Westerman introduces Bipartisan Lakes Act to expand opportunities for outdoor recreation facilities

Bruce Westerman

Steve Womack

WASHINGTON - Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), and Steve Womack (R-AR-03), introduced H.R. 6906, the Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong (LAKES) Act to expand opportunities to improve and develop outdoor recreation facilities at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) managed areas.

“Outdoor recreation is among one of the top economic drivers in the U.S., especially in states like Arkansas. Because of discrepancies in current federal law, managers of some of our favorite outdoor recreation sites have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to maintain and manage the sites. The LAKES Act will correct the discrepancies, cut out the burdensome federal red tape, and make it easier for the Corps to manage their sites for generations to enjoy for years to come,” Rep. Westerman said.

“Outdoor recreation is a fundamental part of life for folks in my district, and its popularity – and the demand for increased access – is growing nationwide. Local favorites for my constituents, like Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino, provide all kinds of opportunities for outdoor fun. But local managers have to jump through countless hoops to keep these places safe and enjoyable,” said Rep. Huffman. “Our bill will guarantee the Army Corps can retain recreation fees at the sites they’re collected and it will open doors for management partnerships with tribes and local organizations so we can all care for the country’s treasured public spaces.”  

“Arkansas’ Third is home to world-class outdoor offerings, attracting tourists and residents alike to enjoy the immense beauty and participate in our endless recreational activities. However, under current federal law, local managers of recreation sites we all know and love, such as Beaver Lake and Table Rock Lake, must cut through endless bureaucratic red tape to maintain and operate these sites effectively,” said Rep. Womack. “The LAKES Act would rectify this by allowing the Army Corps to retain recreation fees collected onsite, keeping maintenance and operations decisions out of the hands of federal bureaucrats and into the hands of the local managers who know these sites best.”

Stakeholder support:

“Thank you to Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) for championing the introduction of The Lake Access Keeping Economies Strong (LAKES) Act,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, President and CEO of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). “This legislation prioritizes the maintenance and upkeep of high-use recreation infrastructure and facilities enjoyed by millions of Americans. By providing the Army Corps of Engineers with the ability to reinvest recreation fees into the operations and maintenance of recreation access points, the LAKES Act helps support the outdoor recreation economy, which contributes more than $1 trillion to our country’s economy and represents a significant pastime for millions of Americans.”

Background:

• Under current law, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recreation facilities cannot retain recreation fee revenues collected onsite, an authority afforded to the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service.

• The Challenge Cost Sharing Cooperative Management Program was created for participating agencies to split operation and management expenses with outside groups. However, despite interest from private and nonprofit organizations, USACE is limited to partnering with non-federal public entities.

• The USACE is one of the nation’s largest federal outdoor recreation providers, managing nearly 257,000 facilities across 43 states.

• U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Boozman (R-AR), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Steve Daines (R-MT) are cosponsors of the Senate companion LAKES Act.

The LAKES Act would: 

• Allow USACE to retain 80% of recreation fees collected onsite for operation and management expenses at that location.

• Amend the Challenge Cost Sharing Cooperative Management Agreement authority to enable nonprofit entities to enter into cooperative agreements to operate and maintain recreation facilities under USACE jurisdiction.

• Keep resources and decision-making related to the operation and maintenance of recreation facilities under USACE jurisdiction in the hands of local managers rather than federal officials.

Click here to view the full bill text.

Click here to view a letter of support from over 25 organizations representing various sections of the U.S. outdoor recreation industry.

Issues:Transportation and Infrastructure

Governor Sanders Condemns Biden’s Department of Defense for Infringing on Service Members’ Freedom of Religion

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders sent the following letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin:

Dear President Biden and Secretary Austin,

As I expect you to be aware, on December 18, 2023, Colonel Dillon R. Patterson, Commander of the 188th Wing, announced his voluntary resignation from command of the 188th Wing of the Arkansas Air National Guard.  Col. Patterson has served our country honorably for 22 years and earned numerous awards and decorations. With all Arkansans, I thank Col. Patterson for his dedicated service to our state and nation.

Unfortunately, Col. Patterson was forced to personally choose between either continuing his command or adhering to his sincerely held religious beliefs against abortion.  Because he adhered first to his faith instead of overtly political mandates, he voluntarily resigned his command.  I admire Col. Patterson for having the confidence of his convictions, but regret that our nation’s military will suffer the loss of a dedicated airman, leader, and guardsman as a commander. 

