Cotton introduces legislation to mandate review of cases that used Chevron as basis

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Bureaucratic Overreach Review Act. The legislation would review federal court decisions on laws, regulations, and legal cases that used the recently overturned Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. case as the basis for their decisions. The bill would also direct federal agencies to review litigation where the agency relied upon Chevron to support its interpretation of a regulation or law.

“Overturning Chevron was a victory for Americans and the Constitution. Congress should make laws, not unelected bureaucrats. My legislation will make sure the verdicts that used Chevron to justify government overreach are reviewed,” said Senator Cotton.

Text of the bill may be found here.

The Bureaucratic Overreach Review Act would:

• Require the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress that identifies where the federal courts have relied upon Chevron to reach a decision in favor of deference.

• Require federal agencies to conduct a review of cases where the agency was a party and accorded Chevron deference.

U.S. Senators Boozman, Moran, Colleagues Call on VA to Correct Policies Impacting Veteran Access to Care

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) in urging Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to quickly correct policy initiatives making it harder for veterans to receive care.

In 2018, Congress passed the MISSION Act, which increased access to care for veterans by expanding their ability to be seen by health care providers in their communities. However, recent actions by VA leaders indicate the department may be limiting community care options for veterans.

“Congress has never failed to provide VA with the resources required to fulfill its mission,” wrote the Senators. “If you believe that VA lacks the funding to provide the level of access to care that veterans deserve in VA and in the community, it is incumbent on you to reprioritize resources from non-patient care areas and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, not to unilaterally implement purported cost-savings measures that, even as an unintended consequence, decrease veteran choice and endanger veteran lives.”

Boozman and Moran were joined on the letter by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Thune (R-SD), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Ted Budd (R-NC). 

Read the letter here and below. 

Dear Secretary McDonough,

We write to you today to reaffirm veterans’ right to community care and to urge you to quickly correct policy initiatives that are endangering the lives of veterans. Ten years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suffered through a nationwide access to care crisis. Six years ago, the enactment of the MISSION Act expanded the ability of veterans to seek care in the community. For countless veterans, the convenience, accessibility, and control that community care offers is life-saving. In the years since the MISSION Act was enacted, the VA healthcare system has seen significant increases in enrollment, utilization, and reliance, as well as improvements in key measures of quality and veteran trust. However, a recent shift in strategy at VA is jeopardizing these significant gains for our veterans.

In January, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, commissioned a panel (“Red Team”) to “assess the trends and drivers of increasing community care spending.” VA leaders – including yourself – addressed the Red Team and provided it with select data and briefings that contributed to the conclusion that frames community care as “a potential existential threat” to VA’s direct care system, rather than the vital lifeline it is for veterans and for VA. Among the Red Team’s recommendations are suggestions that VA save money by reducing community care referrals for veterans seeking emergency, oncology, and mental health care. Veterans in need of these services are among the most vulnerable and high-risk. It is unconscionable that VA would consider leaving them with fewer options to seek needed care. 

VA claims that the Red Team’s work was independent, and that their findings are still under consideration. However, a dramatic increase in the number of reports from veterans and their family members, as well as from whistleblowers working in VA medical facilities, about administrative practices suggest that VA is already operating in accordance with the Red Team’s recommendations. For example, in one recent case, VA cancelled the community care authorization of a veteran who had just two treatments left to complete a course of successful chemotherapy in his hometown. In another case, VA denied a veteran with a recurrence of cancer the opportunity to seek radiation and chemotherapy in the community, as he did during his previous cancer battle, following surgery that will leave him unable to communicate and without a means of transportation to-and-from his VA medical center.

We are also hearing from a number of veterans who had been receiving non-narcotic pain relief treatments outside of VA medical facilities who are now having their community care authorizations revoked. This appears to stem from another Red Team recommendation. Many of the veterans in this situation who have contacted our offices for help have been offered few alternatives in place of community care other than VA-provided opioid prescriptions. In one case, an opioid prescription was the only alternate treatment VA offered a veteran recovering from an addiction. This is contrary not just to law, veteran preference, and best medical interest but also to VA’s Opioid Safety Initiative, which has a stated goal of decreasing opioid prescriptions among veterans and better utilizing non-narcotic methods of managing pain. 

