Students are clearing out their lockers and signing yearbooks as teachers grade final exams and close the classroom door for the final time this school year. While their attention is turning to summer, my staff is already preparing for fall and getting ready for our next Congressional Youth Cabinet (CYC).

The state Division of Workforce Services will close nine offices around the state.

Robust cybersecurity is increasingly important as cyber threats continue to evolve and target vital services. In recent years we’ve experienced disruptions to pipelines, key food suppliers and water treatment facilities. Here in Arkansas, our hospitals, school districts and county governments have found themselves in the crosshairs of cybercriminals within the last year.

As soon as the 2023 legislative session adjourned, the Senate and House Committees on Education began work on school funding in preparation for the 2025 session.

Memorial Day is fast approaching. It is celebrated the last Monday of May every year. For many, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer, the end of the school year, the beginning of summer vacations and the get-togethers with family and friends. For most, it is a day to look forward to the summer ahead. 

Law enforcement officers put on their uniform knowing the risks that come with the public duty to serve and protect. It takes a special person to take on that responsibility. As we commemorate National Police Week, we honor law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to safeguard our communities. 

The major provisions of the new Protect Arkansas Act are well known, but they are only a few of the many measures passed during the 2023 regular session.

During the 2023 regular session, which adjourned on May 1, the legislature enacted a list of new laws to protect the integrity of elections.

I visited a college roommate in Zionsville, Ind., recently. Her husband was running for and won the Republican primary for mayor. As I celebrated with them that night, we watched the returns run across the TV screen and checked the various polling locations and county clerks’ offices for numbers. The one place we didn’t check was the local newspaper because much to my distress, the small newspaper serving that city closed during the pandemic.

Farm Bill season is in full swing. Since the start of the year, the pace of work at the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry – on which I serve as the lead Republican – has picked up dramatically.

The scheduled finish of the 2023 regular session of the legislature was May 1, when lawmakers adjourned sine die.

During the 2023 session the legislature enacted a series of bills designed to protect children from exposure to sexually inappropriate literature, live performances and Internet sites.

We all know recycling is a commonsense way to be responsible stewards of our environment – but recycling also strengthens our economy and creates hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs nationwide. This is something I believe everyone can agree is truly a “win-win.”