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that states may protect the lives of unborn children by appropriately regulating the practice of abortion.  Arkansas, like many other states, chose to do so—protecting unborn life by prohibiting abortions which are not medical necessities for the sake of the mother.

While half the country made the obvious determination that the killing of helpless, unborn children is contrary to the public interest, Secretary Austin declared that the U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD” or “Defense Department”) would subvert the actions of states like Arkansas by using taxpayer dollars to fund the travel, meals, and lodging associated with out-of-state servicemember travel for procurement of an abortion procedure.  Maybe equally as egregious, the DoD now requires that commanding officers—regardless of any sincere and deeply held religious convictions to the contrary—are forced to approve such abortion leave.

Abortion is itself a barbaric practice.  But it is apparently not enough for this administration that abortion be available in some states and regulated in others.  Thus, the Defense Department must now apparently sacrifice lifelong personnel’s leadership in the name of military readiness—a laughable paradox if it were not so deeply offensive and damaging.

At a time when nearly every military branch has failed to meet recruiting thresholds, it is difficult to imagine a more irresponsible and shortsighted bureaucratic mandate.  As relevant here, nationally, the Air National Guard missed its most recent recruiting goals by a shocking 40%.

It is unjustifiable to sacrifice the leadership of a lifetime of service for abortion or any other overtly political issue.  Col. Patterson’s only fault was being a man of conviction led by senior Department of Defense leadership who had disregarded his service and abandoned his most fundamental constitutional rights in favor of more fashionable political and social experiments.  

Rescind this policy immediately.  


Sincerely,

Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Governor of Arkansas    

Finding a tasteful design for Arkansas' 'monument to the unborn' has been fraught

By Josie Lenora

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

An Arkansas bill allowing for a so-called monument to the unborn on Arkansas State Capitol grounds was signed into law last spring. The monument is intended to memorialize the abortions performed in the state during the nearly 50 years the procedure was legal under Roe v. Wade, but the law does not specify what an appropriate memorial would look like. And as Little Rock Public Radio's Josie Lenora reports, this has led to some debate and discomfort over what design to choose for such a public and political piece of art.

JOSIE LENORA: The memorial is supposed to celebrate the end of legal abortion in the state. Here's Senator Kim Hammer, a Republican lawmaker from the suburbs of Little Rock, giving his pitch for the monument to the Arkansas legislature back in March.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KIM HAMMER: It is a monument that is recognizing the 236,243-plus babies that were never born as a result of Roe v. Wade.

Finding a tasteful design for Arkansas' 'monument to the unborn' has been fraught

Missouri chicken farmers sue Tyson Foods for breach of contract

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

A group of contract growers that supplied chickens to Tyson Foods’ slaughter and processing plant in Dexter, Mo., have sued the company claiming a breach of contract following a plant closure in October.

The suit was filed Dec. 22 with the Circuit Court of Stoddard County, located in southeast Missouri.

The farmers claim Tyson executives knew as early as November 2021 that the company planned to cease operations in Dexter but withheld that information from growers who said they incurred more debt and made additional investments in their farms without knowledge that their contracts would end.

The plaintiffs seek $25,000 each and additional relief for damages relating to their loss of income resulting from the closure.

Missouri chicken farmers sue Tyson Foods for breach of contract

Arkansas judge agrees with Board of Corrections, grants preliminary injunction

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A judge has sided with the Arkansas Board of Corrections in a lawsuit filed against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James heard testimony Thursday from corrections officials about safety in state prisons. She also listened to legal debates over the constitutionality of the way the board is managed.

Last year, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed several criminal justice-related laws. These included the “Protect Act” which required violent criminals to serve more of their sentence, and Act 185 which gives the governor more oversight over prison management.

In her ruling Thursday, James sided with the Corrections Board, blocking Act 185 and parts of the Protect Act from going into effect until the lawsuit's resolution.

Arkansas judge agrees with Board of Corrections, grants preliminary injunction

The Pulaski County Courthouse in downtown Little Rock is seen in this file photo.

Cooperative Extension Service to offer four produce safety grower trainings in 2024

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — For commercial growers, it’s critical to keep farms free of microbial contamination and reduce foodborne illness. To support Arkansas growers, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will offer four in-person and virtual produce safety trainings in 2024.