In line with these examples from veterans, VA whistleblowers have disclosed the establishment of burdensome processes to have VA medical center leaders highly scrutinize community care referrals in an effort to recapture care in VA medical facilities. Given that the VA healthcare system recently initiated a strategic hiring pause and is actively working to reduce staff by 10,000 employees, we share the concern expressed by these whistleblowers about the impact that increased reliance on VA’s direct care system will have not just on wait times for veterans in need of care, but also on VA staff who are already being asked to do more with less. Independently, these policy goals are cause for concern. Together, they risk the welfare of veterans and VA’s workforce.

We are also alarmed by the volume of concerns we are hearing from veterans and VA staff who attribute limitations on care in the community to a lack of funding for VA. You have assured us that VA has adequate funding and VA’s most recent budget submission, for the second fiscal year in a row, did not request additional funding over the advance appropriations VA received in the last budget cycle. Yet, veterans and VA staff continue to assert that they are unable to move forward with community care referrals because of alleged budget shortfalls. Congress has never failed to provide VA with the resources required to fulfill its mission. Furthermore, VA data shows that community care is more cost-effective than VA’s direct care system, with VA’s projections of global relative value units (RVUs) showing an average cost of just $58 per RVU in the community compared to $116 per RVU in the direct care system. Regardless, if you believe that VA lacks the funding to provide the level of access to care that veterans deserve, in VA and in the community, it is incumbent on you to reprioritize resources from non-patient care areas and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, not to unilaterally implement purported cost-savings measures that, even as an unintended consequence, decrease veteran choice and endanger veteran lives.

Many of the veterans who have shared their complaints with our offices are willing to do whatever it takes to continue accessing care in their communities. This includes paying out of pocket, even if they are on limited incomes. The MISSION Act was designed, in part, to avoid this unacceptable outcome. VA must embrace both the spirit and letter of that transformational piece of legislation to ensure this does not continue. Doing anything less is detrimental to the progress VA has made through the MISSION Act and a personal affront to veterans across the country.

For these reasons and more, we ask that you act without delay to refute the Red Team’s recommendations and issue guidance and retraining materials to all VA staff reaffirming veterans’ right to seek community care. Our nation’s veterans are waiting. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Four of 11 Arkansas-based publicly-held companies post share gains through June

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Among the 11 largest Arkansas-based publicly traded companies, only four reported gains in their stock prices over the first two quarters ending June 28. Most of the decliners were among banks and shipping companies based in the state.

The largest Arkansas stock by market cap is Bentonville-based Walmart which closed out the first half of 2024 with stock gains of 28.92%, the highest growth among its Arkansas cohorts. Walmart shares (NYSE: WMT) closed on June 28 at $67.71 compared to $52.52 where the stock opened trading on Jan. 2. Walmart also grew its market capitalization by $122.7 billion since Jan. 2, the first trading day of the year. The market capitalization of Walmart shares closed out the first half of 2024 at $544.63 billion.

Close behind Walmart is El Dorado-based Murphy USA. The gasoline and convenience retailer operates more than 1,700 U.S. stores. Shares of Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) increased in value by 28.48% in the first six months of 2024. The stock opened the year at $365.39 and closed at $469.46 on June 28. The share price has retreated from weaker-than-expected earnings reported in May. However, the company has grown its market capitalization to $9.6 billion, up from $7.58 billion at the start of 2024.

Four of 11 Arkansas-based publicly-held companies post share gains through June

Abortion amendment delivers signatures; FOIA, education, ‘pink’ tax fail

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Supporters of an amendment that would legalize abortion in Arkansas submitted signatures to qualify for the November ballot on Friday afternoon (July 5), the last day to do so.

However, efforts to change the state’s education system, enshrine the Freedom of Information Act into the Constitution, and remove the sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products, also known as the “pink tax,” fell short of the required number of signatures.

Earlier in the day, signatures were submitted by groups supporting proposed constitutional amendments that would expand medical marijuana access in Arkansas and would revoke the Pope County casino license while allowing for local option voting for casinos.

Abortion amendment delivers signatures; FOIA, education, ‘pink’ tax fail

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives grant to help protect endangered species

KUAR | By Maggie Ryan

Arkansas is the recipient of new funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has received nearly $2.2 million in a grant to purchase land where three endangered species live.

The grant, announced Monday in a press release, will be used to purchase just under 1,100 acres around the Upper Little Red River Watershed.

