by - January 25, 2015 12:20 pm
A good man
The City Wire recently asked me to write something about the person who is the new Arkansas governor – my old boss, Asa Hutchinson. I was asked to write about him…
Guest Commentary
by The City Wire staff - January 25, 2015 12:17 pm
The politics of ‘AsaCare’
The long awaited speech by Gov. Asa Hutchinson on his health care plans for the state “surprised many people,” said state Rep. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, one of the few surviving…
by The City Wire staff - January 22, 2015 8:17 pm
Don’t label campaign finance reform debate
News about campaign finance reform came out last week that, once again, painted that issue as one primarily pushed by the left side of the political spectrum. So, what happened?…
by The City Wire staff - January 20, 2015 1:17 pm
Reshaping the tax code
Last Saturday, news broke of President Obama’s intentions to reshape the tax code in favor of the middle class and working families, which would require raising taxes and fees on…
by The City Wire staff - January 18, 2015 7:42 pm
Make a legislative connection
While national political events capture the attention of the majority of our news media, Arkansas lawmakers are meeting in Little Rock writing, debating, and passing state laws that affect our…
by The City Wire staff - January 18, 2015 6:03 pm
Gearhart did go home again
A surprise announcement came about this past week when G. David Gearhart, the chancellor of the University of Arkansas, announced he would resign on July 31. A national search for…
by The City Wire staff - January 15, 2015 6:26 pm
Why would we want to do that?
Have you ever heard anyone say that it’s not easy to attract people to move to Fort Smith? Or maybe you’ve heard someone say we need more development along the…
by The City Wire staff - January 15, 2015 3:53 pm
Avoid the mortgage debt scam
Recently I was reading about people around the nation who take out deeds in lieu of foreclosure and wind up getting called about owing debts on their mortgages years after…
by The City Wire staff - January 13, 2015 3:37 pm
Beebe raised the bar
Arkansas’ political heart has recently been beating at the rhythm of Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson’s appointments of his senior staff and appointments to executive agencies, and at the rhythm of the…
by The City Wire staff - January 12, 2015 6:15 pm
The lottery fix (maybe)
There is always a perceived “prize” or bragging rights for the member of the Arkansas General Assembly filing the biggest and most complex bill every session of the Legislature. Forget…
by The City Wire staff - January 11, 2015 8:04 pm
Burning free speech rights
In a week in which the world tragically learned (again) the dangers of attaching an unwavering loyalty and willingness to kill and be a martyr for a symbol, U.S. Rep….
by The City Wire staff - January 9, 2015 2:35 pm
A ‘Thank you’ from Gov. Beebe
Nine-and-a-half years ago, I announced my intention to run for Governor of Arkansas. This next week, for the first time since June of 2005, I will not be pursuing or…
by The City Wire staff - January 8, 2015 7:14 pm
Reducing lobbyist influence
Back in November, Arkansas voters passed a ballot initiative that caught some people by surprise because of its provision that effectively lengthens term limits. I’m talking, of course, about Issue…
by The City Wire staff - January 6, 2015 9:46 pm
Document retention
Unless you are involved in some criminal activity, January is a good time for a business to review its document retention policy. A well designed document retention policy that is…
by The City Wire staff - January 5, 2015 9:56 pm
Leaky roof politics
There’s an old joke about a man with a leaky roof. When it rained, he said he couldn’t fix the holes because it was raining. When it wasn’t raining he’d…
by The City Wire staff - January 4, 2015 11:43 pm
Hutchinson and a history lesson
As the inauguration of Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas’ 45th Governor, draws near, there are hints of a central theme emerging for the inauguration which may not be new, but may flavor…
by The City Wire staff - January 3, 2015 5:23 pm
Beebe challenges, accomplishments
When asked in recent interviews about my past eight years as Governor, I've said repeatedly that it's been quite a ride. When you review the challenges we've faced and the…
by The City Wire staff - December 29, 2014 3:14 pm
Attorneys general and defending state laws
I am not sure how many people noticed, but there has been something of a trend forming over the past year in which state attorneys general refuse to defend laws…
by The City Wire staff - December 28, 2014 6:44 pm
The BIG business of bowl games
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or one of them, anyway. Wall-to-wall college football bowl games for a full month. Of course, we get stuck with some stinkers…
by The City Wire staff - December 28, 2014 6:40 pm
Statewide trauma system kudos
We talk a lot about how Arkansas’s Payment Improvement Initiative and the Private Option have advanced and are stabilizing our health-care infrastructure. However, it was just six years ago that…