SAFE PRODUCE — To support Arkansas growers, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will offer four in-person and virtual produce safety trainings in 2024. The trainings will provide important information on worker health and hygiene, soil amendments, developing a farm food safety plan and more. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

The trainings will provide important information on worker health and hygiene, soil amendments, developing a farm food safety plan and more. Rip Weaver, extension program technician for food systems and food safety for the Division of Agriculture, said the Arkansas Produce Safety Team hopes to reach many growers throughout the state with these trainings.

“The Arkansas Produce Safety Team once again looks forward to offering a number of training opportunities for Arkansas produce growers on the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule in 2024,” Weaver said. “We aim to reach as many growers as possible by holding in-person and remote trainings throughout the year.”

Weaver said one of the in-person trainings will be in Monticello to serve the Eastern and Southeast Arkansas produce industry.

“This year, we will revisit Southeast Arkansas to conduct an in-person training at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus in late April,” Weaver said. “Our next in-person training will be at extension’s Little Rock State Office in September. Two remote trainings in February and May will allow those unable to travel to still participate in these trainings.”

2024 Produce Safety Grower Training schedule:

• Feb. 28-29: Remote Zoom training, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. each day

• April 25: University of Arkansas at Monticello, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

• May 29-30: Remote Zoom training, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. each day

• Sept. 26: Cooperative Extension Service Little Rock State Office, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Amanda Philyaw Perez, extension associate professor of food systems and food safety specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said the produce safety trainings are important opportunities for growers to brush up on updates and changes.

“Arkansas produce growers who have previously attended the training should consider completing a refresher every three years to learn about recent updates to the law, upcoming requirements for changes in practices, and to learn about updates to Good Agricultural Practices,” Perez said. “Many farms experienced employee turnover for their farm food safety officers and farm supervisors, and these new employees may need to receive a certification.”

Good Agricultural Practices, or GAP, are the basic environmental and operational conditions necessary to safely grow, harvest and pack fruits and vegetables.

The produce safety grower trainings, developed by the Produce Safety Alliance and presented by the Cooperative Extension Service’s Arkansas Produce Safety Team, teach growers about regulatory requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA, Produce Safety Rule. FSMA is the first federally regulated standard for growing, harvesting, packing and holding fresh produce.

For more information, contact Weaver at rweaver@uada.edu or 501-671-2388.

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. 

NALC webinar will discuss legal issues involved in Rail-to-Trail conversions

By Tru Joi Curtis
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Since the establishment of the National Trails System Act in 1968, current usage of railroad rights-of-way has been transformed by the federal law enabling rail-to-trail conversion including railbanking and interim trail use.

Lewis Rice Members Lindsay Brinton and Meghan Largent will discuss federal Rail-to-Trail conversions during the National Ag Law Center webinar on Jan. 17. 

Railbanking is an agreement between a trail sponsor and railroad company to use a rail corridor that is not in service as a trail until the corridor might be used again for rail service.

“The provision of the Trails Act that authorizes Rails-to-Trails followed a long history of concern regarding the loss of the important national transportation resource of rail corridors,” Lewis Rice Member Meghan S. Largent said. “The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution provides landowners whose property becomes subject to a rail-trail conversion to be compensated for hosting these trails through their family’s farms, homes, or businesses.”

Nationally, there are more than 2,400 rail-trails with 25,710 miles of recreational-use track, according to the Rails to Trails Conservancy. Arkansas has 22 rail-trails offering 100 miles of hiking. The longest single rail trail in the country is Katy Trail State Park in Missouri which covers 240 miles along a former corridor for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad, known as the MKT or “Katy.”

How do rail-to-trail conversions work?

During an upcoming National Agricultural Law Center webinar, Largent and fellow Lewis Rice Member Lindsay S. C. Brinton will discuss the process for federal rail-to-trail conversions under the Trails Act, the related process in the federal Surface Transportation Board, related Fifth Amendment litigation in the United States Court of Federal Claims and landowners’ rights for compensation.

The webinar, “An Overview of Landowners’ Rights in Federal Rail-to-Trail Conversions,” will be held Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 11 a.m. Central/noon Eastern.

“The Trails Act presents landowners and other parties with numerous legal issues, all of which can be difficult to navigate,” Largent said. “Lindsay and I are looking forward to discussing this topic, sharing information and answering questions regarding the Trails Act.”

The webinar is free of charge and registration is online.

“We are thrilled to have Lindsay and Meghan discuss federal rail-to-trail provisions during our webinar,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “Landowners and others around the country involved in this issue will benefit greatly from the knowledge that they provide.”

