Gun Show: Tolbert Report says the GOP is “bringing in the big guns” to fight cigarette tax hike. The biggest gun in this arsenal? Dick Armey, who was in Congress like 20 years ago. Great. I think we’d have better luck if we brought in THESE big guns.** (The Tolbert Report)

This Week at the Capitol: It’s legislative madness as the AP’s Andrew Demillo rounds up everything you need to know. (AP)

Tax Talk: Roby Brock’s Political Buzz blog is your one-stop shop for news on the state of the cigarette tax debate, and let me tell you it’s an exhausting read. You’ll probably need to break for a smoke afterwards. (The Political Buzz)

Surviving the Game: Arkansas bucks nationwide trend by showing increase in hunting licenses, but overall trend is still down. Yet I’m still not allowed to capture homeless people, take them to my private woodland reserve and hunt them for sport. Where’s the justice? (Arkansas Times)

**UPDATE: Y’know, now that I think about it, I probably should have noted that you may not want to click on that link in the first item if you’re at the office, because it may be NSFW. And by “may be,” I mean “probably is.”

So if you’re at the office and you clicked on that link and then had to have an uncomfortable conversation with your employer about what’s appropriate for the workplace, please let me know, so that I can extend a heartfelt apology. No, I’m just kidding, I only want to know so that I can laugh at you for being such an assclown.

Chronic Paine: House committee OK’s state observance of Thomas Paine Day, which can only be good news for the line of Founding Fathers holiday greeting cards I’m developing. (Arkansas News Bureau)

Listless: Legislative session moving a little slow for you? The Tolbert Report proposes an antidote with top ten ways to spice things up. (The Tolbert Report)

Yearlings: Legislative panel looking at annual sessions something something I don’t care. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Why Pay More?: Attorney General Dustin McDaniel says desegregation payments something something holy crap this is way too complicated for my feeble mind to comprehend never mind. (AP)

Ringing Endorsement: Quote of the Day comes from Sen. Bob Johnson, asked for his take on Todd Turner, Gov. Mike Beebe’s pick to head the state Democratic Party:

Senate President Pro Tempore Bob Johnson, D-Bigelow, said he didn’t know anything about Turner.

“I know Beebe well enough that he wouldn’t turn it over to someone who is incompetent. My guess is he’s competent,” Johnson said.

A stirring vote of confidence. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

Update: After publishing this post with the words “Chronic Paine” in it, I’m now seeing ads for some kind of back pain treatment program over in the right margin. Christ, Google Adsense is idiotic. One day I’ll figure out how to block those stupid ads that have nothing to do with this blog.

Arkansas legislators are terrible and so they took the day off today, but fear not, they’ll be back tomorrow, all fresh-faced and full of beans after a long weekend.

The Arkansas News Bureau offers a forecast of what’s to come this week, which is expected to include consideration of Attorney General  Dustin McDaniel’s initiative to make animal cruelty a felony. While this measure was rather controversial a couple of years ago, it appears that McDaniel’s brought everyone together to pass this thing now and no one will ever be mean to animals again.

To illustrate this newfound harmony, the Arkansas News Bureau website includes alongside the story this photo of an adorable little puppy, just in case there’s anyone out there who is still opposed to the animal cruelty bill (click on image for larger version with enhanced adorability). If you are one of those people, then the Arkansas News Bureau includes this photo so that you will know that you are a coldhearted wretch who wants the adorable little puppy in the photo to be tortured and killed. I hope you like having blood on your hands, jerk.

Net sensation Obama Girl: Seriously, how many electoral votes was she worth?

In With the New: It’s Inauguration Day, which means everyone’s going to be tripping over one another to mark the historic occasion with the most portentous and pompous commentary imaginable. Skip all that and just go read Blake’s Think Tank, where Blake Rutherford’s blogging up a storm from the chilly scene in Washington, D.C., with photos and everything. Update: OK, Blake sucks and he’s not updating, so go read this instead.  (Blake’s Think Tank)

Number One with a Bullet: Blogger Jason Tolbert, concerned that everyone doesn’t think he’s a huge enough dork, compiles a list of his top ten favoritest bills of the Arkansas legislative session so far. Apparently, this will be a weekly feature. Yeah, I’m just gonna let that one sink in a little. (The Tolbert Report)

Home Proud: Lawmaker seeks restrictions on home schooling, and will almost certainly regret it after he sees the tsunami response it will likely spark from the home school crowd. Those guys are hard core. (Arkansas News Bureau)

Smoke Shop: Tobacco merchant says higher cigarette taxes will create a black market for smokes. Sounds like someone’s been looking at my business plan. (AP)

Kids Stuff: The Arkansas Times prepares to launch what looks to be the most chilling and terrifying publication in the history of Western civilization. (The Horror. The Horror.)