but they use their government-controlled system to unfairly compete in our free market system."

Boozman Earns Salvation Army’s “Fight for Good” Award

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) was recognized with the “Fight for Good” award by the Salvation Army for his advocacy of policy priorities that support vulnerable populations during the 118th Congress.

The Salvation Army presented its “Fight for Good” award to lawmakers who demonstrate exceptional leadership and champion policies in support of its mission to alleviate poverty and prevent homelessness throughout the United States.

“I greatly appreciate the tireless work of the Salvation Army and its members to better the lives of Arkansans and Americans. It is an honor to receive this recognition from such a storied and admirable organization whose values we all share. I look forward to continuing my efforts to support those in need,” Boozman said.

Approximately 2,700 Arkansans experienced homelessness in 2019, marking a 33 percent decline since 2007.

The Salvation Army provides food, shelter, eviction prevention assistance, emergency disaster relief, rehabilitation, after-school and summer youth programs, spiritual enrichment and more at over 6,400 centers of operation around the country.

Salvation Army National Commander Kenneth Hodder, Commissioner Jolene Hodder, National Advisory Board Chairman Marc Belton, and Special Representative to Capitol Hill Captain Trey Jones present Sen. John Boozman with the Fight for Good award.

2023 GDP in Arkansas’ 10 largest counties was almost 67% of state total

Of the top 10 largest Arkansas counties by GDP, only Washington County posted a GDP (gross domestic product) decline – down 0.6% – between 2022 and 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

The BEA county and metro area GDP numbers were posted Wednesday (Dec. 4), and are the most recent metro and county GDP numbers available.

Arkansas’ GDP ended 2023 at $142.86 billion, up 2.4% compared with $139.56 billion in 2022. Of Arkansas’s top 10 counties by GDP, only Craighead and Washington counties had percentage changes below that of the state. Following are the top 10 counties by GDP, with percentage increase from 2022.
• Pulaski: $31.61 billion, up 3.2%
• Benton: $19.712 billion, up 3.1%
• Washington: $13.24 billion, down 0.6%
• Sebastian: $7.271 billion, up 3%
• Craighead: $5.482 billion, up 1.1%
• Faulkner: $4.414 billion, up 4.4%
• Mississippi: $3.823 billion, up 8.6%
• Garland: $3.654 billion, up 2.7%
• Pope: $3.165 billion, up 7.6%
• Saline: $3.072 billion, up 5.3%

2023 GDP in Arkansas’ 10 largest counties was almost 67% of state total

Warren Stephens to be nominated as U.S. Ambassador to United Kingdom

KUAR | By Roby Brock / Talk Business & Politics

President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday (Dec. 2) that he will nominate Warren Stephens, chair, president and CEO of Little Rock-based Stephens Inc., as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Stephens Inc. is a privately held, independent financial services firm headquartered in Little Rock. Stephens has 28 offices worldwide and employs more than 1,200 people. It has offices in London, England and Frankfurt, Germany, two of the largest financial centers in Europe.

In a statement on his Truth Social account, Trump said:

“I am pleased to announce that Warren A. Stephens, one of the most successful businessmen in the Country, has been nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, a role in which he will act as our Representative to the United Kingdom. Over the last 38 years, while serving as the President, Chairman, and CEO of his company, Stephens Inc., Warren has built a wonderful financial services firm, while selflessly giving back to his community as a philanthropist.

Warren Stephens to be nominated as U.S. Ambassador to United Kingdom

Talk Business & Politics

New probiotic shown to improve digestion in poultry and swine

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A novel probiotic has been developed as a direct-fed microbial in both poultry and swine feed to improve gut health and weight-gain efficiency. Additionally, feed cost savings may be realized through greater utilization of soybean meal in diets.

NEW PROBIOTIC — A probiotic made from a Bacillus strain isolated by poultry science researchers was found to also be beneficial for swine gut health. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

The probiotic, which is a beneficial bacterium, is made from a Bacillus-strain isolated by poultry science researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and is being co-developed by KENT Nutrition Group.

KENT licensed the patented technology from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and is currently making probiotic-infused poultry and swine feed with the Bacillus strain. The experiment station is the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.

“We are grateful for our second novel technology collaboration with UADA,” said Kale Causemaker, senior director of sales and business development for Innovative Solutions, a division of KENT. “These discoveries help improve animal agriculture sustainability and welfare. We are excited and optimistic to have this probiotic commercially available for producers in 2025.”  

Bacillus-strain advantages

Advantages of a Bacillus-strain probiotic, compared to common probiotic microorganism of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species, include its ability to survive higher temperatures and lower pH environments.

The non-genetically modified Bacillus bacterium also eliminates the need for multiple genetically modified enzymes that are added to animal feeds to help the animal break down ingredients in protein sources such as soybean meal.

Being heat- and pH-stable improves survivability rate in the animal’s gastrointestinal tract and feed processing such as the manufacture of pelleted feed. The strain was originally found to work well in poultry diets and preliminary data suggest the probiotic may also work well in swine.

Overcoming a problem

Billy Hargis, distinguished professor of poultry science, said experiment station studies on the Bacillus strain showed it increased the animals’ ability to digest non-starch polysaccharides in protein sources such as soybean meal. Hargis is also director of the John Kirkpatrick Skeels Poultry Health Laboratory for the experiment station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture.

Non-starch polysaccharides are difficult-to-digest carbohydrates found in soybean meal, which serves as the primary source of protein for both layer and broiler chickens, as well as turkeys and swine, Hargis explained.

“The problem with these non-starch polysaccharides is that they cannot be digested and utilized by the animal, but rather they feed detrimental populations of microbes within the gut, adding to intestinal inflammation and susceptibility to other causes of enteric disease,” Hargis said.

The strain of Bacillus by KENT was isolated by former post-doctoral researcher Kyle Teague under the co-advisement of Hargis and Samuel Rochell. Teague is now the director of poultry nutrition at Life Products, Inc., in Nebraska, and Rochell is now an associate professor of poultry nutrition at Auburn University.

From lab to market

The Division of Agriculture’s Technology Commercialization Office, or TCO, shepherded the Bacillus-strain’s patent-pending status and commercial licensing to KENT.

“Translating research to commercial products is the name of the game,” said Parker Cole, associate director of TCO. “We always enjoy working with industry and have enjoyed working with KENT. They’ve been a great partner to work with and collaborate with, so we’re excited to see these products go into the marketplace.”

Earlier this year, Innovative Solutions also released EFFICOR, an L. plantarum probiotic for swine that was developed in conjunction with Division of Agriculture researchers. Research trials showed EFFICOR helped improve body weight gain and feed efficiency in growing and finishing pigs, with nearly $2 per pig cost savings because of improved efficiencies at the time of the trials, Cole said. The foundational research for EFFICOR came from Jiangchao Zhao, former professor of animal science for the Division of Agriculture.

“Our office sits at the interface of academic innovation and commercialization,” said Cole. “Being able to take a technology that was developed here, work with industry, confirm that it works in a particular product or formulation, and have that company excited about it to where they want to license it and implement it in their portfolio, I think that speaks to the research quality and to the inventors that we have within the Division of Agriculture.”

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.