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-a-month 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.

Hope, Don Bragg remembered for their love of science, learning

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Though silent, Don Bragg’s office speaks volumes. The awards on the walls attest to his professional excellence as a forester and researcher, but it’s the crayon drawings that show where his heart was.

“When you go in his office, the walls are full of awards,” said Mike Blazier, dean of the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. “When you walk up to his office door, there are crayon drawings from his children. Right over his desk there’s a big yellow construction paper posting that says ‘I love you daddy,’ which was from his son when he was 4.

“For everything he accomplished, it was his children that were most dear,” Blazier said.

Hope and Don Bragg at the Arkansas Agricultural Hall of Fame lunch in Little Rock. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo by Angie Freel)

Don, his wife, Hope, and their children Kenny, 22, and Elizabeth, 19, of Monticello, Arkansas, are being remembered by their friends and colleagues with great affection and respect. The family was killed in a house explosion on Dec. 30 in Michigan, a blast that also injured their son Stephen, 16, and Hope’s father, Richard Pruden. Both remained hospitalized on Wednesday. Investigators are calling the event a “fuel-air explosion.”  

GoFundMe fundraisers have been set up for Stephen Bragg, 16, https://gofund.me/d32eff21, and Richard Pruden, https://www.gofundme.com/f/richard-pruden-medical-expenses.

Don was a project leader for the U.S. Forest Service with an office at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Hope was a STEM instructor for the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s 4-H program. The two imbued their children with a love of science, technology and history, and the family shared those interests together on hikes, archaeological digs and 4-H youth development activities.

Blazier knew Don Bragg for more than two decades. In forestry, their careers often crossed. He remembered Don as being inquisitive and insightful, an excellent scientist and a bit of a sci-fi movie nerd.

Hope Bragg also loved learning. She had begun to pursue a Ph.D., and in December had been awarded a scholarship to help accomplish that goal. Her smile and enthusiasm for archeology, astronomy and other realms of science were infectious, friends said.

“Hope Bragg was incredibly passionate about science, about technology, and she loved to get youth excited about that,” said Debbie Nistler, assistant vice president for 4-H and youth for the Cooperative Extension Service. “She lit up when she had the opportunity to get youth excited about science.”

“Don was her perfect partner,” Blazier said.

Nistler said Hope’s 4-H colleagues will be working in her memory on the projects she held dear.

“The best way for us to feel like we're doing something in her name is to make sure that SeaPerch and Tech Changemakers, her archeology program and a special program for the eclipse on April 8 carry on her legacy in science education,” Nistler said. “We are also planning that scholarship for the Bragg family since education was a focus for all of them.”

Nistler said plans are in the works for a special memorial at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale. Each year, thousands of Arkansas youth take to the center’s rolling wooded acres to learn about life skills while catching a fish or escaping the summer heat in the pool.

The center will be home to four more trees, each be planted in memory of Hope, Don, Elizabeth and Kenny Bragg, all of whom spent time at the center, Nistler said.

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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.

U.S. Marshals Museum opening, pilot training center top Fort Smith metro stories in 2023

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

The long-awaited opening of the U.S. Marshals Museum and the final decision to place a foreign pilot training center in Fort Smith were two of the top news stories in the Fort Smith metro during 2023.

Following are the top five stories, followed by a list of other notable news.

1. U.S. Marshals Museum finally opens
After more than 16 years of fundraising struggles and leadership changes, the U.S. Marshals Museum opened in downtown Fort Smith on June 29. Just under 10,000 people would visit the museum in its first month.

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The Robbie Westphal family, led by Bennie Westphal and Robin Westphal Clegg, donated the riverfront land for the museum. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2015. Museum officials initially hoped to have the facility open by late 2017, but struggles to raise money delayed the opening. Construction of the approximately 53,000-square-foot U.S. Marshals Museum was completed — except for exhibits — in early 2020.

U.S. Marshals Museum opening, pilot training center top Fort Smith metro stories in 2023

Bala Simon, M.D., Dr.PH., to Serve in Leadership Role for National Organization

By Kev' Moye

Bala Simon, M.D., Dr.PH., associate professor for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), is serving as president of the board of directors for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD).

