I think it’s in for a change to try and make Arkansas better.

This opinion piece by Rex Nelson argues that Arkansas is facing significant economic and demographic challenges due to the policies of Governor Sarah Sanders and the state legislature.

He highlights issues such as the underfunding of essential services, a crisis in rural healthcare and agriculture, and the negative impact of the state's school voucher program on rural public schools.

Key Points:
\- Fiscal Mismanagement: The author contends that the state's budget surplus is a result of underfunding essential services like maternal and infant care, rather than sound fiscal policy.
\- Rural Crisis: The article highlights a decline in rural Arkansas, citing farm bankruptcies, a struggling forest products industry, and the potential closure of up to half of the state's rural hospitals.
\- School Vouchers: Nelson criticizes the state's school voucher scheme, arguing that it primarily subsidizes well-off families who were already using private schools, while draining resources from rural public school districts.
\- Call to Action: The piece concludes by urging voters to oppose Governor Sanders in future elections to halt these policies.

In Arkansas, Democrats see an opening at the edge of the competitive midterms map

"I mean, we're the race that no one's noticed and that no one is going to see coming."

I bet this is a pipe dream - democrats in Arkansas just don't turn out to vote:

Proof? Arkansas has the lowest voter turnout (54.1%)

And...

The National Conference of Citizenship, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening civil life in America, recently released a report showing that Arkansas ranked 51st in the nation for voter turnout in the 2020 election, behind all other states and the District of Columbia. 

Despite your being a state of misery:

• Crime & Corrections: Ranked 49th overall by U.S. News, with high violent crime rates placing it near the bottom nationally.
• Healthcare: Ranked 47th by U.S. News and bottom-tier for overall child health outcomes.
• Education & Educational Attainment: Frequently ranked around 47th in studies like WalletHub's least-educated states analysis due to lower percentages of college degree holders.
• Overall Child Well-Being: Positioned 45th nationally, driven by high childhood poverty and health risks.
• Happiness: Placed 48th in recent multi-factor well-being and happiness index studies.

Stay at home and you get what you deserve.

Hello, this post popped up on my feed and I am hesitant to even post this. My family and I are from the Greater New Orleans area and my daughter is considering registering for Spring enrollment at UAM. I'm obviously worried about my daughter leaving the nest to travel out of state regardless of where she chooses to go. After seeing this post and the unanimous responses I have a really bad feeling about letting her move to Monticello. I fear she will be targeted and dismissed by the community outside of campus. For those of you who live in the area, what’s it like for Black people? Is there racial tension, micro-aggressions, or blatant racism?

Before anyone asks, I am in no way shape or form trying to incite any harm against the woman who posted the screenshot. I'm really just trying to get a better understanding of the racial dynamics there. We just love our daughter and don't ever want to see anything bad happen to her. Thank you in advance.

I'm a journalist working on a story for KFF Health News about how emergency medical services are becoming an increasingly important part of health care in rural communities.

As hospitals and medical services become harder to access in some areas, paramedics and ambulance crews are often among the first people residents turn to for help. In some communities, EMS providers are also taking on new responsibilities, including helping patients receive care outside traditional hospital settings.

I'm hoping to speak with people in rural Arkansas who have experienced these challenges firsthand.

Maybe you've had to wait a long time for an ambulance, traveled a significant distance to reach a hospital, relied on paramedics when other medical care wasn't available, or experienced firsthand how important your local EMS crew is to your community.

I'm interested in hearing both positive and difficult experiences, particularly from people who have struggled to access medical care close to home.

If this sounds like you or someone you know, I'd love to talk.

Hello there! I'm new to Springdale and I'm having a hard time finding info on the candidates up for election.

Can anyone help point me in the direction of more information?

Thanks in advance!

This is from the Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas Facebook page.

----------------

Apparently, advocating for safer streets in Little Rock makes you part of the "bicycle mafia."

That is how Little Rock Ward 5 City Director Lance Hines recently referred to Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas (BACA) in a public Facebook comment.

Let's be clear about who he's talking about.

We're your neighbors. We're parents who want our children to ride safely to school. We're commuters, recreational cyclists, mountain bikers, pedestrians, and taxpayers. We're people who believe Little Rock should be a safer, healthier, and more connected city.

