Local Events

  • Tuesday, July 25 at 11 a.m. - Propublica virtual panel “How Culture Wars Have Derailed School Board Meetings Across the Country”; conversation about the unrest surrounding free speech, library book bans, transgender rights and teachings about race. Register for free HERE.

  • Friday, July 28 at noon - “Hold Your Legislators Accountable for Their Votes” Facebook live event by the Arkansas Public Policy Panel

  • Saturday, July 29 from 10 - noon - Backpack Giveaway at Arvest Ball Park; 800 backpacks will be distributed; no pre-registration; first come, first serve; Children K-12 eligible

  • Saturday, July 29 from 1 - 9 p.m. - “Stroll the Atolls Festival” at Shiloh Square in downtown Springdale; the STA festival explores and celebrates the diversity of the Pacific Island cultures by providing presentations that connect learners to different Atolls and Islands.

  • Monday, August 7 at 5:30 p.m. - “Back to School: What to Expect from LEARNS” webinar hosted by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families; register HERE

  • Saturday, August 19 at 6 p.m. - “A Run for More Film Screening and Panel Discussion” at the Meteor Guitar Gallery; tickets are $10 - The Equality Crew - in partnership with the Democratic Party of Benton County – will host a film screening of A Run for More, a documentary about the political campaign of Frankie Gonzalez-Wolfe who made history as the first openly elected transgender official in Texas. This 55-minute screening will be followed by a 45-minute panel Q&A with local TGNB leaders and community members.

Municipal Government Awareness

Bella Vista

  • Next Council Mtng: Monday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m. (2483 Forest Hills Blvd)

Bentonville

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, July 25 at 6 p.m. (305 SW A St.)

Cave Springs

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, July 25 at 6:30 p.m. (134 N. Main St.)

  • Items of Note:

    • Cave Springs Fire Department Open House from 10- 2 p.m. on Aug. 19th at 142 Healing Springs Road; event includes station tours, kid friendly activities, and food

Centerton

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m. (210 Municipal Dr.)

  • Items of Note:

    • Tree & Brush Clean Up on Aug. 5th from 8 - Noon (10404 Hwy 279 N.); must have ID or utility bill with address, tree limbs and brus only; for more info call 479-244-6028

Gravette

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m. (202 Main St. NE)

  • Items of Note:

    • The 130th annual Gravette Day will be on Saturday, Aug. 12th. For information about the parade, pageants, 5k, car show and art show, go HERE.

Highfill

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. (15036 AR 12)

  • Items of Note:

    • The city and members of the XNA Airport Board will be meeting to discuss the possibility of the airport leaving the city. The Arkansas legislature passed a law that goes into effect on July 31st providing XNA with a legal option to exit. Read more HERE.

Lowell
Pea Ridge

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 5:30 p.m. (911 Weston St.) - Committee of the Whole

Rogers

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, July 25 at 6 p.m. (301 W. Chestnut)

  • Items of Note:

    • Final approval for USL Arkansas proposed stadium will be on the next agenda. Meanwhile, add your voice to the fan team name and colors survey HERE.

Siloam Springs

  • Next Council Mtng: Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. (400 N. Broadway)

  • Items of Note:

    • In last board meeting, Police Chief Allan Gilbert agreed on a contract with the city to become the next City Administrator

    • Don Clark, Siloam Springs community development director, resigned after a 15 year career with the city; Don will take a position with a private employer in Fayetteville

Springdale

County Government Awareness

Benton County Quorum Court

At this week’s Quorum Court meeting (July 27th at 6 p.m.); the Justices will discuss a measure to regulate the noise from computer data centers (typically crypto currency) in unincorporated locations in the county.

Bentonville School District

State Government Awareness

94th General Legislative Assembly:

  • ForARpeople recently released a short writeup “Examining State Government’s purpose: what has Arkansas done for you lately?”. Really great question when you consider the Helena-West Helena water infrastructure crisis.

  • Citizens First Congress has released their 2023 Arkansas Legislative Vote Guide. This guide does not endorse or condemn any legislator – or tell you whether your legislators are “good” or “bad” — it simply compares votes taken by legislators to the CFC’s Ten Priorities for a Better Arkansas and other issues on our broad platform. There are many complexities that are impossible to put in a voting chart; this vote guide tells you how your legislators tend to vote, but it does not tell you why.

Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders:

From Antoinette Grajeda at the Arkansas Advocate:

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Cory Cox as a special justice in the LEARNS Act case to replace Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland, who recused himself last week. Cox was a chief of staff for former Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and a former law partner of Hiland. HERE>

And for those scratching your head on why the original Hiland appointment was bad enough, some context from On AR Watch: “Packing the Court with a Judge of One’s Own: A Sarah Sanders Story”.

Arkansas State Broadband Office

From Antoinette Grajeda at the Arkansas Advocate:

The Arkansas State Broadband Office recently launched its Digital Skills and Opportunity Survey as part of an effort to better understand the state’s digital divide. The survey asks about how and why people use the internet, and the challenges they experience; collected data will inform the Arkansas Digital Skills and Opportunity Plan. The plan will be available for public comment in the fall, and a final version is due by mid-November to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Participate in Survey

Election Information

From Michael Wickline at the NWA Dem Gazz:

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston's office has determined that a petition submitted by a political group called No Labels contained sufficient signatures to allow the group to place the names of candidates for president and vice president on the Arkansas ballot for the 2024 general election.

One thing both men [chairs of the Democratic and Republican Parties of Arkansas] agreed on: No Labels need not divulge the big donors who are fueling the current drive toward a possible third-party bid for the White House. Democratic opponents of the effort have accused the group of hiding a donor list that leans heavily Republican -- proof, opponents say, that the drive is all about electing former President Donald Trump to a second term.

Political Training Opportunities

National Democratic Training Committee - Virtual & Free!

Progressive Change Committee - Virtual & Free!

Odds & Ends

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