The area is inhabited by the yellowcheek darter, the speckled pocketbook mussel, and the northern long-eared bat, all of which are endangered species.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives grant to help protect endangered species

Pedro Ardapple-Kindberg/U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service

A male yellowcheek darter on South Fork of upper Little Red River.

Paddlesports see national rise in fatalities

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Sales of canoes, kayaks and paddleboards have surged since 2020, with more Americans than ever taking to the water aboard a paddling craft. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, boating fatalities associated with padding craft have increased as well.

According to the USCG’s 2023 Boating Statistics, 304 injuries requiring medical attention were recorded last year from paddle craft operators, resulting in 189 fatalities. This accounted for nearly one-third of the total boating fatalities recorded during the year. Arkansas, however, bucked this trend, recording only two fatalities.

Sydney Grant, AGFC boating safety coordinator at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Hot Springs regional office, says boaters should still pay heed to the warning, especially as the summer sun drives many more users to Arkansas’s waterways.

“Motorboats still make up the vast majority of our accidents and fatalities here,” Grant said. “But we want everyone out there to make it home safely, and it really only takes a little extra effort to do so.”

Paddlesports see national rise in fatalities

Tropical Storm Beryl Briefing from the National Weather Service

Areas from southwest to north-central Arkansas could see the highest totals (isolated 4-6 inch amounts)

This map shows rainfall totals through Tuesday night, which includes some rainfall expected before Beryl moves through.

• TS Beryl will move onshore along the Texas coast late tonight into early Monday morning, likely as a hurricane.

• Beryl will quickly weaken and move toward the north then northeast, traveling across east/northeast Texas Monday into early Tuesday morning.

• The remnants of Beryl are expected to move across Arkansas from Monday afternoon through Tuesday before lifting northeast of the state by early Wednesday morning.

• The remnants of Beryl could provide some locally heavy rain and perhaps a few tornadoes/damaging wind gusts across Arkansas from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon.

NOTE: Do not focus on the exact track. Impacts can occur well outside the area enclosed by the cone

Avian influenza, USDA-APHIS response topic of NALC’s July 17 webinar

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In the more than two years since the current outbreak began, highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has proven to be a highly adaptable foe, infecting not only poultry, but also dairy cattle and their human handlers.

Brook Duer, staff attorney at Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, will present the National Ag Law Center's July 17 webinar on HPAI in poultry and cattle. (Image courtesy Brook Duer)

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or USDA-APHIS, 97.26 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks, as well as 137 dairy cattle herds, have been affected since the current outbreak’s start in February 2022. In a June 2024 technical report, the CDC reported that the virus has also infected three farm workers in Texas and Michigan this year.

Since December 2023, the number of states where HPAI has been detected has risen from 27 to 48. Since May 24, 2024, 6.41 million birds have been affected, according to USDA-APHIS.

Brook Duer, staff attorney at Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, said that HPAI remains as virulent and easily transmissible in poultry as when the industry first experienced an outbreak in 2015.

“We are in uncharted territory with HPAI in poultry — it is by far the largest animal disease event in U.S. history,” Duer said. “HPAI may already be a permanent backdrop to poultry and egg production.”

The foundational statutes, regulations, manuals and procedures that give USDA-APHIS its authority will be examined through the lens of HPAI outbreaks in poultry and cattle during the NALC’s next webinar, “HPAI in Poultry and Cattle: How Can We Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?” The webinar will be presented by Duer.

The spillover to dairy cattle has brought more insights and questions. Each host species’ unique response to the virus is vastly different and the virus can mutate quickly, Duer said.

“With dairy cattle, the disease can go nearly undetected through traditional observation of symptoms. This allows it to reach a point in the food production supply chain where pasteurization becomes the primary tool. That might be seen as uncomfortably close to the consumer,” Duer said. “Understanding how USDA-APHIS’ response has progressed to date, and why, will allow producers to better anticipate what research still needs to be done to get the answers producers want.”

The webinar will be held Wednesday, July 17 at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is no cost and available online.

HPAI is not only a threat to animals, but also to humans. On June 5, 2024, a 59-year-old man from Mexico City became the first person to die from HPAI. The man did have prior health complications and the source of exposure is unknown, according to Reuters.

Duer said much more still needs to be known about transmission and impact in humans. More extensive, and potentially expensive, detection methods may become routine and legally required at earlier stages.

“With the outbreak of HPAI in dairy cattle and cases of human illness, this topic is extremely important to agricultural producers,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “Brook will give producers a greater understanding of where things are at with HPAI, what USDA-APHIS is doing to resolve the situation and what producers should know about the disease.”

