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Republican Hutchinson, at odds with Trump, eyes 2024 U.S. presidential run

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said on Sunday he is considering a run for the 2024 Republican U.S. presidential nomination, making clear that he is “not aligned” with former President Donald Trump, another potential candidate.

May 02, 2022

WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said on Sunday he is considering a run for the 2024 Republican U.S. presidential nomination, making clear that he is “not aligned” with former President Donald Trump, another potential candidate.

Hutchinson, a former congressman and head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, is in his final year as governor of the southern state, with Arkansas law barring him from seeking a third four-year term.

Asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether he was considering running for his party’s presidential nomination, Hutchinson said, “I am. But of course you’ve got to get through this year. That’s an option on the table.”

Hutchinson has criticized Trump’s continued efforts to discredit the 2020 presidential election in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated the businessman-turned-politician.

Trump has made false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.

Hutchinson said Trump’s decision on whether to run will not influence his own.

“I’ve made it clear I think we ought to have a different direction in the future and so I’m not aligned with him on some of his endorsements, but also the direction he wants to take our country,” Hutchinson said.

“I think he did a lot of good things for our country, but we need to go a different direction. And so that’s not a factor in my decision-making process.”

Trump rebuked Hutchinson last year when the governor vetoed a Republican-backed bill passed by the state legislature to ban certain types of treatment for transgender youths. Hutchinson called the measure a government overreach. The legislature subsequently voted to override his veto.

“Bye-bye Asa, that’s the end of him!” Trump said in a statement at the time, dismissing the conservative governor as a “lightweight RINO,” one of the former president’s favorite insults, meaning “Republican in name only.”

Hutchinson, who last week attended a political event in the pivotal early presidential primary state of New Hampshire, said he is passionate about border security, cracking down on criminal cartels and keeping in place a COVID-19 pandemic-related policy that lets U.S. authorities rapidly expel migrants, including asylum seekers, to Mexico and other nations.

Other potential Republican contenders in 2024 include Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

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Bentonville blasts Springdale, 70-32

Bentonville grabbed an 18-point lead at halftime and blasted Springdale 70-32 Tuesday in 6A-West Conference action at the Bulldogs’ gym.

Feb 24, 2022

Bentonville turned Senior Night at Springdale into a miserable night for the Bulldogs.

Bentonville grabbed an 18-point lead at halftime and blasted Springdale 70-32 Tuesday in 6A-West Conference action at the Bulldogs’ gym.

Abel Hutchinson scored 19 points to lead Bentonville (18-8, 8-5), which lost 60-52 to Springdale when the teams met in league play on Jan. 25.

Bentonville connected on 12 3-pointers from 5 different players. Harrison Hicks scored 12 points on four 3-pointers to lead the Tigers’ long-range shooting. Bentonville was also dominant inside with Hutchinson leading the way.

“We’re playing our best basketball right now,” Bentonville coach Dick Rippee said. “We’ve got experience back from a final four team last year, and our guys know what it’s takes to be good this time of year.”

Springdale was vulnerable for a letdown after handing Fayetteville its first league-loss last Friday. More importantly, Springdale played for the first time without star freshman standout Courtland Muldrew, who broke his thumb in the win at Fayetteville.

Springdale (18-7, 9-4) couldn’t make up for the loss of Muldrew, who scored 18 points at Fayetteville. Freshman Isaiah Sealy scored 13 points and sophomore Anthony Thomas 11 for the Bulldogs.

Bentonville was hot from the outset with Owen Derhmann connecting on consecutive 3-pointers to prompt a Springdale timeout with the Tigers leading 11-3. Bentonville kept scoring and attacking with Hutchinson maneuvering inside for high-percentage shots. Springdale missed plenty of shots in the second quarter and fell behind 36-18 following back-to-back 3-pointers from Jayden Lee and Dehrmann.

“We came out, started hot, and took the lead early,” Dehrmann said. “Then, our defense was as good as it’s been all year.”

The halftime break did little to slow Bentonville, which connected on three 3-pointers while increasing its lead to 45-18 midway through the third quarter. Bentonville continued to dominate and the starters left with the Tigers hold a 64-27 lead with about five minutes left in the game.

The group received a well-deserved round of applause as they left the court from Bentonville fans who made the trip to Springdale for the game.

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GOP’s Hutchinson Tells Governors to Shun 2020 Vote Fraud Claims Arkansas governor

Speaking at the National Governors Association winter meeting on Saturday, Hutchinson rejected unsubstantiated claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election that have been made by former President Donald Trump.

