Month: April 2021

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson looking to make ‘America Strong and Free’

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson may not have formally committed to a 2024 Presidential run, but he’s raising his profile to be a national voice in the 2022 cycle.

Apr 20, 2021

Tagged : Asa Hutchinson

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson may not have formally committed to a 2024 Presidential run, but he’s raising his profile to be a national voice in the 2022 cycle.

Hutchinson said Sunday (April 18) in an exclusive Talk Business & Politics interview that beyond taking the reins as chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA) this summer, he plans to start a political action effort for education advocacy and to raise money for GOP candidates across the U.S. in the 2022 elections.

“2022 is a very, very important year for our country and for our party, and I want to be engaged in that debate. So when the legislative session is over with, I hope to set up a national leadership effort called ‘America Strong and Free,’ where I can help influence the direction of our country in 2022. We’ll see where that leads,” he said.

The two-term Republican governor said there will be an education advocacy arm to the “America Strong and Free” effort as well as a fundraising element to support candidates. Legal paperwork has not been filed yet, he said.

“There will be two parts of ‘America Strong and Free.’ One will be an educational branch that will help raise money, educate people on the principles and issues. Then, there will be a leadership PAC, part of it that will help in supporting the candidates, but also the national voice in terms of what I can do in 2022,” he said.

Hutchinson said the group, as well as his chairmanship of NGA, will focus on speaking up on big government issues at the state and national levels.

“I am concerned about what the future holds under the Biden administration. We’re spending too much money. We’re over-regulating, there’s a lot of pushback, and I think it’s important for me to be a balanced voice, but also an important voice in pushing back on that, but also shaping our party in a good way in 2022,” he said.

His comments squarely suggest he hopes to steer the national GOP in a different direction away from former President Donald Trump, who was recently critical of Hutchinson for vetoing a transgender restriction bill.

“I indicated that I wouldn’t support him in 2024. I don’t necessarily expect him to run, but I thought he did not handle and did not lead our country in the right direction post-election on January 6th. That’s part of speaking your mind and that’s part of him speaking his mind. I don’t get bent out of shape about that,” Hutchinson said of Trump’s criticism.

He added that he does not think Trump is the de facto head of the Republican Party.

“I wouldn’t consider him that at all. You can make a case that there’s many voices, and it’s traditional whenever we don’t have the White House. You have many different voices of leadership in the party. Governors are one. You’ve got Senate and House leadership on the Republican side,” he said.

“But President Trump has the largest megaphone now just because he has such an enormous following of support and voters. So he’s certainly a player. I pay attention to that. But there’s many voices in the party and I hope we have a good discussion of ideas and the future going into 2022,” Hutchinson added.

Hutchinson’s full interview can be watched below. He offered a broad range of thoughts on this year’s legislative session and efforts addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Gov. Hutchinson signs bills raising Arkansas median teacher pay by $2,000

Governor Asa Hutchinson signed two bills Monday afternoon that will raise the median salary for teachers by $2,000.

The median teacher salary will be increased from $49,822 to $51,822.

Apr 14, 2021

Tagged : Asa Hutchinson

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.- Governor Asa Hutchinson signed two bills Monday afternoon that will raise the median salary for teachers by $2,000.

The median teacher salary will be increased from $49,822 to $51,822.

The governor said in the past, the minimum salaries have been increased.

Hutchinson said the raising of the median salary is an effort to have competitive teacher salaries.

Arkansas Senate Bill 504 and House Bill 1614 will create the Teacher Salary Equalization Fund.

In March, Hutchinson said a measure to increase teacher salaries was a priority and the bill would raise the salary in school districts that are currently below the median salary for teachers. The governor said he feels there are two different education systems in the state: one that is more prosperous districts that recruit teachers and pay more, and other districts that are less prosperous and have been paying salaries below the median average.

Governor Hutchinson signs two bills, gives update on legislative session
Jim Tucker, Superintendent of El Dorado School District, said the school board will vote on raises for teachers tonight.

