Maybe blame Hogs’ struggles on the billionaires?

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The NCAA men’s basketball tournament just completed its second weekend, and for the first time in four years, the Arkansas Razorbacks didn’t play in it.

The Razorbacks advanced to the Elite Eight two straight years under Coach Eric Musselman and then made the Sweet 16 last year, but this year’s squad finished with a losing record at 16-17. The women’s team also did not make the tournament. Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock both fell just short of making the men’s tournament and giving Arkansans something to root for. 

This year’s March “sadness” follows a disappointing football season for the Razorbacks, after which Head Coach Sam Pittman found himself on the hot seat. In baseball, on the other hand, the Razorbacks are ranked number one. 

That bright spot aside, it’s been a frustrating seven months for Razorbacks fans. It’s not the first time that has happened, but what’s new is, it’s harder to know who to blame. 

That’s because two changes have transformed college sports.  Continue reading →

Arkansas Democrats hope this election is ‘inflection point’

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Could this be the election where Arkansas Democrats reverse a decade-and-a-half slide that has left them at times nearly powerless in deciding which laws get passed?

The party’s strategy director, Will Watson, thinks so.

Watson and other Democrats are encouraged by a new poll the party commissioned that described at least 17 competitive “battleground” state legislative districts. Republicans represent 14 while Democrats represent three. Continue reading →

Maybe Asa would run with No Labels after all

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Could former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson be considering a third party presidential bid after all? He’s not shutting the door.

I texted the governor Wednesday evening after hearing through the grapevine that No Labels may be considering him as a potential candidate. That’s the group that’s been trying to put together an independent “Unity” ticket composed of a Republican and a Democrat.

The text conversation occurred a week-and-a-half after one March 11 when he said he was not the right candidate, and the group would need someone with a bigger profile and more money than he. He said he was considering other options in the private sector.

Asked in that second text conversation Wednesday if he was still not interested, he wrote, “No one offers the experience I have. If they can show a path to win and the money needed then I will listen to them.”  Continue reading →

A quiet fiscal session coming?

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

When legislators gather at the Arkansas State Capitol starting April 10 for their every-two-year fiscal session, they’ll be considering the governor’s budget, her plan for increasing state employee salaries, and the state’s growing collection of noisy crypto mines.

But in contrast to those crypto mines, the session itself could be relatively quiet.

Voters created the biennial fiscal session through a constitutional amendment in 2008. It occurs in even-numbered years between the longer regular sessions. Those occur in odd-numbered years.  

Fiscal sessions are supposed to focus on budget matters. Legislators can consider other issues with a two-thirds vote by both the House and Senate, but they generally try to save those discussions for the regular session. The fiscal sessions can last no more than 30 days. Lawmakers can extend them once by no more than 15 days with a three-fourths vote by both chambers. Continue reading →

Arkansas lithium could be huge, thinks Exxon

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Could Arkansas be on the verge of a lithium boom? Many – including ExxonMobil experts – think so. 

In fact, the state eventually could produce as much as 15% of the world’s finished lithium supply, said Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald at the inaugural Arkansas Lithium Innovation Summit Feb. 15-16.

Lithium is the key element in the batteries that power everything from phones to electric cars. In many ways, it’s the 21st century’s oil. Much of the current lithium supply comes from overseas, and much of that comes from China. 

The summit brought to Little Rock nearly 700 energy sector executives, policymakers and stakeholders. Some are investing big dollars here, including ExxonMobil, Standard Lithium, and Albemarle. The latter is already a major bromine producer in Arkansas with a workforce of 675 in the Magnolia area.

Patrick Howarth, ExxonMobil’s lithium global business manager, said that in the last 12 months, his company has built a leading acreage position in south Arkansas. (It acquired the rights to 120,000 gross acres in early 2023.) It’s also started the state’s largest lithium drilling campaign, conducted engineering design work on multiple projects, and showcased its Arkansas projects to global customers. He said the state “could be the center of the industry here in North America.” Continue reading →