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Arkansas House of Representatives Weekly Post 11-25-2021

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Small businesses are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods and the lifeblood of our local economy. 

In Arkansas, small businesses make up the majority of the business landscape, at 99.3% of all businesses in the state. This equates to 258,552 businesses. Small businesses can be found in every corner of our state. 

Small Business Saturday is the day after Black Friday. It is a day to celebrate and support small businesses and what they do for communities. If you are looking for a way to find unique gifts while also supporting the local economy, Small Business Saturday is the perfect day to do so. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Politics

Arkansas Needs Tim Griffin

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Opinion: When it comes to candidates for Attorney General in the State of Arkansas, none can rise above or outshine Tim Griffin. To be frank, Tim Griffin will be the Attorney General Arkansas is going to need for the foreseeable future.

Few would argue with the statement, “There is no substitute for experience” and Griffin’s resume is a sounding board of experience. However, he is not only experienced in state law and politics, but he also has a background extending from federal law to Washington D.C. and into the heart of the United States Military.

Starting in 1995 Griffin gained experience working on an investigation into the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.  He served as the Senior Investigative Counsel for the House Committee on Government Reform.  In 1999 he was the Deputy Research Direct for the RNC and worked directly with George Bush on the election campaign. In 2005, Griffin worked directly with the White House as a Special Assistant to the President.  By 2006, Griffin was appointed to serve as a United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. 

Tim would go on to run for Congress and win. He served two terms before deciding to come home to Arkansas and raise his family. In Arkansas, he has served two terms as the Lieutenant Governor. While serving and working in D.C. and Arkansas, Griffin also managed to serve in the United States Army Reserve where he currently holds the rank of Colonel. Tim served in the Iraq War and earned numerous awards for his service.

Arkansas faces an unprecedented time of potential and outright overreach from the federal government.  That overreach has gone into schools, challenged the rights of the Second Amendment, included vaccine mandates, and regulations put in place which directly hurt Arkansas families and workers.  We need Griffin to face these challenges. The Arkansas Attorney General’s office is the largest staffed state office serving the citizens of Arkansas.  There are more than 100 attorneys working directly under the Attorney General to ensure the rights and liberties of Arkansas citizens are not violated.  There is simply no better person than Tim Griffin to lead this fight.  He knows Washington, he knows Congress, he knows the law, and he knows the plight of our veterans.  Tim Griffin has the background, the experience, the knowledge, and most importantly the dedication to lead Arkansas as we face these challenging legal times ahead. 

When you go to the polls in May and again in November, remember Arkansas is in a fight for the future of your children. The battles in the court systems today will determine the freedoms, the rights, and the future for all of us in Arkansas. The choice can not be any clearer. The only person prepared to fight for us in the next four years is Tim Griffin. Tim’s experience, leadership, and skill will propel us into positions of victory for Arkansas. You must cast your vote for the future of Arkansas and that means you must vote for Tim Griffin as your next Attorney General of Arkansas. Tim’s campaign is online: Tim Griffin
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Filed under: Arkansas, Essays/Opinion, Politics

Miller County Republican Committee to Host Former State Chair Doyle Webb

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Former State Chair Doyle Webb, candidate for Arkansas Lt. Governor will speak at the November Republican Meeting. Miller County, AR: The Miller County Republican Committee (MCRC) will hold their monthly meeting Tuesday, November 9, at Reggies Burger on Stateline. The meeting will start at 6:30 and feature guest speaker Doyle Webb. Webb is a former Chair of the Republican Party of Arkansas and a candidate for Lt. Governor of Arkansas. Webb will speak first, followed by a ten-minute recess to allow guests and members to talk directly with Webb. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Miller County, Politics

Westerman Delivers Remarks at The Unveiling of Arkansas Quartz

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Berns Quartz

WASHINGTON – October 27, Congressman Bruce Westerman attended the unveiling of the Berns Quartz in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the largest quartz crystal specimen ever to go on public display. It weighs more than 8,000 pounds and stands six and one-half feet tall. The quartz was discovered at the Coleman Mine in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains in 2016. “It is great to have a little piece of Arkansas in Washington, D.C. where visitors from all over the world can see the beauty of Arkansas and learn more about all our state has to offer,” said Congressman Westerman.“I am honored to witness the unveiling of such a magnificent specimen found right in our backyard. Arkansas is truly blessed with incredible resources. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Politics

Arkansas House of Representatives Update 10-29-21

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According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 363,781 people in Arkansas, or 14.8% of the adult population, have diabetes. 

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and the number one cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness. In the last 20 years, the number of adults nationwide diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled. November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes and its devastating consequences. People with diabetes have medical expenses approximately 2.3 times higher than those who do not have diabetes. Diabetes and prediabetes cost an estimated $3.1 billion in Arkansas each year. 

In the most recent legislative session, we passed Act 643, which mandates that the Arkansas Medicaid Program cover a continuous glucose monitor for an individual if the individual has either a presence of Type 1 diabetes or any other sort of diabetes with the use of insulin more than two times daily. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Politics

Arkansas House Delegation Opposes a Federal Vaccine Mandate on Schools

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Washington, DC—On October 20, 2021, Congressman Steve Womack joined Congressman Bruce Westerman, Congressman Rick Crawford, and Congressman French Hill in sending a letter to Department of Education (DOE) Secretary Miguel Cardona opposing a federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate on public schools. “Education policies are best handled at the local level – not by Washington bureaucrats,” said Rep. Womack. “We don’t need the federal government inserting itself where it does not belong. Our school leaders and families are more than capable to work together and make choices that are best for students. Arkansas will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our children.” Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Politics

Michael Rayburn Announces Candidacy for District 8 Justice of the Peace in Miller County

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Image provided by Elect Michael Rayburn for District 8 JP

Miller County, AR: Michael Rayburn is announcing his candidacy for Justice of the Peace of District 8. Rayburn is a 1998 graduate of Genoa High School and a Navy veteran. He holds a Bachelor of History and a Masters in business. In 2018, he retired from the Navy and returned to his hometown of Genoa to raise his family.