Ashlee Curtis, a teacher and coach at El Dorado High School, said, “This is an awesome and amazing thing for all teachers in our state.”

Curtis added this will help schools in the state get and keep great educators.

Education Secretary Johnny Key says he thinks this is a topic that unites all Arkansans.

Hutchinson noted other education bills that are now laws include an increase of school transportation funding, requiring school resource officers to complete specialized training, allowing DACA recipients to receive teaching licenses, adding computer science as a requirement for graduation, and requiring Holocaust education in schools.

You can watch the full news conference in the video player above.

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Why I vetoed my party’s bill restricting health care for transgender youth

For over 40 years, I have been fighting to build the Republican Party by advancing the principles of limited government and individual liberty. Thanks to that focus, the GOP has become the majority party in Arkansas. Now, I am being attacked by some of my Republican colleagues for not being pure enough on social issues and for vetoing a bill that limited access to health care for transgender youth.

Apr 10, 2021

Tagged : Asa Hutchinson, Transgender Bill

Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, is the governor of Arkansas.

For over 40 years, I have been fighting to build the Republican Party by advancing the principles of limited government and individual liberty. Thanks to that focus, the GOP has become the majority party in Arkansas. Now, I am being attacked by some of my Republican colleagues for not being pure enough on social issues and for vetoing a bill that limited access to health care for transgender youth.

Make no mistake: I am pro-life. I believe there are some issues where the stakes are so high that government must play a role in private life. I have fought my share of battles in defending the role of faith in our society. At the same time, while governor, I have lowered taxes, balanced the budget and defended the Second Amendment. Yet the reaction of some of my conservative friends now makes me wish they would remember President Ronald Reagan’s admonition that if someone agrees with you 80 percent of the time then they are your friend and ally — not the enemy.

I vetoed this bill because it creates new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters concerning our youths.

It is undisputed that the number of minors who struggle with gender incongruity or gender dysphoria is extremely small. But they, too, deserve the guiding hand of their parents and the counseling of medical specialists in making the best decisions for their individual needs.

H.B. 1570 puts the state as the definitive oracle of medical care, overriding parents, patients and health-care experts. While in some instances the state must act to protect life, the state should not presume to jump into the middle of every medical, human and ethical issue. This would be — and is — a vast government overreach.

Leadership is acting not just on your convictions but also on your compassion. Parents are doing their best to guide the young person God entrusted to them. As they seek medical help, it is important to understand the trauma, emotional challenge and love involved in making difficult decisions. The leading Arkansas medical associations, the American Academy of Pediatrics and medical experts across the country all oppose this law. Their concern is that denying best practice medical care to transgender youth can lead to significant harm to the young person — from suicidal tendencies and social isolation to increased drug use. Given these risks, we have to ask whether the state action helps or unjustifiably interferes.

In Arkansas, gender reassignment surgery is not performed on anyone under 18. If H.B. 1570 simply prohibited gender reassignment surgeries for minors, reaffirming the present state of affairs, then I would have signed the bill.

Instead, it is overbroad and extreme, and does not grandfather in those young people who are currently under hormone treatment. The young people who are currently under a doctor’s care will be left without treatment when this law goes into effect.

They may look to the black market for their medications or travel out of state for care if they can afford to do so. This is not the right path to put them and their families on.

As I expected, the Arkansas General Assembly overrode my veto. But I acted on my convictions and based on what I learned in discussions with families, health-care professionals, faith leaders and transgender individuals. Of course, I listened to the thinking of legislators and followed the debate in the General Assembly. I came to the conclusion that this is a time to show compassion and to resist the temptation to severely restrict private family health-care decisions.

I am also hopeful that my action will cause conservative Republican legislators to think through these issues again, and hopefully come up with a more measured approach that allows a thoughtful study of the science and ethics surrounding health care for children and teenagers who experience gender dysphoria before acting. Government, under a conservative philosophy, should be restrained. This is an example of where that approach is better than overbroad actions that interfere with important relationships in our society.

