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

Many questions await answers after Election Day. Let’s consider a few of them, starting with …

Which party will control the Senate and the House of Representatives? The answer, or answers, will largely determine the next president’s agenda. If everything is controlled by one party, then the president will have an easier time accomplishing some of his or her goals – or at least he or she won’t be investigated by congressional committees. If one party controls the White House and the Senate, then more of the president’s judicial appointments will be confirmed. Otherwise, we’ll generally have gridlock, which may be the best scenario given the alternatives.

Gridlock basically is what we have now. Democrats control the Senate, 51-49, while Republicans control the House, 220-212 with three vacancies. 

After the election, Republicans likely will control the Senate because Democrats are defending 23 of the 34 contested seats, including some in states where they are vulnerable. Those include an open West Virginia seat that Republicans will win, and a Montana seat where the Republican is leading the Democratic incumbent. If Republicans gain control, Arkansas’ Sen. John Boozman is in line to chair the Agriculture Committee.  Continue reading →

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

Early voting had already started October 21 when Arkansans finally learned the state Supreme Court had disqualified the medical marijuana amendment from the ballot. 

The decision came a little more than two weeks before Election Day Nov. 5, which surely we all can agree is too late in the process.

This happens a lot. Maybe the next Supreme Court chief justice can do something about it. 

Two current justices, Rhonda Wood and Karen Baker, are vying to be chief justice. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette gave them both a chance to address the issue in its Sunday edition Oct. 13. 

The article quoted a news release from Wood where she said she planned to create a working group to review the process and potentially change Arkansas Supreme Court rules. Changes could include adding a deadline for legal challenges, allowing ballot title changes to come earlier than they do now, and providing a 14-day briefing calendar and five-day deadline for the court to issue its opinion. That latter change would have produced a decision by Sept. 16 this year.  Continue reading →

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

Let’s talk about the treasurer’s race, one of two statewide elections in Arkansas this year, the other being for state Supreme Court chief justice.

The treasurer is the state’s banker. It accepts more than $70 million in deposits daily and credits them to the appropriate accounts. It also manages the state’s $11.6 billion investment portfolio in concert with the State Board of Finance.

This year’s is a special election because the elected officeholder, Mark Lowery, died in office. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Larry Walther to finish the term.

The candidates are Secretary of State John Thurston, a Republican; Democrat John Pagan, a law professor and former state senator; and Libertarian Dr. Michael Pakko, an economist. The winner would have to stand for re-election in 2026.  Continue reading →

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

Elections can be complicated. This year’s two proposed constitutional amendments aren’t.

The more high-profile one is Issue 2, which was initiated by citizens who collected signatures to qualify for the ballot. It would do two things. First, it would revoke Pope County’s casino license. Second, it would require all future licenses approved by voters statewide to be subject to a following special election in the county where the casino would be located. 

Continue reading →

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

Anyone who questions why they should vote in this election – or any election – should look to Iowa. And I’m not talking about the Iowa caucuses.

Instead, I’m referring to the end of the first quarter of each University of Iowa Hawkeyes home football game. 

That’s when 70,000 people at Kinnick Stadium – fans, Iowa football players, coaches, the opposing team – turn toward the Stead Family Children’s Hospital overlooking the field and wave in solidarity for several moments to the patients and their families.

The tradition started in 2017 after the hospital was built. It came about as a result of a suggestion someone made on Facebook.

If you’ve never seen the tradition in action, it’s easy to find it online. ESPN did a powerful piece on it seven years ago; if you watch it, have tissue paper handy. One mother talked about her son who was recovering from a difficult cranial surgery. Discouraged at his situation, he looked out the window and said, “At least Saturday’s coming!” And his mood totally changed.

Continue reading →