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.

Invasive tick found in Boone County cattle, July 11 webinar to address concerns

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK – A tick found in a Boone County cattle herd has been confirmed as the invasive Asian longhorned tick, known for carrying a parasite that can be deadly to cattle.

TICKING UP – Asian longhorned tick populations are increasing in Arkansas.

The Asian longhorned tick, also known as bush, cattle or scrub tick, was first found in Arkansas in 2018 on a dog in Benton County. The tick can kill its host by swarming the animal but can also transmit a protozoan parasite called Theileria orientalis. One Theileria genotype, Ikdea, can impact cattle by attacking blood cells.

Since its arrival in Arkansas, the Asian longhorned tick has been confirmed in Benton, Independence and Washington counties with Boone County added last month.

Three researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are collecting ticks as part of a broad surveillance project. They include extension entomologist Kelly Loftin; veterinarian and animal science professor Jeremy Powell; and assistant professor of entomology Emily McDermott. The team aims to evaluate the prevalence of Asian longhorned ticks in Arkansas, determine whether Theileria orientalis is present in the tick population and evaluate host preference.

“Surveillance efforts in 2024 began in April and we’ve seen a significant increase in the Asian longhorned tick population from both on-animal and environmental tick collections,” Loftin said. “In our 2023 collection efforts we found eight to 10 ticks at our site in Batesville and this year we found over 200. That site in Batesville has the most dramatic increase I’ve seen.”

In addition to the spread of the tick, more confirmed cases of Theileria orientalis have recently been confirmed in Arkansas cattle with Boone and Searcy counties reporting cases.

“Arkansas producers should be aware of the risk of Theileria infection in their cattle herd, but not alarmed,” said Maggie Justice, beef cattle extension specialist for the Division of Agriculture. “Understanding how the disease spreads and the best methods of prevention are important in helping herds, so it’s important producers utilize resources and knowledge available through their veterinarians and local county extension agents.”

Justice said cattle that are infected may look like those that have been impacted by anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease common in Arkansas. She added that signs of sickness can make the animal appear weak and “off” with an abnormal attitude, not eating and decreasing gains.

The Division of Agriculture, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association are partnering to host a webinar to discuss how to look for the Asian longhorned tick, signs of Theileria orientalis infection, prevention methods and more.

The webinar will be at 6 p.m. on July 11 and is free to attend. Those interested can register online.

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.

High tunnels, Arkansas Diamonds featured at 2024 Horticulture Field Day

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

HOPE, Ark. — Last week 97 growers, gardeners and horticulture enthusiasts headed to Hope, Arkansas to hear about fruit, vegetable and ornamental research being conducted at the Southwest Research and Extension Center.

MITEY DAMAGING — Division of Agriculture's Aaron Cato talks increased mite pressure in high tunnel grown blackberries at the 2024 Horticulture Field Day. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

The 2024 Horticulture Field Day featured extension specialists, educators and county agents with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. They covered topics including pest management, produce washing, nutrition and more.

“We enjoyed being able to show off the hard work being done on our station,” said Daniel Rivera, director of the Southwest Research and Extension Center. “We have a lot of young faculty conducting research here and I’m glad we were able to highlight them to our local stakeholders.”

Managing melonworm in pumpkins

Aaron Cato, extension horticulture integrated pest management specialist for the Division of Agriculture, gave an overview of recent research targeting key pests of pumpkins and tomatoes in Arkansas. Recent data from Cato’s pumpkin trials suggest there may be cultural control options for melonworms, a major pest in Arkansas pumpkins.

“We trialed eight varieties of pumpkins that are derived from four different species of cucurbits,” Cato said. “We found that all varieties derived from Cucurbita pepo, including all of the jack-o-lanterns we grow, are highly attractive to melonworm. Some pumpkin varieties from Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita maxima, including varieties like Jarrahdale and Fairytale, did not attract melonworm.”

Cato said with this data, growers can tailor melonworm management to fit their operation, potentially decreasing the number of pesticide applications needed.

“This tells us that not all pumpkins need to be controlled the same when considering melonworm,” Cato said. “We are currently working on cultural controls and thresholds for using insecticides in susceptible jack-o-lantern varieties.”

Cato said the goal of this project is to create a framework for growing damage-free pumpkins in Arkansas.

