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.
Water Conference set for November 8 The Cooperative Extension Service Public Policy Center and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law are sponsoring a conference November 8 on water law and policy. Water; The Choices --Water Law and Policy will feature speakers from across the water industry. The conference will be held at the C. A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center from 8 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. Registration is $55 or student registration $20. Lunch is included. The conference keynote speaker is Joseph Dellapenna, law professor at Villanova University, a co-author of "Water and Water Rights," the standard reference work on water law in the United States. "The timing and topics of this Water Law and Policy Conference are extraordinary. The drought of 2012 underscores the importance of the state's water resource," said Tom Riley, director of the Public Policy Center of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. "Led by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, we have begun the process of updating the "State Water Plan;" natural gas exploration and hydrofracking have introduced new water demand and quality concerns; irrigation projects and rural water development gained in urgency; all while the questions of rights and use priorities became more complicated, especially in riparian law states." Register online at www.regonline.com/uappc. For more information, contact Kristin Higgins at 501-6712160.
State Resolutions Committee The State Resolutions Committee will meet Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 7-8 at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, North Little Rock. More than 475 resolutions were received following county Farm Bureau annual conventions. The report of the committee will be reviewed during the voting delegate session of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention, Nov. 30 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. Not all resolutions submitted by the counties will be adopted.
Upcoming State Legislative Meetings Wednesday, November 07, 2012 8:00 AM Room 272 ALC-JBC SPECIAL LANGUAGE 9:00 AM Room A, MAC ALC-JBC BUDGET HEARINGS Thursday, November 08, 2012 7:30 AM Room B, MAC ALC-JBC PERSONNEL 9:00 AM Room A, MAC ALC-JBC BUDGET HEARINGS 9:00 AM Senate Chamber SENATE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING 1:30 PM Room 151 JOINT PERFORMANCE REVIEW (JPR) 1:30 PM Room 171 ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - JOINT Friday, November 09, 2012 9:00 AM House Chamber HOUSE CAUCUS (MEMBERS-ELECT OF THE 89TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY) Tuesday, November 13, 2012 8:00 AM Room 272 ALC-JBC SPECIAL LANGUAGE 9:00 AM Room A, MAC ALC-JBC BUDGET HEARINGS Wednesday, November 14, 2012 7:30 AM Room B, MAC ALC-JBC PERSONNEL 9:00 AM Room A, MAC ALC-JBC BUDGET HEARINGS 3:00 PM Room 171 PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE SUBCOMMITTEE Thursday, November 15, 2012 8:00 AM Room 272 ALC-JBC SPECIAL LANGUAGE 9:00 AM Room A, MAC ALC-JBC BUDGET HEARINGS 10:00 AM Room 171 * ALTERNATIVE ENERGY COMMISSION 1:00 PM Room 138 ALZHEIMER'S ADVISORY COUNCIL 1:30 PM Room 151 CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMITTEE – SENATE & HOUSE Friday, November 16, 2012
9:00 AM Room A, MAC ARKANSAS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (ALC) 3:00 PM Ranger Boat Factory - 927 Highway 178 North Flippin STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRSSENATE & HOUSE Saturday, November 17, 2012 8:00 AM Gaston's Visitor Center - 153 Dam Overlook Lane Bull Shoals STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE & HOUSE Monday, November 19, 2012 1:30 PM Room 151 LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE ON SUSTAINABLE BUILDING DESIGN AND PRACTICES 1:30 PM Room 171 STATE AGENCIES & GOVT'L AFFAIRS-SENATE & HOUSE 2:00 PM Room B, MAC JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- HOUSE Tuesday, November 20, 2012 7:30 AM Room B, MAC ALC-JBC PERSONNEL 9:00 AM Room A, MAC ALC-JBC BUDGET HEARINGS 4:00 PM OSC * AR INTERFACE CONFERENCE Monday, November 26, 2012 10:00 AM Room 171 EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE & HOUSE 1:30 PM Room 171 EDUCATION- HOUSE EARLY CHILDHOOD SUBCOMMITTEE Tuesday, November 27, 2012 8:00 AM Room 272 ALC-JBC SPECIAL LANGUAGE 10:00 AM Room 130 PUBLIC RETIREMENT & SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMS-JOINT 1:30 PM Room 171 * COMMUNITY SERVICES OVERSIGHT & PLANNING COUNCIL Wednesday, November 28, 2012 9:00 AM Room B, MAC ALC-JBC PERSONNEL Thursday, November 29, 2012 8:00 AM Room 272 ALC-JBC SPECIAL LANGUAGE New customers can get a discount on high-speed Internet by Satellite from HughesNet. $99 INSTANT CREDIT at time of Activation of NEW HughesNet account for Farm Bureau Members! CALL 1-866-556-9661 Looking for a great recipe? Check out Arkansas Farm Bureau’s new blog at http://www.tastearkansas.com. It features new recipes almost daily and Arkansas farmers. VISIT THE ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU WEBSITE AT http://www.arfb.com HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE You are receiving this newsletter because you requested that your email address be added to the electronic newsletter. To unsubscribe please reply to this email with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line, or send a separate email to Teresa.smith@arfb.com ----------------------------------------------------Arkansas Farm Bureau 10720 Kanis Road Little Rock, AR 72211 501-224-4400