LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’s timber industry contributes $6.4 billion to our economy, and today I’d like to talk about the many benefits of the forests to our state and also the effect of the ongoing trade war. Read more
Dak Kees, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, recently brought federal charges against a Texarkana doctor after an investigation uncovered that he prescribed over 1.2 million dosages of opioids to over 15,000 patients over a two-year period. Read more
Governor Hutchinson brings this week's address from Mumbai while on his economic trade mission to India and the United Arab Emirates.  Read more
The convenience of email has changed the manner in which Americans communicate with their elected officials. These days, there are fewer and fewer letters delivered to the Capitol by the U.S. Postal Service. So, when a stack of orange envelopes arrived in my Washington, D.C. office in mid-Se… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and today I’d like to talk about the progress we’ve made and about the opportunities the scholarships have provided for many of our young people. Read more
Our farmers are dealing with the perfect storm right now. Commodity prices are below the cost of production. Standoffs with critical trading partners have created additional uncertainty that has only compounded worries. A rainy fall and spring have hampered planting season and, in the case o… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – I have just finished my ninth Computer Coding tour of Arkansas schools, and today I’d like to talk about our computer-science success. Read more
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. I’ve made reducing the rate of suicide, particularly among veterans in Arkansas and around the country, one of my top priorities. Our men and women who are serving or have served in uniform suffer a disproportionately higher rate of suicide com… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – This week, I traveled to Jonesboro to help cut the ribbon at the state’s fourth Crisis Stabilization Unit, and today I’d like to talk about the difference these centers are making in Arkansas. Read more
The effort to develop a skilled workforce continues to build momentum in all corners of Arkansas. This statewide endeavor to promote workforce development and career and technical training programs is a priority. It is part of the key to a prosperous future for the Natural State. Read more
LITTLE ROCK – The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, made his third official visit to Arkansas this week, and today I’m going to discuss the Shared Stewardship agreement we signed during his visit. Read more
The agriculture industry is a top economic driver for our state. Having input from those in a variety of agri-businesses and production operations is vital to crafting legislation that meets the needs of our producers. That’s why I visit annually with farmers, ranchers and industry stakehold… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to talk about the importance of participating in the U.S. Census and about the ways we are already preparing for Census Day, which is April 1, 2020. Read more
The Congressional calendar designates August as an opportunity for members of Congress to spend an extended period of time back home. As such, I strive to use this time to travel around to different parts of our state and meet with constituents in a variety of settings because it provides nu… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – Today I want to talk about what we are doing in Arkansas to expand access to mental health services and for those in need of drug-addiction counseling. Read more
Students across the state are back in class for the 2019-2020 school year. As administrators, teachers and pupils begin diving into new lesson plans and formulating goals and objectives to work toward this year, we are all excited for what the future holds. Read more
 LITTLE ROCK – Today, as our children start a new school year, I’d like to focus on the “Flashing Red. Kids Ahead” campaign. Read more
More doctors are getting their education in Arkansas than ever before. The openings in recent years of the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith and the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine in Jonesboro add to the well-established College of Medicine at the University of Ark… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – As we continue to mourn the tragic loss of life in El Paso and Dayton, it appears that the suspect in the Texas attack is a white nationalist who hates immigrants. He traveled more than 600 miles to a border town, where the majority of the population is Hispanic. Law enforcemen… Read more
The Senate will have a lengthy to-do list awaiting us when we reconvene in Washington next month. While some of the items on our to-do list will likely get slowed down by long, partisan debates, one that should receive quick, bipartisan support is the reauthorization of the highway bill. Read more
LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to share some thoughts about Winthrop Rockefeller, one of Arkansas’s great governors, and about the building we have named in his honor. Read more
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper recently settled into his new Pentagon office after the Senate overwhelmingly approved his nomination prior to the start of the August work period. Read more
 I have been lucky in my life. I have met a number of really good people who taught me a lot. It’s only been in the last 10 or so years that I have put that into perspective. Read more
 LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to take a moment to remember Stone County Deputy Sheriff Mike Stephen, who was killed in the line of duty on July 18. Sergeant Stephen was responding to a report of domestic violence. He did his duty, went to the home, and when he arrived, a gun fired from insid… Read more
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) whistleblowers recently exposed a nationwide problem to a Minneapolis-based reporter. These whistleblowers showed documentation from 2014 that detailed how the VA was wrongly charging disabled veterans home loan funding fees. The information provided to th… Read more
LITTLE ROCK – Today I’d like to highlight the work of the Arkansas Army National Guard’s Aviation Team. Read more
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