I need y’all to be open three weeks ago.
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Greg Leding
@GregLeding
State senator for Fayetteville. Senate Minority Leader.
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Third week. How y’all doing out there?
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The landscape at the Arkansas Capitol has been active the past few days, with Gov. @SarahHuckabee speaking at a March for Life rally and Arkansas Senate Minority Leader @GregLeding railing against a proposed “drag performance” bill. #ARnews #arpx Read more from both events
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3 @ArkAdvocate stories today:
1) This morning lawmakers wondered if they could act on ARPA-related proposals after an executive order issued last night abolished the ARPA Steering Committee.
14 requests awaiting approval for months were withdrawn. #arpx
arkansasadvocate.com/2023/01/25/exe
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🚨 If you come across a downed power line, call SWEPCO (1-888-218-3919) or 911 immediately.
🚨 Don’t plug portable generators into your circuit box. They can “backfeed”electricity up the line, putting the lives of repair workers and the public at risk.
(2/2)
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I know thousands of people are without power back home in Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas. SWEPCO tells me they have more than 200 resources working to restore power and remove fallen limbs right now, with crews pulled in from across Arkansas and neighboring states. (1/2)
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Arkansas’s 2nd in child food insecurity, 5th in child mortality, 7th in child deaths by firearms, 16th in teen suicide—and the very first bill your Arkansas Senate passed this session was this nonsense.
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Arkansas Senate approves ‘drag performance’ bill, advances it to House arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jan/
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It’s not clear. #SB43 is assigned to the House Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs, which meets today, but the bill isn’t on the committee’s agenda. This means it could be next Wednesday before the sponsors are able to present it.
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Replying to @GregLeding
when's the next time it will be addressed?
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As Ali notes in her thread, #SB43 cleared the Senate yesterday and is now in the House—but there’s still time to stop it.
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1/ It’s almost midnight, and I’m wide awake, so here’s a quick thread on some of the constitutional and legal issues regarding SB 43, the Arkansas bill that would classify drag performances as adult entertainment. A thread:
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Day two of the third week. Some good *is* happening at the Capitol, but I know today was a tough day for a lot of Arkansans.
Keep engaging your lawmakers, keep showing up when you can, and we’ll win some of these fights.
Here’s this week’s newsletter.
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Here’s more information about the cold-weather shelter available tonight in Fayetteville. #ARwx
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Cold weather sheltering systems in Fayetteville generally open once outdoor temperatures reach a wind chill of 15 degrees or colder.
Call 211 if you/someone else needs help finding a shelter location and getting transportation to a safe place to stay.
fayetteville-ar.gov/4096/Cold-Weat
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A cold-weather shelter will be open tonight from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM in Fayetteville, hosted by the Salvation Army and Genesis Church, with 7hills Homeless Center () offering day shelter tomorrow beginning at 6:00 AM. #ARwx
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You’d have to ask the sponsor.
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@GregLeding Why does the house bill HR1152 not include school psychology specialist and school social workers? Both of these are vital pieces to a student’s success. Does the sponsor of this bill even have a clue these positions exist in a school?
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I hadn't heard anything, so I asked around and was reminded that the shelters generally don't open unless windchill temperatures get down to 15°, much colder than I think it's expected to get tonight.
If anyone's heard differently, please let me know, and I'll share.
#ARwx
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@GregLeding @NicoleClowneyAR any info on warming centers or special shelters open for the storm?
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I was about to tweet something along these lines, but Allison had already said it better.
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“Fund students, not systems” sounds nice, but it’s a dishonest oversimplifying catchphrase for the school choice model.
Regardless, systems get funded, but it’s a matter of *which* systems get funded—those every student can access, or those that funnel money to private schools.
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There’s a lot happening at our state capitol right now. I do my best to keep Arkansans up to date here, but I also send out a weekly newsletter each Monday of the legislative session.
If you aren’t already subscribed, sign up here:
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Reaching out to our governor and legislative leadership (in addition to your own state representative and state senator) is always a good idea.
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Replying to @GregLeding
Thank you. I received your reply. I'm curious if you think it would help to contact the governor's office or legislative leadership.
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I got your email, and I wrote back. I appreciate you taking the time to contact your lawmakers, and I understand your concerns. Don’t give up.
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Just a normal day of me writing an email to @DeniseforAR & @GregLeding opposing Arkansas LEARNS on behalf of myself and my mother. I'm worried about the next four years, y'all.
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Either is fine. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
You're my state senator. Would you prefer an email or a call?