Insect management in tomatoes

Cato and his team have been trialing insecticide efficacy in tomatoes at the SWREC for four years and have found that many go-to products for tomato producers may not be as effective as once thought.

“We’ve found a number of common insecticides that we use now don’t control tomato fruitworm very well, including pyretheroids like Warrior,” Cato said. “However, newer products like Coragen and Proclaim have been established as standards for fruitworm control in Arkansas tomato production.”

For other common tomato pests, good news may be on the horizon with a new product potentially hitting the shelves within the next few years.

“One issue growers commonly face is how to control a combination of pests including tomato fruitworm, stinkbugs and spider mites, which are common at the same time in South Arkansas,” Cato said. “We have been trialing an unregistered pesticide, Plinazolin, for three years and it has shown great efficacy controlling all three of these pests. This level of control in one product across all three of these pests is something we’ve never had before.”

Cato said he is hopeful the product will hit the market for tomatoes in the next one to two years.

High tunnel production

Taunya Ernst, high tunnel and urban agriculture educator for the Division of Agriculture, gave an overview of pros and cons of high tunnel production in the southeast and Mid-South.

“One of the biggest advantages we get from using high tunnels is season extension,” Ernst said. “We can go to market earlier and stay longer, extending farm revenue periods.”

High tunnels also offer protection from adverse weather and allow growers to produce high quality produce with greater predictability. One major disadvantage, however, is increased pest and disease pressure.

“While the environment inside the high tunnel can promote faster plant growth, it also favors rapid reproduction of many insect pests,” Ernst said. “And while we may see a decrease in diseases spread by splashing water, the more humid environment in the tunnel will be more favorable for other common diseases like botrytis.”

However, Ernst said by implementing effective management strategies like ventilation and crop rotation, disease pressure in a high tunnel can be lessened. Ernst has outlined these management strategies, as well as more information on high tunnel production, on the Cooperative Extension Service website.

Arkansas Diamonds

Extension ornamental specialist Anthony Bowden gave attendees a tour of in trials for the Arkansas Diamond Program. This program is a partnership of the Arkansas Green Industry Association, the Division of Agriculture, local growers and independent garden centers designed to identify and promote plants that grow well in Arkansas’ climate. Bowden noted some changes to the program for 2025.

“Edible plants, such as peppers, have historically not been included in the Arkansas Diamond Program and that’s going to change in 2025,” Bowden said. “Also beginning next year, we are transitioning from a one-year trialing period to a two-year period to better gauge how these plants perform in the state long term.”

The Arkansas Green Industry Association lists all current Arkansas Diamond plants and participating nurseries on their website.

Mention of brand names does not imply endorsement by 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.

UAMS Earns $750,000 Federal Grant to Relaunch Family Medicine Residency Program in El Dorado

By Philip Allison

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has earned a $750,000 federal grant to help reestablish a family medicine residency program in El Dorado.

The grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. UAMS is one of just 15 organizations nationwide to receive funding from an $11 million effort to launch medical residency programs in rural communities.

UAMS will use the grant for curriculum development, recruiting and training faculty and staff and other costs associated with achieving accreditation and sustainability.

UAMS Earns $750,000 Federal Grant to Relaunch Family Medicine Residency Program in El Dorado

‘Bedrock’ units to train F-35 pilots in Fort Smith are activated

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Military units activated during World War II to train pilots for operations in Africa and the Aleutian Islands in what was then the U.S. Territory of Alaska were reactivated Tuesday (July 2) to train foreign military pilots at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith.

The 85th Fighter Group and the 57th Fighter Squadron, both under the Eglin, Fla.-based 33rd Fighter Wing, will be based at Ebbing and are the “bedrock” of training for F-35 pilots from numerous U.S. and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allied countries, noted Rob Ator, a retired Air Force colonel and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission director of Military Affairs.

“Of the three big things that had to happen, we needed this to happen. So now we have the core of the instructors, and then we have to have the runway available, and then we have to have aircraft arrival. And that’s all going to happen by the end of Fall,” Ator said Tuesday.

‘Bedrock’ units to train F-35 pilots in Fort Smith are activated

Col. Nicholas Ihde visits with media Tuesday (July 2) after a formal ceremony recognizing him as incoming commander of the 85th Fighter Group.

