Category Archives: Uncategorized

Rep. Sanders drawn out of his own district

Looking for a nice four-bedroom home near I-430 in Little Rock? Rep. David Sanders has had his on the market since April.

Sanders started hearing rumors during the session that he likely would be drawn out of his district by the Board of Apportionment, the three-person panel made up of the governor, attorney general and secretary of state that is redrawing districts based on 2010 census data.

Two of the panelists, Gov. Mike Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel, are Democrats. The third, Secretary of State Mark Martin, is a Republican.

Under maps produced by the majority Democrats, Sanders’ precinct was bumped from his existing district, District 31, which encompasses parts of west Little Rock, Pulaski County, and Saline County, for District 33, which encompasses central and southwest Little Rock.

Unless your name is Nick Wilson, you have to live in the district you represent, so Sanders would have to run in his new district if the maps are finalized.

District 31 is represented by Rep. Fred Allen, a term-limited Democrat. It’s a majority-minority district and not one where Sanders, a conservative Republican, would be likely to win.

“There’s a certain principle of continuity of constituency,” Sanders said. “The people who voted overwhelmingly for me to be their representative are the people of my home district, 31, and so that’s my district. I still represent that district and will continue to represent that district.”

Sanders had five children and said he needed a bigger house anyway.

There’s no love lost between Gov. Beebe and Sanders, a young and energetic House Republican finance chairman who opposed Beebe’s prison reform in the last session.

Along with Sanders, other GOP legislators drawn into substantially new districts are Sens. Jason Rapert of Bigelow, Jonathan Dismang of Beebe and Eddie Joe Williams of Cabot. Republican Reps. Gary Stubblefield of Branch and Jon Eubanks of Paris would be in District 84 and would have to run against each other.

Two incumbent Democrats, Rep. Garry Smith of Camden and David Fielding of Magnolia, would be in the 5th District and would have to run against each other.

Sanders sponsored and passed a bill in the last legislative session that required a “cooling off” period where regulators cannot work in the industries that they regulate for one year after leaving government. Other bills restricted the activities of sports agents and made student participation in Junior ROTC programs count as health credits.

Four crazy ideas to fix our broken political system

If anyone has ever needed proof that America’s political system is broken, look no further than exhibit A: the debt ceiling debate. Congress and the president cannot even agree on paying the debts we have, much less preventing future debt.

It’s not enough just to replace the current occupants of Congress and the White House. It’s time for creative, structural solutions to our nation’s problems.

In this week’s Arkansas News Bureau column, I offer four for your consideration: replacing the Electoral College with the popular vote; four-year terms for both House and Senate members so that we end the two-year election cycle; creating an optional system whereby congressional candidates can access public campaign funds in exchange for a promise not to accept private donations; and reforming the redistricting process.

Maybe these are all crazy ideas, but then, what’s happening now in Washington is truly insane. It’s rattling the markets and putting the government’s credit rating at risk.

Got any crazy ideas of your own? Please email me or post them in my comments section, and I’ll reference them in a future column.

Two Rivers Park Bridge a nice walk over Little Maumelle River

If you are looking for a way to kill a little time and get some exercise, you can do worse than the Two Rivers Park Bridge.

The 1,750-foot bridge spanning the Little Maumelle River just west of I-430 was temporarily opened to pedestrians and cyclists Friday during a ceremony featuring U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. At least 250 people showed up for the event.

It’s not as majestic, or as high, as the the Big Dam Bridge, but it’s a nice walk. Here’s video from the top.

Traversing the trail affords walkers and cyclists access to the strikingly beautiful and shaded trails of Two Rivers Park. If they are up for a long ride or walk, they can go all the way to Pinnacle Mountain State Park.

The bridge, which opens to the public July 23, will be one of four bridges in the Arkansas River Trail system that will enable pedestrians and cyclists to safely travel from the Clinton Library to Pinnacle Mountain and enjoy a lot of beautiful scenery along the way. County Judge Buddy Villines deserves a huge amount of credit for making it happen.

Best way to get there: turn north off of Cantrell.

We’re never gonna balance the budget

A new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press makes clear what politicians already know: Americans, including Republicans, don’t favor reductions in benefits for recipients of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Respondents were asked which is more important, “Taking steps to reduce the budget deficit” or “Keeping Social Security and Medicare benefits as they are.” Sixty percent favor the status quo, compared to 32 percent who favor reducing the deficit.

The problem with not touching Medicare and Social Security is, that’s where the money is. The government can cut everything else but entitlement spending and still not be fiscally viable in the long-term. Americans don’t want to raise taxes, either, so something has to give.

Unfortunately, it’s going to be our children and grandchildren doing the giving.

Here’s the poll results.

Neighbor makes a real comeback

My Arkansas News Bureau column takes a break from politics to talk about the best comeback made by a Ryan this year. Not Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett. Not Ryan O’Neal. (That’s a famous actor for those of you under 30.)

I’m talking about my neighbor, until recently, who also is named Ryan. Ryan moved next door to my house a few years ago, and of course we got to know each other. He was a dad with a wife, two sons, a job, college classes to attend – and with a past.

Ryan had been in jails in Mississippi and Arkansas for drug convictions, but he had turned his life around and was seeking a pardon from the governor.

He did get that pardon – and is about to get his college degree, in geology, which he’ll use to work in the natural gas industry.

I thought it was a story worth sharing about a guy who has made the most of his second chance. Here is the column.