State Officials Break Ground on $63M Facility in East Camden

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and local leaders recently joined R2S, a joint venture between Rafael Advanced Defense System and Raytheon, to break ground on a new manufacturing facility in East Camden, the Governor’s Office reported.

The facility represents an investment of approximately $63 million dollars and will create up to 60 jobs, doubling the previous commitment of the two companies. It will produce Tamir missiles used by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system and its variant, the SkyHunter missile, to be used by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. allies. 

You can read the full article here.

Read the Governors Press Release here.

Election 2024

Early voting for the 2024 primary election continues this week. Check your voter registration status, look up your polling locations, and review a sample ballot by clicking here.

Make your voting plan, and commit to Bank Your Vote!

RNC Delegate Filing

Filing to be an Arkansas delegate to the Republican National Convention continues until next Tuesday, March 4th. You can find filing forms and instructions about the process here.

Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, the RPA will be highlighting Arkansas’ Black Leaders, this week we are highlighting civil rights leader Daisy Bates. 

Daisy Lee Gatson Bates was a mentor to the Little Rock Nine, the African American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock in 1957. They gained recognition for their courage and persistence during the Central High crisis when Governor Faubus ordered members of the Arkansas National Guard to prevent the entry of black students. She and her husband, published the Arkansas State Press, a newspaper dealing primarily with civil rights and other issues in the black community.

Bates was active in the Little Rock branch of the NAACP. In 1952, she was elected president of the Arkansas Conference of Branches, the umbrella organization for the state NAACP. She worked closely with other members of the Little Rock branch as the national strategy of the NAACP shifted in the 1950s from advocating a position of equal funding for segregated programs to outright racial integration.

In recognition of her leadership, the national Associated Press chose her in 1957 as the Woman of the Year in Education and one of the top ten newsmakers in the world. 

Her prominence as one of the few highly visible female civil rights leaders of the period was recognized by her selection as one of six women chosen to represent the movement in a “Tribute to Women” at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.

In 2001, the Arkansas legislature enacted a provision that recognizes the third Monday in February as “Daisy Gatson Bates Day.” Thus, her memory (along with those of American presidents) is celebrated on that date as an official state holiday. 

In 2019, the Arkansas General Assembly passed a law to replace Arkansas’ statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol. Daisy Bates was selected to represent Arkansas as one of the statues. 

Biden Lied to Our Middle Class

Despite Biden’s promise to build an economy “from the middle out and bottom up,” Biden’s policies have increased the wealth gap between the 1% and middle-class workers.

What you need to know:

• Biden’s policies have been a handout for the wealthy, while low- and middle-income families continue to suffer.
• The working class has had to make more lifestyle adjustments to make ends meet.
• In 2023, nearly 75% of self-described working class Americans reported cutting back on entertainment and eating out due to inflation.
• 51% of the working class are working more hours.
• In response to Bidenflation, the Fed has hiked interest rates 11 times since March 2022 – now at their highest level in 22 years – predominantly hurting the middle class in the process.
• “Early delinquencies” on car and credit card loans among lower income households are higher than before the pandemic.
• Biden is trying to gaslight Americans on the economy.
• In January, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Americans just need to give Bidenomics more “time” to take effect.
• Biden said his outlook on the economy in 2024 is “All good. Take a look! Start reporting it the right way.”
• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that Americans’ pessimism in the Biden economy is “unwarranted.”
• There is no such thing as student loan “forgiveness.”
• Biden’s illegal student loan promises were shut down after the Supreme Court struck down his bailout.
• Biden has now moved to canceling smaller amounts of student debt – having transferred nearly $138 billion in federal student loans to taxpayers without a single act of Congress.
• According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, Biden’s latest student loan bailout will cost taxpayers $475 billion.
• Student loan “cancellation” has been referred to as “a giant welfare program for the bourgeoisie” because 40% of student debt is held by students with advanced degrees such as doctors and lawyers.
• The middle class isn’t fooled by “Bidenomics.”
• Americans know that Biden’s radical tax-and-spend agenda is responsible for the pain they feel in their pocketbooks.
• A majority of Americans believe Biden’s policies have worsened economic conditions in the country.
• Only 13% of Americans say they’ve gotten better off financially since Biden took office.
• 62% of Americans feel the economy is bad and 70% disapprove of Biden’s handling of inflation.

The bottom line:

The Biden administration has spent the last three years dismissing, mocking, and laughing at the legitimate economic concerns felt by Americans. Voters will be laughing back come November.