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Axios
an hour ago
- Politics
- Axios
Arkansas' prison plan is too big, board member claims
Arkansas doesn't need a 3,000-bed prison, a member of the state Board of Corrections wrote in an email sent to lawmakers Monday, the Arkansas Advocate first reported. Why it matters: The controversial proposed Franklin County project could cost $1 billion and would be one of the largest development projects in recent state history. The big picture: Locals and legislators critical of the project claim there are unclear construction costs, a lack of adequate workforce, and infrastructure challenges. Supporters say there's a need for more state prison capacity as inmates wait in overcrowded county jails. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is steadfast in her support of the proposed project and location. What he's saying:"Arkansas absolutely needs a new prison," board member Lee Watson wrote in the email. "Arkansas' incarceration of offenders has outpaced our facilities' capacity to house offenders for more than 45 years." But the Board of Corrections did not request a prison the size of the one proposed, nor has it been told it needed one that size, Watson wrote. "The Board has never been provided evidence that a 3,000 [bed] facility is needed," he wrote. "It is important to note that the county jail backup (i.e. prison overcrowding) in recent years has remained somewhat consistently around 1,600," he added. "If Arkansas had an additional 3,000 bed facility today, 1,400 beds would be empty." The other side: The opposition's math doesn't include outstanding warrants that can't be served due to lack of prison space, nor capacity issues that will get worse as truth-in-sentencing and parole restrictions in the Protect Arkansas Act begin to go into effect, Sanders spokesperson Sam Dubke pointed out in an email to Axios. Friction point: Watson wrote that a previously planned 500-bed expansion would now have been completed and able to alleviate some overcrowding had it not been stopped. He also said the state needs three to five 100- to 200-bed facilities in Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith for nonviolent offenders and parole violators where they can get community support for substance abuse. The bottom line: Watson said he spoke for himself and not the board.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Supreme Court May Soon Consider Overturning 45-Year Precedent
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Concerns emanating from three states' legislative decisions to display the Ten Commandments in public schools has raised questions of whether the U.S. Supreme Court may ultimately weigh its hand on the issue at the national level. Why It Matters First Amendment rights and issues of separation of church and state have become front and center after legislatures in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas passed laws requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments. Several plaintiffs across the trio of states have brought lawsuits forward challenging laws that passed. In June, seven Arkansas families filed suit against state law signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and intended to go into effect in public school classrooms and libraries, arguing that constitutional rights were violated. Days later, a panel of three federal appellate judges ruled that Louisiana's similar law pertaining to the Ten Commandments was unconstitutional. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled called the law "plainly unconstitutional." Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill disagreed with the ruling, saying she would appeal the decision and possibly take it all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press. And then, days after that appellate decision in Louisiana, a group of Dallas, Texas, based families and faith leaders filed federal litigation seeking to block the law in their home state—arguing in part that the public school display of the Ten Commandments "will be forcibly subjected to scriptural dictates, day in and day out," and that its enforcement violates "the fundamental religious-freedom principles that animated the Founding of our nation." As of February 2025, Republicans in at least 15 states introduced similar legislation requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in public schools, according to Stateline. What To Know Christian nationalism Several critics of Republicans' legislative moves to bring religion into public educational spaces expressed wide-ranging concerns to Newsweek, including laws separating church and state, and efforts on behalf of conservatives to install a broader Christian nationalist framework that caused widespread concern emanating from Project 2025. "These Ten Commandments display laws are part of a broader Christian nationalist movement to impose one narrow set of religious beliefs on our nation's public school children," Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told Newsweek. "Our country's foundational promise of church-state separation and religious freedom means that families—not politicians—get to decide how and when children engage with religion." The U.S. Supreme Court could rule in future cases involving public schools and the Ten Commandments. The U.S. Supreme Court could rule in future cases involving public schools and the Ten Commandments. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva American United allied with other groups to sue the three aforementioned states, relying on a 1980 case ruled by the Supreme Court, Stone v. Graham, in which they ruled in an unsigned decision that a Kentucky statute requiring a copy of the Ten Commandments to be hung in every public school classroom violated the establishment clause. "The Christian nationalists behind these laws believe they have allies among the ultra-conservative members of the Supreme Court," Laser said. "But the Supreme Court has always recognized that public school children are a captive, impressionable audience that must be protected from religious coercion. "America's highest court would be thumbing its nose at our founders' intentional promise of religious freedom, not to mention longstanding legal precedent, if it allowed these displays to go forward." Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), told Newsweek that his large civil rights organization "focuses on one thing and one thing only, and that is separation of church and state." MRFF has clients across all U.S. national security agencies, with roughly 95 percent of them being Christian. They have sued different agencies, such as the Air Force Academy and the Department of Veterans Affairs, for purported civil rights violations. He questioned which version of the Ten Commandments lawmakers and other officials in authority even want to display in public buildings. "The point is that the 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court will decide what they want and then try to rationalize it," Weinstein said. "So, it's useless to look at any of the prior cases. I fully expect the Supreme Court will allow this in Arkansas, Louisiana, wherever the hell else it's going to be, red states. "I'm old enough to remember—I was born and raised in Albuquerque, but I'm a military brat—being forced to be in a Christmas play as a little Jewish kid in a public school. ... Christian nationalism is this weaponized version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is antithetical in every way to what our Constitution is about. "Our constitutional framers looked at Europe, where most of the bloodshed had happened, there had been when men of the cloth, men in political power—they looked at the Salem Witch Trials, they said, 'We are not going to do that here, so they carved this chasm, this canyon between spiritual and temporal in our basic foundational document. It is "not a small thing" to put the Ten Commandments up in the classroom, he added, wondering why Christianity is paramount in these displays rather than, say, erecting the Code of Hammurabi. Freedom 'For and From' Religion Patrick Elliott, legal director of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, told Newsweek that he's concerned about broader laws nationally considering the number of states that have attempted, unsuccessfully thus far, to mirror laws in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. He also acknowledged that such a movement could occur a long time from now, as the Court currently has no such case in front of it. "We would oppose, at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, any religion being given favoritism and being posted on the walls of public buildings," Elliott said. "I don't think it's just because it's the Ten Commandments, this biblical scripture that they want. "But I think that it's a way for people who are of the Christian faith to, one, put their territory marking on our public institutions; and two, to coerce other people and to try to influence other people to adopt their beliefs. And that's wrong. That violates the First Amendment." Kevin Bolling, executive director of the Secular Student Alliance, told Newsweek that the contents of Project 2025 outlined for all to see efforts to invoke Christian themes and beliefs in areas of public discourse, including public schools. "This has been a goal of theirs for a long time," Bolling said. "The founding principles of our nation was the separation of church and state, that's a hallmark that we have cherished for a long time and there has been a coordinated effort and a long-going effort by especially conservative Christian forces and organizations to undo that." It's not necessarily about Christianity, or any other religion for that matter, but anything being pushed on Americans that is not legally viable, he added. "Our concern is that the government is not supposed to endorse religion nor support any particular religion, and in this case they are trying to use the government specifically to support one version of one religion over all the others. That is a violation of a basic principle of the founding of our country, and the separation of church and state. "We support people's right to to practice their religion. We often advocate that people deserve that. But the freedom of religion and the freedom from religion are intricately linked in our society, and they depend on each other and they're important. We don't want anyone's version of a particular religion involved in the public square." What People Are Saying Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a new statement: "I will always defend the historical connection between the Ten Commandments and their influence on the history of Texas." Texas Republican Representative Brent Money in May: "We should be encouraging our students to read and study their Bible every day. Our kids in our public schools need prayer, need Bible reading, more now than they ever have." Republican Representative Candy Noble, a co-sponsor of the bill, said when the statewide bill passed the Texas House: "The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially," Heather L. Weaver, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, after the Louisiana law was blocked in June: "This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education. With today's ruling, the Fifth Circuit has held Louisiana accountable to a core constitutional promise: Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, regardless of faith." What Happens Next There is no current case revolving around the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools currently on the Supreme Court docket. Challenges in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas could result in efforts to bring the issue to the nation's highest court.
Business Upturn
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
L3Harris to Build More than 20 New Large Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Facilities in Calhoun County, Arkansas
CAMDEN, Ark., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following a meeting with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and AEDC leadership at the 2025 Paris Air Show, L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) announced plans to build more than 20 new manufacturing facilities in Calhoun County, Arkansas, that will produce large solid rocket motors. The new campus will create 50 new jobs over two years, adding to L3Harris' ~1,300-person workforce in Camden. 'Arkansas is a great place for L3Harris to fortify the domestic solid rocket motor industrial base with its dedicated workforce and strong state and local partnerships,' said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and CEO, L3Harris. 'Large solid rocket motors are essential to our nation's missile and strategic defense, and as the Trusted Disruptor, we are strengthening our ability to produce these systems rapidly and at scale, which is essential for current demand and the Golden Dome missile defense shield.' Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and officials from the Arkansas Department of Commerce and Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) met with L3Harris executives at the Paris Air Show to secure this investment. The new manufacturing facilities will add to L3Harris' existing site in south Arkansas. 'After a great meeting with the CEO of L3Harris, Chris Kubasik, at the Paris Air Show last month and highlighting all that Arkansas has to offer, we are proud to welcome their new manufacturing facilities to South Arkansas, and excited they are helping to position Arkansas as the arsenal of democracy,' said Governor Sanders. 'Our state ranks best in the nation for cost-of-living, number one for inbound movers, and topped the country in economic growth for two quarters in a row – so it's no surprise that major companies like L3Harris continue to invest in our state and drive our number one export industry, aerospace and defense. Thank you, Chris and L3Harris, for choosing to make Arkansas home.' L3Harris is investing nearly half a billion dollars across its major production sites to support solid rocket motor production, including $193 million to be spent in Arkansas, with Arkansas businesses, to support the construction and activation of these new Camden LSRM facilities. Construction of more than 20 buildings in Calhoun County will add more than 130,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space supporting production of large solid rocket motors that can power missile defense targets, interceptors and hypersonic vehicles. 