Nashville teen serves as Senate Page

WASHINGTON –– Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts student Katherine Quintanilla traded in the scenes of the Hot Springs campus for the opportunity to navigate the corridors of the U.S. Capitol as a Senate Page this summer.

Quintanilla served as one of 52 Senate Pages who prepared the U.S. Senate chamber for the day’s business by distributing documents to senators’ desks, assisting in the cloakrooms, supporting chamber staff, and – when Congress was in session – sitting near the dais waiting to help members delivering remarks or casting votes.

“It was an honor and privilege to have been able to work as a Senate Page for Senator Boozman and represent the state of Arkansas. Never in my life did I think I would be able to see the inner workings of our government and interact with senators. Being able to witness firsthand potential legislation on the Senate floor was incredible and working on Capitol Hill was the experience of a lifetime,” Quintanilla said. 

The 17-year-old rising senior originally from Nashville, Arkansas earned her appointment to the position from U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR).

“Katherine did an excellent job supporting the day-to-day activity of the Senate and gained a rare perspective on the legislative process. I am hopeful this experience will inspire her to pursue a lifetime of civic engagement. Our entire state can be proud by her service and contributions to this prestigious program,” Boozman said. 

Quintanilla is an active member of the Future Business Leaders of America and participated in Arkansas Girls State earlier this summer. She also founded the Syrian Emergency Task Force club at her school, which advocates for an end to the civil war in Syria and collaborates with other chapters in the state to promote humanitarian assistance for victims.

Katherine is the daughter of Carlos and Berta Quintanilla. 

The Senate Page program started in 1829 when Senator Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate Page. Today, the program is a unique, highly selective opportunity for high school juniors with a strong academic standing to learn firsthand about the institution often referred to as “the world’s greatest deliberative body.”

Senate Page Katherine Quintanilla and Senator John Boozman

Arkansas ends fiscal year with tax revenue surplus just under $700 million

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

Arkansas tax revenue totaled more than $8.7 billion in the fiscal year ending June 30, with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) reporting Tuesday (July 2) an annual revenue surplus of $698.4 million.

Total revenue in the fiscal year (July 2023-June 2024) was $8.708 billion, down 1.6% compared with the previous fiscal year and  0.2% below the forecast.

“The year-over-year decline in net available and gross general revenues is primarily attributed to the expected effects of income tax cuts passed in 2023,” the DFA noted in the report.

Arkansas ends fiscal year with tax revenue surplus just under $700 million

Arkansas grocery store reopens in wake of mass shooting that left 4 dead

From the Associated Press:

Google Image

The sounds that filled the Mad Butcher grocery store on Tuesday — the beeping barcode scanners, the rattle of shopping carts and cash register drawers opening — were familiar ones for customers and employees of the only grocery store in the small Arkansas town of Fordyce.

But this was not a normal day for the store, which reopened 11 days after a shooter killed four people and injured 10 others in Mad Butcher and its parking lot. Community leaders called Tuesday’s reopening an important part of the healing process for a town of 3,200 shocked by the mass shooting.

“It’s more than a store,” said Dallas County Sheriff Mike Knoedel, who had responded to the shooting and was on hand for the store’s reopening. “It’s a meeting place. Every time I’m in this store, I’m in it two or three times a week, you’re talking to neighbors. Everybody knows everybody.”

Arkansas grocery store reopens in wake of mass shooting that left 4 dead

Circuit court denies TikTok's motion to dismiss, deceptive trade practices lawsuit will continue in Union County

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement after the Union County Circuit Court denied a motion by TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to dismiss Griffin’s lawsuit against the social media platform:

“I applaud the court’s decision to allow our lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance to proceed. This marks the third time this year that a lawsuit I have brought against a social media platform has cleared this important legal hurdle.

“TikTok argued that the court did not have personal jurisdiction over the defendants in this case, that our claims under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act should fail, and that the claims are preempted. The court rightfully rejected all three arguments.

“Arkansas is leading the way in holding social media platforms accountable for how they represent themselves to customers and the type of content and algorithms they contain. I will continue to stand up for Arkansans and ensure TikTok keeps our private information out of the hands of the Chinese government.”

To read a copy of the court’s decision, click here.

For a printer-friendly version of this release, click here.

Governor Sanders supports USDA disaster assistance for Arkansas agriculture

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today submitted a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in support of the request by the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency for a Secretarial Disaster Declaration and the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP).  The letter is linked here.

