RPA Weekly Recap | September 11, 2023 Special Legislative Session Called For This Week Today begins the start of a Special Session of the Arkansas Legislature. You can read Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders full call here or watch the announcement here. You can find links for the top three items on the agenda here: Reduction in State Income Tax | HB1001 + SB2 Prohibition of COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate | HB1002 + SB3 Amending the Freedom of Information Act | HB1003 + SB7 You can view all of this week's Special Session and committee meetings online by following the link here to the General Assembly's homepage. Remembering 9/11 | Never Forget Today marks the solemn occasion to remember the attacks on our country on 9/11. Our prayers are with the loved ones of those lives lost in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. We express gratitude to the first responders who bravely put their own lives at risk to help their fellow Americans. May we Never Forget the tragic events of this day, and may we honor the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make to secure our freedoms. "This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world." — President George W. Bush September 11th, 2001 State Rep. David Ray (R-Maumelle) Discuss Special Session, Tax Cuts, and Arkansas FOIA Law Roby Brock | Capitol View Full Interview Here Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders: "No COVID Mandates" Sean Hannity | Fox News Full Clip Here Congressman French Hill (R-AR) Discusses Government Funding Negotiations, Syrian Dictator Assad's Regime Face the Nation | CBS Full Interview Here   Poll: 2 out of 3 Arkansas Voters Want Surplus Used For More Tax Cuts Nic Horton | Opportunity Arkansas Full Results Here Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin Requests Review of SAFE Act Case By Full Eighth Circuit Full Release Here   The Arkansas Republican County Chairman's Association held a training retreat this past weekend. Attendees were able to fellowship and hear from speakers on the RPA's vision for 2024, communications tips, filing for candidates, and dos and don'ts for effective county committees. The Arkansas Teenage Republicans held their convention recently. The group held elections for officers, presented resolutions, and amended their bylaws. Congratulations to the new officers: Chairwoman Anna Hopper, Vice Chairwoman Macey Chambers, Secretary Marissa Escobar, and Treasurer Hunter Pye!   Biden's Back To School Failing Grade The numbers don’t lie, if Biden and Democrats’ failed leadership were to be graded, they’d receive an F. More and more children are falling behind in the classroom. Whether it's draconian lockdowns, bailing out wealthy Americans, or pushing a radical education agenda on our kids, when given the opportunity, Biden and Democrats will always side with left-wing special interests over our students. What you need to know: This fall, parents across the nation are feeling the effects of Bidenflation with prices of nearly all back-to-school necessities on the rise. The price of school supplies has increased nearly 24% in the past two years. Experts predict this school shopping season could “set a new record for the most expensive one ever.”’ The price of backpacks alone is up 25%. Nearly half of back-to-school shoppers will turn to financing in order to pay for supplies this year according to a survey by CNET Money. Under Biden, test scores have plummeted to the lowest levels in decades and hundreds of thousands of children are simply missing from the classroom. More than 25% of students – 6.5 million kids – were classified as chronically absent during the 2021-2022 school year because they missed at least 10% of the school year. Almost 50% of students in Washington, D.C. have become virtually absent. Biden does not have the best interests of America’s children in mind, only the teachers’ unions that donate to him. Biden believes that the government should be a child’s parent, and that actual parents should have no say in the matter. Republicans are standing up for the rights of parents and families. Earlier this year, House Republicans passed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, affirming parents’ right to know what their children are being taught and protect parents’ ability to be involved in their children’s education. As Democrats allow CRT to dominate school curriculums, 17 Republican-led states have taken action to ban CRT from being taught in public schools. A National Bureau of Economic Research analysis shows that 19 of the top 20 states for getting kids back to in-person schooling were led by Republicans. Presented Without Comment   Republican Party of Arkansas | 1201 W. 6th St, Little Rock, AR 72201 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!