Category Archives: Politics

What does Ohio’s 12th tell us about Arkansas’ 2nd?

Elections, Politics

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

To get an idea of what will transpire in Arkansas this election season, consider what just happened in Ohio.

There, the state’s wealthiest congressional district held a special election Tuesday to fill a vacant seat. Ohio’s 12th had elected Republicans to Congress since the 1980s, and President Trump won it by 11 points.

The election pitted Republican Troy Balderson against Democrat Danny O’Connor, and polls showed it was tight. If the Democrat won, it would be seen as a big sign that the November elections might go that party’s way nationwide. This year is a midterm election, which typically favors the fired up party not in the White House – and Democrats are very fired up. Millions of dollars poured into the race from both sides. President Trump held a big rally there Saturday.  Continue reading What does Ohio’s 12th tell us about Arkansas’ 2nd? →

Terms-even-more-limited

Education, Politics, State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Until 2014, Arkansas had one of the strictest legislative term limits laws in the country. After November, it could be even stricter, and the result would be a new state Legislature four-and-a-half years from now.

Those things would happen if voters approve a ballot proposal that would restore limits to levels passed in 1992 – along with a major new one.

That year, voters enacted limits of three two-year terms in the Arkansas House and two four-year terms in the Senate. They also capped the state’s constitutional officers (governor, lieutenant governor, etc.) to two four-year terms and also limited congressional terms, but those were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. Continue reading Terms-even-more-limited →

Today’s trade wars and future taxpayers

Business and economics, Politics

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

What will be the results of President Trump’s so-called “trade wars”? Maybe they will lead to better deals for Americans, or maybe they will slow the economy, and definitely they will cost future taxpayers $12 billion.

On Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture announced it would borrow that amount from the U.S. Treasury to subsidize producers of various agricultural products, including soybeans. It also will purchase surpluses of other products and distribute them to food banks and other programs.

The move is necessary because tariffs instituted by the Trump administration have been met by tariffs from other countries. The most important was China, which retaliated against Trump’s tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports with tariffs on $34 billion on American goods.

Continue reading Today’s trade wars and future taxpayers →

My first experience with fake news

Media, Politics

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

In about 1998, I had my first experience with “fake news.” In fact, I unwittingly helped create it.

At the time, I was a less-than-30-something communications aide for then-Gov. Mike Huckabee. Most of my duties involved writing, and there was a little press work.

One day, a couple of nice guys with a television camera stopped by the office and said they were Canadians, that there was some igloo in their country, and it was a big deal there. They were vague, but I remember taking it to be some kind of archaeological discovery. They asked if the governor could congratulate Canada on preserving its national igloo. Huckabee helpfully made a quick statement coming out of his office, and that was that. Or so I thought. Continue reading My first experience with fake news →