Jan 31, 2022

‘I don’t believe the election was stolen’ Focus on the future, don’t dwell on Trump’s false claims.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said that elected officials shouldn’t focus on untrue claims about the 2020 election and instead look ahead.

Speaking at the National Governors Association winter meeting on Saturday, Hutchinson rejected unsubstantiated claims about widespread fraud in the 2020 election that have been made by former President Donald Trump.

“First of all, I don’t believe the election was stolen, and I respect the results,” said Hutchinson, a Republican who won a second term as governor in 2018. “They were challenged as need be and the result is the fact that President Biden is in office.”

Hutchinson said that states have recently both expanded voting access as well as created new restrictions about “making sure that the votes have integrity,” which he said is “their prerogative.”

“To me, it’s all about the future,” he said. “Anybody who wants to talk about the last election is going to lose the next election.”

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Abel and the Bentonville basketball team taking the lead!

Abel and the Bentonville basketball team taking the lead!

Dec 30, 2021

Had an amazing time watching my son Abel and his team have fun and take the win! I am prod of you Abel, you are on the road to do great things!!

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Great Time Hunting with the Family

We wish you the best and hope this Holiday Season brings you closer to your loved ones.

Dec 30, 2021

This Holiday Season we decided to go hunting, it is important to me to get out there with my kids and teach them about nature, how to shoot a gun as well as hot to handle them safely.

We wish you the best and hope this Holiday Season brings you closer to your loved ones.

Here are some photos of the good times we had:

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The Largest Tax Cut in Arkansas History

Arkansas has passed the largest income tax cut in the state’s history.

Two bills were passed by the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate in December 2021 and were signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson

Dec 20, 2021

Arkansas has passed the largest income tax cut in the state’s history.

Two bills were passed by the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate in December 2021 and were signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson on December 9, 2021. These bills will provide approximately $500 million in annual tax relief for Arkansans once all the provisions go into effect in 2025.

The latest tax cut in Arkansas has already been recognized as a standout example of tax reform. In a post entitled “Arkansas’ Sustainable Tax Reform: A Gift That Will Keep On Giving,” the Tax Foundation declared, “Arkansas’s fourth round of tax reforms is a case of tax reform done right.”

The new tax cuts will benefit a large cross-section of Arkansans across the state. “This historic tax cut puts more money into the pockets of all Arkansas taxpayers and will lead to a brighter future here in the Natural State,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Under the two bills, Arkansas will cut its top income tax rate from 5.9% to 4.9% by 2025. The top individual income tax rate, currently 5.9%, will decrease to 5.5% in 2022, 5.3% in 2023, 5.1% in 2024, and 4.9% in 2025.

The tax cut will include a $60 tax credit for low-income Arkansans, eliminating taxes for more than 100,000 individuals in the state.

Corporate income tax rates will also be lowered in the coming years. The top corporate tax rate will decrease from 6.2% to 5.9% in 2022. Under the new bills, the corporate tax rate will decline to 5.7% in 2023, 5.7% in 2024, and 5.3% in 2025, provided that revenue goals are met.

Lowering taxes in Arkansas will have a positive impact on economic development and business recruitment in the Natural State. By lowering the income tax and corporate tax burdens, Arkansas is making the state even friendlier for businesses.

“Through conversations with several companies looking to create jobs and move operations to this state, it is clear to me that one of the main factors these companies take into consideration when deciding where to locate is a state’s income tax burden. This change will increase our competitiveness as a state in attracting industry and talent to Arkansas,” said Gov. Hutchinson.

“Enacting this historic tax reform is a major win for Arkansas’ economy that will benefit Arkansans and businesses across the state,” said Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “Thanks to Gov. Hutchinson’s tax reform initiatives, Arkansas is more economically competitive and is well-positioned to encourage business growth and to attract new and expanding businesses to the state.”

Arkansas has consistently cut taxes to provide relief for individuals, families, and businesses.

State leaders have enacted multiple tax cuts that have benefitted Arkansans during Gov. Hutchinson’s administration. There have been tax cuts in 2015, 2017, and 2019, that have collectively provided more than $250 million of income tax relief for Arkansans.

All of the tax cuts have been possible as a result of Arkansas’ balanced budget – a requirement under the state’s Revenue Stabilization Act. “It’s a signal that we manage our state from a budget standpoint, which means we’re applying some good business principles to state government,” said Gov. Hutchinson.

Cutting taxes in Arkansas was a simple decision for Gov. Hutchinson. The decision boiled down to helping Arkansans and boosting the state’s economic competitiveness. “It allows hard-working Arkansans to keep more of their hard-earned money and also makes Arkansas more competitive with our surrounding states, spurring job creation and economic growth for years to come,” he said.

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