Congressional Recap: Arkansas Delegation Tours State

The second week of a spring recess kept members of the state’s congressional delegation busy, talking with constituents and speaking about a variety of issues.

Here’s how Arkansas’ congressional leaders spent their spring break.

BOOZMAN VISITS NEA
The state’s senior senator toured several places in Northeast Arkansas Wednesday, meeting with business owners and veterans about different issues.

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., visited Hytrol Conveyor Company in Jonesboro and spoke to company officials about the need for workforce training and education.

Company president Gregg Goodner told Boozman the company, which makes conveyors for businesses like FedEx and Barnes & Noble, had its best year in business last year.

The company, which opened in 1947, faces many of the same issues that other companies see, he added. One of the needs involves having skilled, educated workers especially in engineering and welding, Goodner noted.

The company has donated $200,000 to the Arkansas State University College of Engineering to build a steady pipeline of engineers.

In addition to visiting the company, Boozman also toured the NEA Food Bank in Jonesboro, the Beck Pride Center on the ASU campus and a shooting range in nearby Brookland.

CRAWFORD TOURS SCHOOL’S EAST LAB
Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Jonesboro, on Thursday had a chance to visit several future engineers and computer technicians at the MacArthur Junior High School EAST Lab in Jonesboro.

The congressman saw several of the projects that the students are working on.

One of the projects involves Sean Roades. The 8th grader at MacArthur Junior High School is working on a project to put a mural in downtown Jonesboro.

The Downtown Jonesboro Association is sponsoring the project with the mural being placed on the side of a building close to the Forum in Jonesboro.

Roades said the drawings can be done by hand or on a computer and that the mural will be printed on an industrial printer.

As for the EAST program, Roades’ teacher, Garrett Barnes, said over 100 students participate in the program.

Crawford also spoke to the students about his work and issues facing the state and country.

HILL SEEKING ANSWERS ON VA SOLAR PANELS ISSUE
Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, on Thursday sent a letter to United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald about questions involving solar panels that were installed and turned off at the Little Rock VA office.

Content partner KATV was the first to report Monday on the issue, which involves having the panel turned off more than two years after they were built.

Hill said he wanted to find out how the federal agency plans to pay for moving the panels, which were torn down to build a parking garage and installed on the top of the garage.

On Friday, Hill and Sen. Boozman called for an Inspector General investigation on the issue.

WOMACK NAMED APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE VICE CHAIR
Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, was named Friday to serve as the vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.

The committee’s chairman, Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers, R-Ky., said the vice chairman serves as chair of the subcommittee when the chair is absent; and helps with official committee duties.

“The vice chairs for the Appropriations Committee have distinguished themselves as knowledgeable on the appropriations process and are committee to responsible budgeting,” Rogers said. “These members will play an integral role in bringing each of the 12 Appropriations bills from Subcommittee to the House floor, and I know that they will live up to the demands of the job over what I expect will be a tough but successful appropriations year.”