November 2, 2012 Election 2012 Tens of thousands of Arkansas voters have already cast their ballots in the 2012 Elections but the majority of the state will vote on Election Day, November 6. Almost 100 percent of Arkansas Farm Bureau membership households include at least one registered voter. Farm Bureau members are encouraged to vote and consider how the candidates and issues will impact agriculture. Arkansas Farm Bureau does not endorse candidates but we do ask for the positions of statewide and Congressional candidate on issues important to agriculture. Those responses were printed in a recent FB Press. If you would like to refresh your memory on those positions, you can view that October 12 newsletter at http://www.arfb.com. Arkansas Farm Bureau has endorsed Issue 1 on this year’s ballot. It will create a temporary ½ cent sales tax (ten years only) to finance $1.3 billion bonds for highway improvements and maintenance. The tax will also generate $700 million in funds for counties and city road work. Five ballot issues appear on voters’ ballots this year making for a really long ballot. The University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center has prepared unbiased fact sheets on Issues 1, 2 & 5. Although Issues 3 & 4 appear on the ballot, results will not be tabulated because the courts ruled both issues ineligible; therefore facts sheets were not prepared. To learn more about the remaining ballot issues visit: http://ppc.uaex.edu/ballot/default.htm). Issue Number 1 - Providing Additional Funds for State Highways County Roads, City Street, Bridges, and Other Surface Transportation Issue Number 2 - Giving Cities and Counties Additional Financing Powers Issue Number 5 - Making the Medical Use of Marijuana Legal Under Arkansas Law and Creating a System for Cultivation, Acquisition and Distribution If you have questions about voting, some of those questions can be answered at the Secretary of State Mark Martin’s website http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/Pages/default.aspx. The Secretary of State will update his website regularly on the night of the election.
STATE NEWS Farm Bill workshop in Stuttgart The National Agricultural Law Center will host a producer meeting at the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. until noon. There is no charge and a lunch by King Kat Catering will be provided following the meeting. An RSVP is requested on or before Nov. 2 in order to plan for lunch. The workshop will focus on issues involving farm bill reauthorization, federal crop insurance, and other legal and policy issues relevant to agricultural producers in the Grand Prairie such as environmental regulation. Presenters will be Harrison Pittman, Director of the National Agricultural Law Center, and Grant Ballard, Center Research Consultant and Associate with the Banks Law Firm. The workshop is provided with generous support from the Banks Law Firm, PLLC, a firm headquartered in Little Rock that represents agricultural producers. Additional information about the meeting including driving instructions and other key information, as well as other upcoming workshops in Mississippi and Louisiana are available by contacting Harrison Pittman at hmpittm@uark.edu or (479) 575-7640.