We attend public meetings. We work with city officials. We advocate for safer intersections, connected trails, better bicycle infrastructure, and streets that work for everyone, including drivers.

That's not a mafia. That's civic engagement.

It's particularly disappointing to hear an elected official use dismissive language about citizens who are actively participating in improving their community.

Disagreement over transportation policy is legitimate. Debate over public spending is healthy. But belittling residents who organize and speak up for safer streets is not the leadership Little Rock deserves.

Mr. Hines is currently seeking reelection to the Ward 5 position. His comments raise an important question about how elected officials engage with constituents who have different priorities.

The bicycle community deserves to be heard, not labeled.

We encourage Mr. Hines to clarify his remarks and engage in a constructive conversation about bicycle and pedestrian safety in Little Rock.

And to everyone who has attended a meeting, written an elected official, volunteered on a trail, advocated for a safer crossing, or simply asked for a better place to ride, keep showing up.

Advocacy is not intimidation. Participation is not a conspiracy. And safer streets are not a special interest. They are a public good.

For those who have heard about the latest news from Mena, Arkansas I would like to remind you that the Arkansas State Representative lives and runs his law office in Mena. A year ago he was confident that he would remain the representative for the next term because no one is running against him.

Be assured, the situation everyone is learning about now is a very tiny indication of the systemic issues in the area. I am being cautious in what I say and how because I have a family member dealing with a legal issue that should not even exist, but was told that’s just how it’s done ‘here’. When lawyers (plural) are contacted and when asked if they will take a case in the Polk County courts, to have them all take a deep breath, sigh and say “I am aware the law works a little…..differently….down there”. Justice isn’t blind in Mena, it has a battering ram and purchase price.

Arkansas Website

Evidence and Context

Sanders is running against Colt Shelby (L) and Fred Love (D). The debate that’s currently happening at Arkansas TV makes me question the validity of the race. Sanders is a garbage human being but at least she has stage presence and confidence while spouting her hate and lies. Shelby and Love debate like high schoolers - good points and plenty of statistics but no charisma or confidence. Shelby reads like a classic libertarian - centrist to a fault. Love opened with a birthday message to his daughter (sweet, but irrelevant) and keeps asking for the mods to repeat their questions. It almost feels like these are the candidates we were “allowed” to choose from for governor, rather than a fair race between honest, trustworthy, charismatic candidates.

I truly don’t mean for this to come across as a slight against Shelby or Love, but Sanders talks the talk (thanks to her script writers and money) and we’re held back by lackluster alternatives. Am I crazy for thinking this might be intentional?

You are smart and thoughtful. You realize you're being played.

HOW HOW HOW, can that person, WHO DOESN'T EVEN LIVE IN ARKANSAS, get to decide ANYTHING about/for our state. He won't talk to you or me, he won't honestly or directly address any serious concerns we have, he doesn't even NOTE one single thing Arkansas is struggling with. I know these for facts because I have reached out to him numerous times over the last 14 years and received nothing but boilerplate replies, if any, so don't bother asking me about that.

He couldn't care less about you. Vote for the person who genuinely cares about what happens to you and your family. Vote for Hallie.

Bigger than Frank White beating Clinton? Any other examples come to mind?

I’m a seventh generation Arkansan. They will bury me in the hilllside red dirt. The creeks and the hollers will hold my soul when I go on to the next life. We have a long history of creating our own path. Arkansas hasn’t always been the way it is now. (A favorite read of mine”Hipbillies” gives an excellent look at how we got here.) It’s time we take back our home from people who have used it to create wealth for themselves and those in power who don’t care at all about us.

In Arkansas we deserve someone who will put us first. We deserve to live our lives with dignity and take care of our neighbors. We deserve to rise above GOP candidates that have used culture war bullshit to rob us blind and keep us angry and rabid and hating each other. What would your Mamaw say if she saw us now ? So busy hating the poor, the sick, the hungry, the immigrant that we stop taking care of each other, of this land that holds us ? Really ask yourselves who wins ? Please get out and vote ! Put wider national politics aside. What’s best for Arkansas ? What’s best for your fellow Arkansans ?

Including a newsletter, updated city council meeting dates and agendas, etc.

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and our website for bi-weekly updates and what we can do next as a community to get these ALPR’s out and keep them out.