“My dad was fond of saying that if a country can’t feed itself, fuel itself, or fight for itself, then it cannot survive. Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry, contributing more than $20 billion to our economy each year and employing one in seven Arkansans. It is also an integral part of our way of life,” said Governor Sanders. “I am in full support of the recent request by the Arkansas USDA Farm Service Agency for a Secretarial Disaster Declaration and approval of the Emergency Forest Restoration Program.”

The letter is in response to several strong storms that passed through Arkansas in April and May of this year that negatively impacted Arkansas agricultural producers and forest landowners.  Multiple tornadoes from severe storms on May 25-26 caused significant forest damage in northern Arkansas.  The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division estimates that the storms impacted over 24,000 acres of forestland with an estimated loss of $18.4 million.  

Recent storms also caused negative impacts to the livestock and poultry industry through damage to pastureland, fences, and damaged or destroyed poultry houses.  Row crop and specialty crop producers in multiple counties have also experienced significant damage and loss to various crops including apples, grapes, berries, corn, soybeans, cotton, rice, and some grasses.  

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has worked in coordination with the Governor’s office to help the agriculture industry following the damaging storms, including providing more than 40 forestry personnel in cleanup efforts and storm evaluations in affected areas. This assistance has included debris removal and access to roadways and utilities, community assistance with planning for debris removal and tree replanting, and clearing trails and other damage at Hobbs State Park. 

Forest landowners seeking assistance with forest management decisions, individual damage assessments, and value of downed timber should contact a consulting forester.  The Arkansas Department of Agriculture may also be able to provide general education and direction to those impacted by the storms.  Additional information about the Arkansas Department of Agriculture can be found at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture website. 

A compilation of available assistance can be found at helparkansas.com.  

Additional information about USDA Disaster Assistance Programs can be found at the  USDA website.  Further, under A.C.A. 26-51-314, payments from an agricultural disaster program to a cattle farmer or rancher are exempt from state income tax.

Arkansas Aerospace & Defense Alliance holds first ever meeting in NEA

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Aerospace & Defense Alliance held its first-ever meeting in Northeast Arkansas on Wednesday (June 26). Members gathered at the Arkansas Aeroplex and Arkansas Northeastern College. County leaders gave aerospace and economic updates.

The Arkansas Aeroplex is home to 40 commercial businesses, including Aviation Repair Technologies (ART), a member of the Arkansas Aerospace & Defense Alliance. The Aeroplex, formerly Eaker Air Force Base, features an 11,600-foot-long, 300-foot-wide runway and is the designated site of the National Cold War Center, scheduled to open in 2027.

“We are laser-focused on growing the aerospace and defense industry in Arkansas and promoting the members we have across the state, including those located in Mississippi County, Aviation Repair Technologies (ART) and the Arkansas Aeroplex,” Arkansas Aerospace & Defense Alliance executive director Chad Causey said. “We are appreciative of the invitation to come to the Aeroplex and explore the growth potential that exists here for the industry and our state.”

Arkansas Aerospace & Defense Alliance holds first ever meeting in NEA

Eaker Air Force Base.

$60 million in federal funds available for Arkansas water projects

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

About $60 million will be spent on statewide water and infrastructure needs. The funds are part of the American Rescue Plan that was passed by Congress in 2021.

Gov. Sarah Sanders said $55 million will be used on water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure projects and $5 million for the Arkansas Rural Water Association to assist water and wastewater systems across the state. The legislature approved the funds in Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC) late last month.

“My administration has worked with our federal partners to appropriately put money into Arkansas’ water infrastructure development, and this announcement adds to that commitment, Every Arkansan deserves safe and accessible drinking water, and with this funding, we will move closer to that goal,” she said.

$60 million in federal funds available for Arkansas water projects

Image from the City of Fort Smith

Feds award $25 million grant for I-49 segment in the Fort Smith metro

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

The almost 14-mile segment of Interstate 49 to be built in Crawford and Sebastian counties between I-40 in Alma and Highway 22 in Barling has received a $25 million federal grant and is in the running for another $250 million federal grant.

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) said Thursday (June 27) that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $25 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant for use on the I-49 segment. The money comes from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. No members of Arkansas’ Congressional delegation voted for the legislation.

“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse – and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of every size across the country,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to move around their community, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and improve supply chains to keep costs down for consumers.”

Feds award $25 million grant for I-49 segment in the Fort Smith metro