The Arkansas Project

The Arkansas Project Podcast, Episode Two

May 24, 2013 Nic Horton 1 Comment

(Click here to on your mobile device.) On this week's podcast, we discuss the Shoffner scandal, Rep. Richard Womack's revelation that he was offered a bribe for his vote on the "private" option, new developments surrounding the private option's future, and an interview with Rep. Kim Hammer, candidate for Speaker of the Arkansas House. (AAI's Dan Greenberg had to call in by phone from out of state for this week's show. As a result, we had some technical difficulties to overcome and the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Arkansas, Kim Hammer, legislature, martha shoffner, Policy, Politics, Richard Womack, tea party, the arkansas project

On the Arkansas Times, Part III: Are Private-Option Advocates Really That Much Smarter Than We Are?

May 20, 2013 Nic Horton 3 Comments

Upon rereading David Ramsey’s piece on the genesis of the “private option,” it’s hard not to notice the flood of admiring compliments he bestows on the intellect of its creators. They are “clever,” “smart,” “open-minded,” and “pragmatic.” As they work in tandem with Governor Mike Beebe, they are “thoughtful and nuanced.” In particular, Senator Jonathan Dismang’s “comfort with getting into the weeds on policy details” makes him “open to pragmatic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Media, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: Andy Allison, Arkansas, Arkansas Times, Bruce Westerman, David Ramsey, davy carter, Good Friday memo, HHS, john burris, jonathan dismang, media, medicaid, obamacare, Politics, Sebelius, tea party

Introducing, The Arkansas Project Podcast

May 17, 2013 Nic Horton Leave a Comment

(Click here to listen on your mobile device) We are proud to present to you the inaugural episode of The Arkansas Project Podcast. We are hoping to produce one show a week to keep you up-to-date on what's going on at the capitol. In the near future, the show will be available for download in the iTunes store, but for now, you can enjoy it here on the blog. For your reading pleasure, here are the stories we mention in the show today: Carter quote on "private" option opponents IRS … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Arkansas, Dan Greenberg, governor, guns, health care, IRS, legislature, medicaid, obamacare, Policy, Politics, taxes, tea party

The Warring Messages of the Private Option

May 17, 2013 Nic Horton 5 Comments

At the Saline County TEA Party meeting last week, Rep. Andy Mayberry told his constituents that the struggle over the private option made him feel like he was being forced to jump out of the third story of a burning building: There’s no way, if I just stand there, that I’m going to survive. I’m gonna burn. There’s a window over here that I can choose to jump out of and I might die in that fall. I know I’m going to die if I stay there and don’t do anything. But I might just survive … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: Arkansas, charlie collins, Exchanges, expansion, Government, medicaid, Mike Beebe, obamacare, private option, Republicans, spending, tea party

Day of Reckoning in Saline County: Who Said It?

May 11, 2013 Nic Horton 21 Comments

Thursday night, the Saline County TEA Party hosted a town meeting so that their members could question the Saline County legislators who had supported the “private option.” About five state legislators representing Saline County attended; at least as many legislators from outside Saline County attended as well. Almost every public official who was there has been a friend of the Advance Arkansas Institute and, in some way, has fought for good-government reforms. But I have become … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Gallery, Medicaid, Obamacare Tagged With: AAI, advance arkansas institute, Arkansas, Batman Rule, contest, Exchanges, federal debt, health care, Medicaid expansion, obamacare, Policy, Politics, Republicans, Saline County, tea party, the arkansas project

Legislators to Convene With Saline Co. TEA Party Tonight

May 9, 2013 Nic Horton 8 Comments

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Tonight, the Saline County Tea Party has scheduled a forum -- at Brown's Restaurant at 6:45 in Benton -- inviting their state legislators to discuss the Medicaid expansion / "private option" that many of them supported. The original invitation to legislators, from Ed Hairston of the Saline County Tea Party, read We have many members concerned about your vote on this bill, they have asked me to invite you to our next meeting on May 9th to convince us to continue to support you. After that, Ed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature Tagged With: Arkansas, legislature, Medicaid expansion, obamacare, private option, Saline County, taxes, tea party

Is Constitutional Carry Under Fire?

May 8, 2013 Nic Horton 2 Comments

My phone has been ringing off the hook ever since we broke the news a few weeks ago about the meaning of Act 746: namely, that the right to carry a firearm in Arkansas has now been established in law. As I reported, the law makes multiple substantive changes to Arkansas law: most importantly, it decriminalizes firearm possession. Nonetheless, there’s been just a bit of disagreement about what the law means to law-abiding and Second-Amendment-appreciating Arkansans. Therefore, earlier this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, 2nd Amendment, Arkansas Politics, Gun Rights Tagged With: 2nd Amendment, Arkansas, Bob Ballinger, guns, legislature, NRA, Stan Witt, state police, tea party

Senator Pryor’s Gun Re-Un-Conversion

May 6, 2013 Nic Horton 4 Comments

While you were enjoying time with your family around the fireplace on the first weekend of May, Senator Mark Pryor was working hard for YOU! In fact, on the new political talk show Capitol View yesterday, Rep. Darrin Williams (former chief of staff for Pryor) said, “Arkansas always comes first with Mark.” And when asked about Pryor’s recent stances on gun issues -- which clearly conflict with previous stances -- Williams said he thinks Pryor stands “with Arkansans.” For once, I can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2014 U.S. Senate Race, Mark Pryor Tagged With: 2014, 2nd Amendment, Arkansas, background checks, Feinstein, gun control, guns, Mark Pryor, NRA, obama, taxes, tea party, U.S. Senate, US Senate