While serving twenty years in the Navy, Rayburn served in a variety of capacities. He was the Lead Financial Counselor for a large Navy Command where he had to oversee 2400 sailors and their training. He also taught at Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University where his primary focus was to help hundreds of people learn how to become debt-free and retire with financial freedom. During his last six years in the Navy, he was stationed at the National Security Agency as a Cryptologist.

Rayburn currently operates a vending machine company and Oxi Fresh Carpet Cleaning of Texarkana. He has since opened Oxi Fresh in Sherman, De Kalb, and Clarksville Texas, and has taken over the operation of the Oxi Fresh in Shreveport and Bossier City Louisiana.

Rayburn is a member of the Miller County Republican Committee where he has been active and represented the public as a member of the Miller County Elections Commission.  Rayburn has turned in his resignation to the Elections Commission and will focus his political experience from that position on his run for Justice of the Peace of District 8. 

Michael and his wife Cherrie plan to continue to live in Genoa and raise their three children in that area.  Rayburn states that during his time in the Navy he was in twenty-three different countries, and despite being able to see the world, he could not wait until it was time to retire.  Rayburn says he had one place and one place only where he wanted to spend his life and that was Miller County, Arkansas.  Rayburn says he feels a strong need to serve the community where he grew up and the place he has always called home. Additional information about Michael Rayburn for District 8 Justice of the Peace may be obtained online at Facebook. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Miller County, Politics

Lawmakers Call on Biden to Put American Energy First

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Washington, DC: In light of rising gas prices, Congressman Steve Womack (R-AR) joined Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) and other members in sending a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to reverse his anti-American agenda of emboldening adversarial foreign energy producers and empower American energy producers instead.

The letter, which was signed by more than 140 House Republicans, comes after the Biden Administration’s recent request to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and 10 other oil-exporting nations, known collectively as OPEC+, to produce more oil to fight rising gas prices for American consumers. In part, the lawmakers wrote, “Your assessment that increasing oil supply is necessary to reduce prices at the pump is valid, and we agree with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan who said that rising gasoline costs will ‘risk harming the ongoing global recovery.’ However, we disagree with your Administration’s efforts to decrease access to American energy resources while soliciting OPEC+ nations to increase production of their resources. As you are aware, OPEC+ includes nations that are known American adversaries, such as Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Politics

Arkansas House of Representatives Update 10-15-21

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According to the Arkansas Department of Health, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. It is the most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of death among women. In 2018, there were 2,339 new breast cancer cases and 368 cancer deaths in the state. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer and the importance of early detection. In 1997, the Arkansas General Assembly passed the Breast Cancer Act, which led to the ADH’s BreastCare program. The BreastCare program coordinates efforts with providers to offer no-cost screenings and follow-up services to eligible women who are uninsured or underinsured. 

Last year, the program served 8,403 women in fiscal year 2021. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Politics

Chris Carnahan Visits Texarkana on the Campaign Trail

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Judge Chris Carnahan is a candidate for the Arkansas Supreme Court, Position 2

Judge Chris Carnahan

Texarkana, AR: Judge Chris Carnahan visited the Miller County Republican Committee in Texarkana Tuesday evening to present his case for election to the Arkansas Supreme Court, Position 2.  He was accompanied by his father, a retired Arkansas State Trooper, and welcomed by the committee for his second visit.  Judge Carnahan presented facts about his history as a lawyer, a Circuit Judge, a Special Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, and his current position as Divisions One State District Court Judge. 

Judge Carnahan has a long history of trying to assist defendants to reclaim their own lives rather than having them spend time in the Arkansas overcrowded prison system.  For nonviolent offenders and traffic offenses, he often seeks community service instead of fines.  Carnahan stated that if a defendant cannot pay their fine, then a court imposing a fine is simply a way to return the defendant time and time again to the same courtroom setting.  By providing alternatives to fines, the community has benefited and the defendant can often avoid a second round in a courtroom over unpaid fines. 

Carnahan currently presides over a Sobriety Court with a target of treating people with alcohol and addiction problems.  One rumor concerning the judge which has followed him into the campaign trail is that he is more likely to sentence a misdemeanor defendant to school.  Often he is faced with misdemeanors where it is apparent to the court that the defendant does not have the means to lift themselves out of the cycle of crime.  Access to a GED and other educational and service-related sentencing has allowed people to find employment and leave criminal activities behind. 

Carnahan has a past history of serving as an Executive Director for the Republican Party of Arkansas.  He is a member of the Gun Owners of American and the National Rifle Association (NRA).  He believes in the rule of law and in providing a fair and open trial for any and all defendants.  Perhaps most importantly in the Judge’s life is his relationship with Christ.  He expresses not only to be a follower of Christ during conversations, but he also proudly proclaims this relationship in his campaign material.  When asked about the Constitution, Carnahan referred immediately to a quote he has on his flyers.  He says, “I will protect the entire Constitution and promise you that I will not legislate from the bench.”  Several legislators were present for the visit Tuesday evening, and Carnahan referred to them for issues of legislation and law-making.  He stressed that was not the job of a judge, an attitude he promises to carry to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Arkansas, Miller County, Politics