Simon — who has teaching and clinical appointments in the UAMS colleges of Public Health and Medicine — is serving a one-year term that began in September for the 7,000-member organization, which advocates and educates with a goal to promote leadership and capacity to address chronic disease prevention and control efforts across the nation. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, lung disease and Alzheimer’s account for more than 70% of all deaths, and 80% of health care dollars spent in the United States.

“The NACDD is an advocacy organization for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and each of the states,” Simon said. “The organization strives to help people enjoy a better quality of life without the burden of a chronic disease.

Bala Simon, M.D., Dr.PH., to Serve in Leadership Role for National Organization

Dr. Bala Simon is serving as president of the board of directors for the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

Arkansas AG rejects second proposed amendment to make abortion a constitutional right

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

A proposed constitutional amendment proposing a limited right to abortion in Arkansas needs further revisions before it can appear on the 2024 statewide ballot, Attorney General Tim Griffin wrote in a Thursday opinion.

Griffin rejected a previous version of the proposed amendment in November. The initial proposal said state government entities would not be allowed to “prohibit, penalize, delay or restrict” Arkansans’ access to abortion “within 18 weeks of conception.”

Both rejected proposals would have permitted abortion services in cases of rape, incest, a “fatal fetal anomaly” or to protect a pregnant person’s life or health.

Arkansas AG rejects second proposed amendment to make abortion a constitutional right

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

Many of the laws we passed in 2023 take effect on January 1, 2024. These new laws impact everything from taxes to criminal justice. 

Act 10 of the 2023 Extraordinary Session reduces the top personal income tax rate from 4.7% to 4.4% for tax years beginning January 1, 2024. The act also reduces the corporate income tax rate from 5.1% to 4.8%.  

Act 485 of the 2023 Regular Session phases out the income tax apportionment throwback rule over 7 years. The sections of the act phasing out the throwback rule are effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2024. 

Other acts passed during the 2023 Regular Session that become effective on January 1 include the following:u 

Act 811 requires each public high school campus to have a clearly visible and labeled opioid overdose rescue kit and requires that the location of each opioid overdose rescue kit be registered with the school nurse and school resource officer of each public high school. This act also requires that each state-supported higher education campus also have an opioid overdose rescue kit in certain locations. 

Act 300 changes the date for special elections on measures and questions to the preferential primary election or general election date and defines what constitutes an emergency special election.  

Act 316 requires screening for depression for birth mothers within the first 6 weeks after birth and mandates that an insurance policy shall cover the cost of the screening.

Act 196 reduces the maximum potential unemployment compensation benefits. It also establishes the contribution rates of employers.

Act 106 disqualifies an individual from unemployment benefits if he or she fails to accept suitable work within 5 business days or fails to appear for a previously scheduled job interview on at least 2 occasions without notification. 

Act 587 requires an individual who submits a claim for unemployment benefits to complete at least 5 work search contacts per week to be eligible for unemployment benefits for the week.  

Act 160 requires a public housing authority to request federal approval if necessary to implement a work requirement for able-bodied adults in households that receive housing assistance. 

Several provisions of the Protect Arkansas Act also take effect also January 1, 2024. These provisions include requiring persons convicted of the most serious offenses to serve a greater percentage of their sentence prior to release. 

You can find a complete summary of all the legislation passed this year at arkansashouse.org.

Arkansas' congressional delegation give year end review of legislative year

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

In an interview with Arkies in the Beltway, a podcast produced by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas’ congressional delegation said they were satisfied with what their party, the Republicans, were able to accomplish.

This year was the first time Republicans had control of the House since 2018. U.S Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, said governing as the majority is more of a challenge than being the minority party.

U.S Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, said controlling one chamber of Congress in itself was a success, because it limited the legislation that Democrats were able to pass. Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 are the deadlines that the Democrats and Republicans will have to pass appropriations bills by. Crawford said this will be a challenge.

Arkansas' congressional delegation give year end review of legislative year

Zach Gibson/Getty Images

In 2024, Republicans will continue to be the majority party of the U.S House of Representatives. During the 2022 mid term election, Republicans gained control of the chamber.

Arkansas farmers expected to produce record soybean yields

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

It’s expected that Arkansas soybean yields could set a new record, with each acre yielding an estimated 53 bushels on average, said Jeremy Ross, soybean extension agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The increase is expected despite drought-like conditions throughout the Mississippi Delta Region in 2023. Better growing practices, including proactive irrigation, along with better plant genetics, early planting and favorable conditions for many of the state’s soybean farmers were other factors for improved yields, Ross said.

