Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Wednesday, and it is early.
Early voting is underway for the June 13 primary election runoff, but in much of Arkansas it was being done on paper ballots rather than electronic devices because the company supplying most of the state with voting equipment will not have touch-screen voting machines ready until later this week.
After failing to meet the legal requirement to get the Green Party recognized as an official political party in Arkansas, former state representative and Green Party gubernatorial candidate, Jim Lendall, promised to sue the State for making so difficult to get on the ballot it is unconstitutional.
The state Board of Corrections has invoked the Emergency Powers Act, making up to 665 prison inmates eligible for early parole hearings. State prison units hous 12,835 inmates, 532 more than capacity. Over 500 state inmates are being held in county jails.
A flu pandemic could kill more than 3,500 Arkansans and affect 500,000 more, according to national Centers for Disease Control statistics. Those numbers could be substantially lower if Arkansas works quickly to prevent the virus from spreading, officials of the state Department of Health and Human Services told members of the House and Senate Interim Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor.
Police are investigating counterfeit charges against an unidentified suspect after $120 in counterfeit currency was passed at a Wal Mart Supercenter in Forrest City over the weekend.
North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays has ordered lights, desktop computers and printers in all city offices to be turned off each night and for thermostats to be set to “at least 80” degrees when the last employee leaves the building. Rates charged by the municipal power company are expected to increase drastically next year.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has bought around 40 acres in Pea Ridge, but a company spokeswoman was noncommittal about what the Bentonville-based retailer plans for the site.
After failing to meet the legal requirement to get the Green Party recognized as an official political party in Arkansas, former state representative and Green Party gubernatorial candidate, Jim Lendall, promised to sue the State for making so difficult to get on the ballot it is unconstitutional.
The state Board of Corrections has invoked the Emergency Powers Act, making up to 665 prison inmates eligible for early parole hearings. State prison units hous 12,835 inmates, 532 more than capacity. Over 500 state inmates are being held in county jails.
A flu pandemic could kill more than 3,500 Arkansans and affect 500,000 more, according to national Centers for Disease Control statistics. Those numbers could be substantially lower if Arkansas works quickly to prevent the virus from spreading, officials of the state Department of Health and Human Services told members of the House and Senate Interim Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor.
Police are investigating counterfeit charges against an unidentified suspect after $120 in counterfeit currency was passed at a Wal Mart Supercenter in Forrest City over the weekend.
North Little Rock Mayor Pat Hays has ordered lights, desktop computers and printers in all city offices to be turned off each night and for thermostats to be set to “at least 80” degrees when the last employee leaves the building. Rates charged by the municipal power company are expected to increase drastically next year.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has bought around 40 acres in Pea Ridge, but a company spokeswoman was noncommittal about what the Bentonville-based retailer plans for the site.
Comments:
<< Home
Arkansas Power Ranking suggests clout in D.C. rated 51st by firms Behind every state, but ahead of U.S. Virgin Islands
BY ALEX DANIELS
Mark Pryor Next To Last In Senate Rankings--Lincoln 92nd
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
WASHINGTON — When Arkansas’ Sen. Mark Pryor was listed among Time magazine’s Senate “up and comers” last month, it wasn’t clear exactly how far he needed to rise to become a congressional heavyweight.
According to the latest tabulation, Pryor and the entire Arkansas delegation have a long way to go.
Two Washington research companies, who sell their services to those who want to influence public opinion, released their rankings of Capitol Hill’s power players this week.
They listed Pryor as second-tolast in the Senate.
As a group, the entire Arkansas delegation came in 51st, behind every other state and Puerto Rico. But Arkansas was ahead of the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.
Capitol Advantage and Knowlegis published their findings Tuesday on their Web site, congress.org.
The rankings were based on 15 measurements, including tenure, ability to get bills passed, influence on the congressional agenda and committee placement.
“I’d take the ratings with a big grain of salt,” said Andrew Dowdle, a politics professor at the University of Arkansas.
Historically, Arkansas has had influence on the Hill above and beyond its relatively small size, Dowdle said. Sen. William Fulbright, Sen. John McClellan and Rep. Wilbur Mills accumulated clout by serving for decades while their Democratic Party was in power.
Now, Dowdle said, the members of the Arkansas delegation are all Democrats, with the exception of Rep. John Boozman. Coming from the minority party makes it harder for them to make waves on the Hill. Their relative lack of tenure makes it even more difficult.
“Senator Pryor is focused on working for Arkansans and doing what’s right for the state,” his spokesman, Lisa Ackerman, said in a statement. “Whether it’s Time magazine’s recent assessment of him as one of five ‘up and coming Senators’ or this Internet group’s less flattering rankings, his focus remains the same.”
Rep. Mike Ross said he’s happy to be at the bottom of any list topped by Rep. Tom DeLay, the former majority leader who announced he will resign from Congress this summer. The Texan placed No. 2 in the House rankings.
Just give the delegation some time, Ross argued.
“We don’t have the stature Wilbur Mills and that crowd had, but they had to start somewhere, too,” Ross said.
BY ALEX DANIELS
Mark Pryor Next To Last In Senate Rankings--Lincoln 92nd
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
WASHINGTON — When Arkansas’ Sen. Mark Pryor was listed among Time magazine’s Senate “up and comers” last month, it wasn’t clear exactly how far he needed to rise to become a congressional heavyweight.
According to the latest tabulation, Pryor and the entire Arkansas delegation have a long way to go.
Two Washington research companies, who sell their services to those who want to influence public opinion, released their rankings of Capitol Hill’s power players this week.
They listed Pryor as second-tolast in the Senate.
As a group, the entire Arkansas delegation came in 51st, behind every other state and Puerto Rico. But Arkansas was ahead of the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.
Capitol Advantage and Knowlegis published their findings Tuesday on their Web site, congress.org.
The rankings were based on 15 measurements, including tenure, ability to get bills passed, influence on the congressional agenda and committee placement.
“I’d take the ratings with a big grain of salt,” said Andrew Dowdle, a politics professor at the University of Arkansas.
Historically, Arkansas has had influence on the Hill above and beyond its relatively small size, Dowdle said. Sen. William Fulbright, Sen. John McClellan and Rep. Wilbur Mills accumulated clout by serving for decades while their Democratic Party was in power.
Now, Dowdle said, the members of the Arkansas delegation are all Democrats, with the exception of Rep. John Boozman. Coming from the minority party makes it harder for them to make waves on the Hill. Their relative lack of tenure makes it even more difficult.
“Senator Pryor is focused on working for Arkansans and doing what’s right for the state,” his spokesman, Lisa Ackerman, said in a statement. “Whether it’s Time magazine’s recent assessment of him as one of five ‘up and coming Senators’ or this Internet group’s less flattering rankings, his focus remains the same.”
Rep. Mike Ross said he’s happy to be at the bottom of any list topped by Rep. Tom DeLay, the former majority leader who announced he will resign from Congress this summer. The Texan placed No. 2 in the House rankings.
Just give the delegation some time, Ross argued.
“We don’t have the stature Wilbur Mills and that crowd had, but they had to start somewhere, too,” Ross said.
# posted by 
: 10:37 AM
: 10:37 AM
Hi, I was out blogging and found your site. It certainly got my attention and interest. I was looking for Toys information and even though this isn't a perfect match I enjoyed your site. Thanks for the read!
Post a Comment
# posted by : 4:47 PM
: 4:47 PM<< Home
