WASHINGTON -- A Fayetteville couple witnessed President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
University of Arkansas assistant track coach Doug Case called it "an unbelievable experience. ... A once in a lifetime thing."
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers secured tickets in the House gallery for the coach and his wife, Chris Case.
Former House Speaker Newt "Gingrich was right in front of me. Shook his hand. Great man," the Razorback coach said.
The speech itself was "excellent," he added.
Afterward, as Trump was leaving, Womack found Case and introduced him to the commander in chief.
"Steve kind of pushed us up in there and said, 'President, president, shake this guy's hand.' And [Trump] reached out and grabbed my hand," he said.
Chris Case said she also had a memorable evening.
"I got to shake Vice President [Mike] Pence's hand and he reached out to me. ... He was amazing," she added.
State farmers pick up pointers in D.C.
More than 40 Arkansans traveled to the nation's capital last week for the 2017 American Farm Bureau Federation Advocacy Conference.
During the visit, they were briefed on key issues and received pointers on how to lobby effectively.
On Wednesday, they spent hours on Capitol Hill meeting with members of the Arkansas congressional delegation.
Much of the focus was on the White House.
"Everybody's talking about the new administration and how the transition's going," said Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach.
At a dinner Wednesday evening, several of the farmers expressed excitement about recent changes in Washington and optimism about the future.
The president's executive order instructing the Environmental Protection Agency to re-examine recent clean-water rules also got favorable reviews from Veach and others.
In addition, there was enthusiasm about Trump's agriculture secretary nominee.
Former Georgia Gov. "Sonny Perdue's going to be tremendous for us. He understands agriculture. He's farmed himself. ... He's going to be a great advocate for agriculture, and he's going to be great to work with," Veach added.
Three dozen farmers and five Farm Bureau staff members made the trip.
2 clergy sign brief in transgender suit
Two Arkansas clergy members have signed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to side with a transgender high school student instead of his local school board.
Gavin Grimm, who attends school in Gloucester County, Va., identifies as male and wants to use the boys restroom but faces opposition from school district officials.
The justices are to hear oral arguments March 28.
The Rev. Randy Eddy-McCain, senior pastor at Sherwood's Open Door Community Church, and the Rev. Gwen Fry, a Little Rock Episcopal priest, added their names to the brief, which was filed on behalf of Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and more than 1,800 other religious leaders.
In it, they challenge claims "that sexual identity is fixed by God at conception," arguing that there are "diverse viewpoints on gender identity across various faiths and denominations."
Eddy-McCain, an openly gay minister who grew up in the Assemblies of God, has led his nondenominational congregation for more than two decades.
He maintains that the school officials should be more compassionate. "I don't understand why they can't have a little bit of heart," he said in an interview.
Fry, who was formerly known as Gregory J. Fry, is the board president of the Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition.
"I signed it because I don't feel that any one particular faith, tradition or theology should have say over issues like this," she said. "As a Christian myself and as a trans woman, it is very important for me that we respect the dignity of every human being."
Arkansans attend No Labels meeting
Little Rock resident Craig Douglass traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to attend the No Labels Problem Solvers Conference.
The two-day event featured appearances by former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman as well as current lawmakers who stressed the importance of reaching across the aisle.
Hope native Mack McLarty, the former White House chief of staff and No Labels' vice chairman, moderated one of the sessions.
"I thought it was an outstanding program," said Douglass, the executive director of the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation.
No Labels sees itself as an ideologically independent, centrist organization that can fight gridlock and foster bipartisanship.
That type of "common-sense approach to problem solving" is appealing, Douglass said.
The Arkansan is hopeful that Republicans and Democrats, conservatives as well as liberals, will work together to improve the nation's roads and bridges. After all, Douglass said, "Investment in highway improvement is something that appeals to all citizens."
Lawmaker: Pacific trip 'informational'
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman said his recent trip to the Pacific was productive.
The Republican from Hot Springs was part of a congressional delegation that traveled to American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
The isolated, sparsely populated islands are closer to Asia or Australia than to the continental United States.
Westerman serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. territories.
The lawmakers met with island leaders and consulted with U.S. military officials about defense matters.
"There's some military projects that are being held up," because of federal permitting requirements, Westerman said.
The trip was "very informational," he said. "There's nothing like being there and seeing firsthand what's happening on the ground versus trying to read a paper and connect the dots."
The islands were sunny, hot and humid. "But when the breeze was blowing, it was fantastic," Westerman added.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
SundayMonday on 03/05/2017