“We won’t have the final numbers until February, but there is potential for the yield average to be higher,” Ross said. “South Arkansas took it on the chin this spring with heavy rains and some very cold conditions after planting, in addition to several hailstorms in other parts of the state, but overall, it was a good year.”

Arkansas farmers expected to produce record soybean yields

Sound complaint lawsuit against Arkansas crypto mine company continues

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

Several Arkansans who live near a cryptocurrency mines are suing to stop the noise.

Crypto mines are large groups of computers designed to harvest cryptocurrency. They typically take up a full plot of land the length of a house. The noise from fans needed to keep the computers cool can be quite loud, emitting a constant high-pitched humming sound, audible from several blocks away.

Members of the Bono community of Greenbrier and Damascus are suing Newrays One LLC, one of many companies operating crypto mines in Arkansas. Residents seek punitive damages and are asking the company to stop mining in their community. The lawsuit alleges they are breaking sound laws and behaving negligently by not showing concern for their neighbors.

Sound complaint lawsuit against Arkansas crypto mine company continues

Mark Lennihan/AP

In this 2014 file photo, a man arrives for the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show in New York.

Gov. Sanders: 188th commander resigns over abortion policy

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders is citing the resignation of 188th Wing Commander Col. Dillon Patterson in a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that asks for repeal of a policy that pays for abortion-related costs for members of the military.

In a statement issued Tuesday (Jan. 2) afternoon, Gov. Sanders suggested Patterson resigned as 188th commander because he did not support the Department of Defense (DOD) policy on abortion access.

The 188th is based at Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith and has more than 1,000 unit members. The 188th’s three primary missions are remotely piloted aircraft (MQ-9 Reaper), intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (space-focused). As of Tuesday, Patterson was still listed as unit commander on the 188th website.

Gov. Sanders: 188th commander resigns over abortion policy

The MQ-9 Reaper arrives at the Fort Smith Regional Airport in 2021 as part of a 188th Wing exercise.

UAMS Regional Campuses Mark 50th Anniversary

By Chris Carmody

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in 2023 celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Regional Campuses, a network that has provided high-quality education and health care in rural and underserved communities throughout the state. 

UAMS Regional Campuses, originally known as the Arkansas Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program, were founded in 1973 to encourage UAMS medical school graduates to remain in Arkansas, as well as to help address the state’s shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians.  

AHEC programs began to take root across the nation after a 1970 report from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education outlined the urgent need to address a nationwide shortage of health professionals. With the support of then-Gov. Dale Bumpers, UAMS leaders and health professionals, the Arkansas General Assembly appropriated $1 million to establish the state’s program.  

UAMS Regional Campuses Mark 50th Anniversary

During its annual convention in November, the Arkansas Farm Bureau honored UAMS Regional Campuses with a plaque that recognized the 35th anniversary of the MASH program’s founding. The Arkansas Farm Bureau is a longtime supporter of MASH and other youth-outreach programs at UAMS. Image by Arkansas Farm Bureau

Cooperative Extension Service to host four federal crop insurance workshops in early 2024

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — The Cooperative Extension Service will host four workshops addressing federal crop insurance in January and February of 2024.

PROTECTING YOUR WORK — The Cooperative Extension Service will host four workshops addressing federal crop insurance in January and February of 2024. (DIvision of Agriculture photo.)

The workshops will be held Jan. 19 in Batesville, Jan. 22 in Pine Bluff, Jan. 30 in Forrest City and Feb. 20 in Monticello. The workshops are free to attend. Interested parties can register online. Agendas for the workshops can be found here.

Hunter Biram, agricultural economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the workshops will provide attendees with detailed information of many aspects of crop insurance programs.

"Participants can expect to receive information from agricultural economics faculty and USDA-RMA Navigators covering a wide array of federal crop insurance topics,” Biram said. “ Presentations will be given that describe how to apply for crop insurance with a local crop insurance agent and describe various products such as pasture insurance, whole-farm insurance, and yield and revenue insurance.

“There is a topic relevant for any operation regardless of whether a producer raises cattle, grows cash crops or produces fruits and vegetables,” he said. “Workbooks covering all these topics and more will be provided for registrants."

The first three workshops will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The final workshop, scheduled for Feb. 20, will run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Each workshop includes lunch or dinner. The workshops are supported by funding from USDA-NIFA, the Southern Risk Management Education Center, and the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, Biram said.

