WASHINGTON -- On Thursday, most of the Arkansas congressional delegation sponsored legislation aimed to improve road and highway safety by changing what is allowed in the pre-employment drug screening process for the commercial trucking industry.
U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced the Senate version. The House members from Arkansas -- Rick Crawford of Jonesboro, Steve Womack from Rogers, French Hill of Little Rock and Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs are among the co-sponsors. All four are Republicans.
The bills would allow the U.S. Department of Transportation to recognize hair testing as an alternative option to urinalysis, currently the only accepted method of drug testing commercial truckers.
40 UNDER 40
Correct the Record Executive Director Isaac Wright was honored by the American Association of Political Consultants on Wednesday as one of the 40 best campaign professionals under age 40 in the United States.
Wright worked for both of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe's gubernatorial campaigns and as a spokesman in the governor's office. He also ran Wright Strategies LLC, a campaign consulting firm in Little Rock, until moving to Washington.
Correct the Record was launched by several Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters in preparation for her possible presidential bid. It quickly responds to Republican criticism of the former secretary of state.
1ST DISTRICT EVENTS
Crawford's staff will be available to answer constituent questions from 9-11 a.m. Tuesday in the Greene County Courthouse at 320 W. Court St. in Paragould and from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday in the Clay County Courthouse at 151 S. Second Ave. in Piggott.
Crawford is holding a service academy information session for interested students, parents and guidance counselors from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. April 1 on the fourth floor of the Region's Bank Building at 2400 E. Highland Drive in Jonesboro.
Representatives from the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy will be available to answer questions. Those interested in attending can contact Sherrie Mitchell at (870) 203-0540 or Sherrie.Mitchell@mail.house.gov.
ON THE HILL
Several members of Arkansas' congressional delegation met this week with Delta Regional Authority Chairman Chris Masingill and with Arkansas Special Olympics CEO Terri Weir of Little Rock, athlete Chelsea Durham of Farmington and board member Brian Vandiver of Little Rock.
On Thursday, Arkansas' U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, and Reps. Hill, Westerman and Womack met with members of the Arkansas Republican Women for breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club, a popular spot for Republicans a few blocks from the Capitol.
Boozman met Monday with Arkansas Public Housing officials, Tuesday with representatives of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, Arkansas Psychological Association, TRiO-Arkansas and Ouachita River Valley Association. On Wednesday, Boozman visited with people from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Arkansas Society for Respiratory Care and the Beaver Water District. On Friday, he spoke with representatives of the Arkansas Hospital Association and the Community Health Centers of Arkansas.
Cotton, a Republican from Dardanelle, met Tuesday with Arkansas Soybean Association members Ted Glaub of Jonesboro, and Brad and Joyce Doyle of Weiner, as well as Arkansas Psychological Association members Dr. Patricia Walz of Fort Smith, Dr. Adam Benton of North Little Rock and Dr. Femina Varghese of Conway. On Wednesday, he talked with Arkansas Fight Colorectal Cancer Advocate Nikol Hamilton of Rogers.
On Thursday, he chaired his first Senate Defense Committee Airland subcommittee hearing.
On Tuesday, Westerman met with Arkansas Forester Joe Fox, as well as a group from the Arkansas Psychological Association. On Wednesday, he spoke with officials from the Vicksburg District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. On Thursday, he talked with David Fisher of Danville, who was in town for the National Newspaper Association meeting. On Friday, Westerman traveled to New Haven, Conn., to guest lecture at the Yale School of Forestry. Westerman has a master's in forestry from Yale.
Hill met Thursday with representatives of the Community Health Centers of Arkansas and with National Federation of Republican Women Arkansas representatives Melonaie Gullick, Julie Harris, Jonelle Fulmer, Reta Hamilton, Felice Barrett, Marcela White and Becky Shepard.
On Monday, Womack met with Arkansas Public Housing and Community Development representatives; Tuesday with Northwest Arkansas Council CEO Mike Malone and Arkansas Waterways Commissioner Gene Higginbotham; and Wednesday with Durham.
WATER GRANTS
Boozman, Cotton and Crawford announced U.S. Department of Agriculture grants in a news release Friday. Mountain Top Public Water Authority in Heber Springs will receive a $114,000 grant and $243,000 loan to extend water service to new users. The Campbell Station Water Department will receive a $5,000 grant to begin correcting problems with its wastewater lift station and pumps.
Boozman will recognize Arkansas agriculture on photo-sharing site Instagram. Each week he will post pictures of Arkansas farms, ranches and agriculture producers that use the tag #ARFarmFriday.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Contact us at (202) 662-7690 or swire@arkansasonline.com.
SundayMonday on 03/22/2015