If we are going to be a party of a restrained and limited government, then we actually have to practice those values at some point. If Democrats won’t, I hope Republicans, at least, can resist the constant pressure from activists to use government as a means to change the culture. We must remind ourselves that a change in society is led from the heart, the church and from a greater understanding of each individual that forms the fabric of this great nation.

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Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican, vetoed an anti-transgender bill.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas vetoed a bill on Monday that would make it illegal for transgender minors to receive gender-affirming medication or surgery — a rare Republican rejection amid the growing conservative effort to restrict transgender people’s health care and participation in society.

Apr 05, 2021

Tagged : Asa Hutchinson, Asa Hutchinson III, Republican, Transgender Bill

Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas vetoed a bill on Monday that would make it illegal for transgender minors to receive gender-affirming medication or surgery — a rare Republican rejection amid the growing conservative effort to restrict transgender people’s health care and participation in society.

The Arkansas State Legislature could override Mr. Hutchinson’s veto of the bill, known as H.B. 1570. Republicans hold large majorities in both chambers and passed the bill last month with mostly party-line votes: 70-22 in the House and 28-7 in the Senate.

“I was told this week that the nation is looking at Arkansas because I have on my desk another bill passed by the General Assembly that is a product of the cultural war in America,” Mr. Hutchinson said in announcing his veto. “I don’t shy away from the battle when it is necessary and defensible, but the most recent action of the General Assembly, while well intended, is off course.”

Chase Strangio, a lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union who has fought anti-trans legislation in Arkansas and other states, said that while he and other advocates needed to be “tentative in our celebration” because of the possibility of an override, Mr. Hutchinson’s veto was significant both practically and symbolically.

“First and foremost, it’s such an important rebuke of this sweeping range of legislation targeting trans youth across the country,” Mr. Strangio said. Referring to two states that are considering similar bills, he added: “I hope Alabama’s watching. I hope Tennessee’s watching.”

Young transgender people and their supporters mobilized in opposition to H.B. 1570, along with medical organizations like the Arkansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Mr. Strangio said that advocates intended to keep up the pressure as legislators consider overriding Mr. Hutchinson’s veto, and that if the measure was enacted, it could be challenged in court.

The lead sponsors of the bill — State Representative Robin Lundstrum and State Senator Alan Clark, both Republicans — did not respond to a request for comment.

Supporters of the Arkansas bill say it is needed to protect young people from undergoing irreversible medical treatments, and the text of H.B. 1570 claims — contrary to the consensus of medical professionals — that “the risks of gender transition procedures far outweigh any benefit at this stage of clinical study on these procedures.”

Medical research shows the opposite.

In a 2019 statement opposing laws that restrict minors’ access to gender-affirming treatment, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry said, “Blocking access to timely care has been shown to increase youths’ risk for suicidal ideation and other negative mental health outcomes.” More broadly, in an official position paper in 2018, the American Psychiatric Association said there was “significant and longstanding medical and psychiatric literature” demonstrating “clear benefits of medical and surgical interventions” for transgender people.

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Mr. Hutchinson’s veto was striking not only because he is a Republican, but also because just last month, he signed bills that allowed doctors to refuse to treat people based on religious or moral objections and barred transgender women and girls from competing on women’s sports teams in high school or college. (Such measures have become popular among conservative lawmakers, who have introduced them in more than two dozen states this year.)

But he argued that H.B. 1570 was “overbroad, extreme and does not grandfather those young people who are currently under hormone treatment.” He added, “The state should not presume to jump into the middle of every medical, human and ethical issue.”

His speech was hardly a ringing affirmation of transgender rights, though. Mr. Hutchinson said he would have signed the bill if it had only prohibited gender-affirming surgeries for minors, and urged legislators to pass a more “restrained” version.

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