Each workshop will include presentations from Biram and other cooperative extension specialists, including livestock economist James Mitchell, RMA Navigator Project Specialist LaGrand Elliott, agricultural economist Ryan Loy and others.

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.

UAMS’ Robert Reis, Ph.D., Receives Award from International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences

By Chris Carmody

The International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences honored Robert J. Shmookler Reis, Ph.D., a professor and researcher in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine, with an award that recognizes advancements in clinical science.

Reis received the Jawahar (Jay) Mehta Annual Award for Clinical Scientist during the organization’s North American Section conference in Tampa, Florida.

Reis is a professor in the Department of Geriatrics and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He also serves as a senior research career scientist in the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.

UAMS’ Robert Reis, Ph.D., Receives Award from International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences

Robert J. Shmookler Reis, Ph.D.

YEAREND: As drought tightened cattle production, 2023 markets soared

LITTLE ROCK — Cattle market prices are as high as they’ve been in a decade. That’s good news for producers who have been able to maintain their herds in recent years, but a missed opportunity for those who weren’t.

HIGH DOLLAR — “It was an exciting year in terms of markets for cattle,” said the Division of Agriculture's James Mitchell said. “Cattle prices leading up to the fall were as high as we’ve seen them in 10 years — that had lots of people excited about the future. On the production side, it was exciting depending on who you asked.” (Image courtesy USDA.) 

Throughout most of the year, both futures and cash markets for steers, calves and more marked a vast improvement over 2022. By the last week of November, prices for medium and large No. 1 steer calves (weighing 500 to 600 pounds) were above $270 per hundredweight, more than $80 per hundredweight higher than the same time in 2022 and more than $100 higher than the average from 2017-2021.

James Mitchell, assistant professor and extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said that the benefits of high prices largely fell to those with access to good grazing and forage.

“It was an exciting year in terms of markets for cattle,” Mitchell said. “Cattle prices leading up to the fall were as high as we’ve seen them in 10 years — that had lots of people excited about the future. On the production side, it was exciting depending on who you asked.” 

A wide swath of droughty conditions has made its way down the middle of the United States over the last several years — affecting first the Northern Plains states such as Montana and Idaho in 2021-2022, then the Southern Plains of Kansas and Texas and finally the Southeast in 2023.

“About three-quarters of Arkansas was heavily affected,” Mitchell said. “The southeastern United States has been hit incredibly hard by drought. All of our neighbors to the east — Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida — are in a pretty tough spot, still very much in a drought. So for them, there’s not much they can do with these high prices, because they don’t have any grass or forage. There was nothing they could really do this winter, in terms of retaining calves.

“So you’ve got significant portions of cattle-producing states suffering through drought, forcing them to shrink or liquidate their herds because of a lack of forage,” he said. “When you have three consecutive years of that, you’re going to have a tightening of beef cow availability, which means you’ve got fewer calves being born each year. So you have tighter and tighter supplies, which of course leads to higher prices — assuming demand holds steady.”

In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the total U.S. beef cattle inventory was at its lowest since 1962, declining more than 3 percent from the previous year to 28.9 million head. The inventory reported an entire cattle inventory of 89.3 million. Mitchell said he believes the forthcoming USDA Cattle Inventory report, expected in January 2024, will reflect a fourth consecutive year of contracting cattle supply in the United States.

Of course, there’s almost nothing that can’t price itself out of the market. At a certain point, Mitchell said, consumer resiliency will give way to more competitive pricing for — in this case — other animal proteins, such as poultry, pork and fish.

“People consume less of something when it gets more expensive — it’s just a law of economics,” he said.

Mitchell said that rebuilding the country’s beef cattle inventory will be a multi-year process — one that can’t really even begin under the persistence of drought.

“Pastures are going to have to recover before we see any discussion of expanding cattle numbers,” he said. “Even if that does occur, it’s going to take a couple of years for that expansion to be noticed. We don’t have the cows; it’s going to take a year to develop heifers, another year for them to give us calves, and so on. So we’re looking at a few more years of declining cattle numbers.

“An important thing that’s different from 2014-2015, is that it’s going to be more expensive to buy back in and expand herds,” Mitchell said. “Interest rates are higher than they were 10 years ago. We expanded the herds very rapidly in 2014, we did that with low interest rates — so capital was inexpensive. That should lead to more careful calculation in terms of how we decide to expand herds.”

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.