Arkansas Needs Ethics Reform: Does Regnat Populus Have The Answers?
A group of Arkansans who call themselves “Regnat Populus” are circulating petitions to put three ethics rule changes on the November ballot. You can read the full text in legalese here, or you can...
View ArticleThe Real Story of Ethics Reform in Arkansas
There has been a lot of talk in the Arkansas blogosphere about the proposed ethics reforms being proposed by ‘Regnat Populus.’ I myself have recently weighed in as well, finding it fairly easy to...
View ArticleSheriff Vance’s (Disqualifying) Criminal Record
It appears that Grant County sheriff Ray Vance has a criminal record. Under the Arkansas Constitution (Article 5, Section 9), which prevents anyone convicted of an “infamous crime” from holding...
View ArticleChairman Clark Hall: Overdoing Oversight?
The Arkansas House’s State Agencies & Governmental Affairs committee has been meeting frequently lately — very frequently. The casual observer might see this as a good thing: “Oh look, they’re...
View ArticleBookout Hearing Reveals Two New Potential Violations
This morning, state Senator Paul Bookout appeared before the Arkansas Ethics Commission to face the music regarding approximately $50,000 of his unitemized campaign expenditures in 2012. Bookout was...
View ArticleHouse Democrats Announce Bold, New, Entirely Content-Free Ethics Initiative
I favor stronger ethics laws; you favor stronger ethics laws; we all favor stronger ethics laws — even Hudson Hallum favors stronger ethics laws. So when I see a news release that explains that the...
View Article(Still) MISSING: House Democrats’ Ethics Plan
Last week, Arkansas House Democrats made a few ripples in the political pond by announcing that they support ethics reform in Arkansas! In fact, they formed an ethics caucus that is “tasked with...
View ArticleArkansas Democrats Float Ethics Ideas For Everyone Else
Arkansas Democrats love ethics. In fact, they love ethics so much, three of their state elected officials have been forced to resign from office in the last year — one for a felony, another for a...
View ArticleMatt Campbell Knows Better
Earlier this week, I spoke on tort reform to the State Agencies committee of the Arkansas General Assembly; yesterday, I noticed an Internet polemic from Matt Campbell on the same subject. His piece is...
View ArticleHow Government Should Do Stuff With Christmas Trees
You may have heard that the Log Cabin Democrat (the local paper in Conway) subjected me to their journalistic fury not long ago for daring to question the city’s purchase of a $130,000 Christmas tree....
View ArticleDon’t Ban Books, Just Chase Away Researchers: The Latest on the “Real Hot...
The Washington Free Beacon wasn’t the only news organization with concerns about the University of Arkansas library special collections archive policy which requires media to fill out a “permission to...
View ArticleUA Library Failed Talking Points: An Autopsy
Incompetent. Ham-handed. Disappointing. No, I’m not talking about the 2013 Razorback football team, but the University of Arkansas Library staff’s continued PR blitz in response to the recent...
View ArticleAnother Case Shows Need For Right-To-Record Law
Another law enforcement agency was in the news recently after it paid the cost for attempting to restrict the right of citizens to film law enforcement.
View ArticleTexas Rethinks Crony Capitalism. Will Arkansas?
Interestingly enough, Texas has at least begun discussing ending crony capitalism in recent weeks by abolishing the Texas Enterprise Fund (the Texas version of the Quick Action Closing Fund, an...
View ArticleTaxpayer-Funded Legislative Meal Plans: Another Possible Blessing From Issue 3
Scott Trotter, a local attorney who helped write Issue 3 and who currently serves as a kind of volunteer advisor to the misnamed Independent Citizens Committee, said during the panel discussion that...
View ArticleCorruption in America and Arkansas
Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics recently highlighted a comprehensive report on corruption at the state and local level in America.
View ArticleWhy Wait For Any Evidence? Pathologically Insecure Arkansas Edition
As we noted recently, opponents of tort reform don’t bother to wait for evidence before they insist that those they disagree with have broken the law.
View ArticleBoozman and Hill Encourage Feds To Think Before Spending $8 Million
So, remember, kids: government is just another word for things we do together -- like blowing $8 million on failed solar panel projects!
View ArticleIn Which Judge Martin Emasculates FOIA
Washington County Circuit Judge Doug Martin dropped the ball the other day when interpreting Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act. On Wednesday, he erroneously ruled against a citizen, Wade Cash: Cash...
View ArticleTaxpayer-Subsidized Ad: Tax Hikes Are Good For You!
As our readers know, there are a few special elections tomorrow that may trigger tax hikes.
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