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Solar advocates are already engaging key lawmakers. I helped to make a few connections myself last week. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
“What is the latest on the grandfathering extension for solar? Tens of millions of dollars in savings on hold for businesses in AR and jobs being lost while it is held up in #arleg .”
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A single bill can't address unrelated issues, but so long as all components are all related to (in this case) education, there's no reason it can't tackle multiple things. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @bluetruedream21 and @GregLeding
And can it be lumped together like that? I thought I saw another (perhaps former) legislator that said stacking bills together is against the state constitution. Is that so?
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Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have concerns about the bill, lumping components together among them. As to what can be done, Arkansans who support public education need to contact their state representatives and state senators. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
What can be done about this apparent omnibus education bill? I was up at the Capitol yesterday and talked to a few reps about it. Several expressed frustration about how it’s all lumped together.
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I know. And I understand. And I know the wins might not always seem like a big deal—but I doubt any DACA recipient found former representative Megan Godfrey's wins on their behalf to be small. Democratic lawmakers can and do pass good and meaningful legislation. #ARlegAMA twitter.com/Aklipscomb/sta
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Contact your lawmakers, contact our governor, show up at the Capitol when you can, support organizations working against harmful legislation (and those in support of good legislation), and help recruit candidates for 2024. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
How do we stop the madness‽
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Replying to @GregLeding
Does that make miscarriage involuntary manslaughter?
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Replying to @GregLeding
If you haven’t shut down yet, what is HB1174? I read it to say pregnant women/girls would be charged with murder if they get an abortion. True?
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I can't (and don't want to) speak for any of my colleagues here, but I think it's safe to say that a lot of us have concerns about the fates of rural public schools. The loss of a school or local hospital is a blow that's tough to come back from. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
Are the concerns about school vouchers that some Republicans have the same as the concerns that Democrats have, or are they coming at it from a different angle?
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It was great meeting you too. Thank you for your work, and we'll keep doing what we can down at our Capitol. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
It was great meeting you today. Please keep fighting the good fight for all educators and students.
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I know it’s easy to feel this way, and being clear-eyed about the difficult days ahead is important—but we can’t let it get in the way of the work. We can support the lawmakers doing good, oppose those doing harm, and work to recruit candidates for 2024. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
How screwed are we?
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I don’t know. I do know a lot of lawmakers generally like to see what some of the bigger-ticket items of the session are gonna cost before committing to specific cuts. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
how long until we see 'the' tax plan?
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Anything can happen, but I’d err on the side of sayin it’s likely to become law. Everybody with concerns should contact their state lawmakers (and this applies to any bill, not just this one). #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
Do you have a sense of how likely SB81 is to pass?
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I don’t wanna get ahead of anybody, so I’d just point to the recent examples of former and current lawmakers like Megan Godfrey, Jamie Scott, Clarke Tucker, and many others. I’ve been able to pass bipartisan laws to improve access to cancer treatments. Good can happen. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
What measures that would actually benefit Arkansans have any chance of passing and being signed into law?
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Near the very top. My mom spent a good chunk of her childhood growing up in a town just west of Hunter’s birthplace of Cloutierville, Louisiana. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
Where do you rank Clementine Hunter in the pantheon of Southern folk artists.
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I’m not familiar enough with existing laws in this area, but many of us believe the true intent of this law is to further divide, distract, and demean Arkansans. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
Does current law cover lewd performances regardless of the gender of the performer and the “gender” of the costume? Why do drag performances need a specific law?
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Not for another several weeks. The six sessions I’ve been a part of prior to this one all extended into April. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
Is it over yet? :)
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I wish I could I say yes. Do know that we’ll keep fighting, and that I hope we keep seeing people show up at the Capitol to speak out against these bills. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
Do you think there’s a chance of stopping any of the anti trans bills?
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Don’t go looking to relocate just yet. My understanding is that the education omnibus bill is still in its early stages, and that Democrats and Republicans alike have concerns about vouchers. I expect we’ll know more next week. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
What’s going to happen with school vouchers? Should we start looking at homes in other states or not yet?
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Yeah, it’s gonna be a long, dismal few months, but I promise there’ll be bright spots along the way. Democrats and Republicans alike are working on things to make Arkansans’ lives better. We just have to fight the bad and hateful stuff as we can. #ARlegAMA
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Replying to @GregLeding
What reason does anyone to the left of, say, Mussolini have to be optimistic about anything related to state government for the foreseeable future?
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Replying to @GregLeding
Was there really a bill making it a felony for librarians to have materials which the senator deems obscene?
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Two weeks in the books. Who’s got questions? #ARlegAMA
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