'L3Harris is a major part of the aerospace and defense industry in Arkansas, and we are excited to see the company's continued growth in our state,' said Clint O'Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. 'With this capital investment, L3Harris is advancing our national security and creating new jobs for Arkansans that will strengthen our state's economy and create new opportunities in south Arkansas.' L3Harris' new LSRM production facilities are expected to provide a six-fold increase in manufacturing capacity. L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, site is the company's 'Center of Excellence for Solid Rocket Motor production.' Approximately 1,300 Camden employees manufacture more than 100,000 solid rocket motors a year, from those that fit in the palm of your hand to the size of an SUV. In February, L3Harris announced it began construction on four new solid rocket motor production facilities in Camden. That expansion effort is part of a cooperative agreement between the Defense Department's Defense Production Act Title III program and L3Harris to increase domestic rocket propulsion manufacturing capacity. 'We are proud that L3Harris has committed to this investment in their facilities in Calhoun County,' said Calhoun County Judge Floyd Nutt. 'South Arkansas has a long history in aerospace and defense manufacturing, and this project will build on that history. Calhoun County provides a strong workforce and great business environment for L3Harris' continued growth.' 'The Calhoun and Ouachita County area is a hub for the aerospace and defense industry in Arkansas and the United States,' said Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development Executive Director James Lee Silliman. 'We are excited that L3Harris has chosen to invest in new facilities in Calhoun County, and we stand ready to assist them to succeed in our area.' About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn't happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. AEDC is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. To learn more, visit Media Contact: Tyler HaleArkansas Department of Commerce [email protected] 501-410-7883
Business Wire
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
L3Harris to Expand Solid Rocket Motor Production in Arkansas
CAMDEN, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have announced plans to construct an extensive large solid rocket motor (LSRM) production campus at the company's site in Camden. L3Harris is investing nearly half a billion dollars across its major production sites to support solid rocket motor production. 'Arkansas is a great place for L3Harris to fortify the domestic solid rocket motor industrial base, with its dedicated workforce and strong state and local partnerships,' said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and CEO, L3Harris. 'Large solid rocket motors are essential to our nation's missile and strategic defense, and as the Trusted Disruptor, we are strengthening our ability to produce these systems rapidly and at scale, which is essential for current demand and the Golden Dome missile defense shield.' The new campus will include more than 20 buildings across 110 acres, dedicated to the efficient, flexible and high-speed production of LSRM propulsion for missile defense targets, interceptors and hypersonic vehicles. The campus will add more than 130,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to the broader 2,000-acre energetic production site, which employs ~1,300 local team members. 'After a great meeting with the CEO of L3Harris, Chris Kubasik, at the Paris Air Show last month and highlighting all that Arkansas has to offer, we are proud to welcome their new manufacturing facilities to South Arkansas and excited they are helping to position Arkansas as the arsenal of democracy,' said Gov. Sanders. 'Our state ranks best in the nation for cost-of-living, number one for inbound movers, and topped the country in economic growth for two quarters in a row – so it's no surprise that major companies like L3Harris continue to invest in our state and drive our number one export industry, aerospace and defense. Thank you, Chris and L3Harris, for choosing to make Arkansas home.' L3Harris' new LSRM production facilities are expected to provide a six-fold increase in manufacturing capacity. The facilities will leverage program agnostic equipment that will allow L3Harris to rapidly change production based on current demand and quickly adapt to evolving customer needs. 'L3Harris is a major part of the aerospace and defense industry in Arkansas, and we are excited to see the company's continued growth in our state,' said Clint O'Neal, Executive Director, Arkansas Economic Development Commission. 'With this capital investment, L3Harris is advancing our national security and creating new jobs for Arkansans that will strengthen our state's economy and create new opportunities in South Arkansas.' L3Harris has produced large solid rocket motors for critical defense programs for more than 60 years, to include powering every U.S. Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ever fielded. In 2020, the company opened a new 17,000 square foot Engineering, Manufacturing and Development facility to deliver large solid rocket motors for some of the nation's most important next-generation national security programs, including strategic deterrence, hypersonic and missile defense. The company expects to begin construction of the new LSRM facilities this year and anticipates production beginning in 2027. About L3Harris Technologies L3Harris Technologies is the Trusted Disruptor in the defense industry. With customers' mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security. Visit for more information. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about future investments are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. L3Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Arkansas First Lady Janet Huckabee turns 70
RELATED VIDEO: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee looks back on Morgan Nick's disappearance ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) — Janet McCain Huckabee, wife of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and the state's thirty-ninth first lady, marks her 70th birthday today. Born July 16, 1955, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Huckabee moved to Hope, Arkansas, as an infant, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Her mother served as Hempstead County clerk for three terms. Huckabee attended Hope High School and later earned a degree in organizational management from John Brown University. During her husband's tenure as governor from 1996 to 2007, she oversaw renovations of the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, including the addition of a grand hall named after her. She has also been involved with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. Full schedule of community events announced for NW Arkansas Championship Huckabee ran for Arkansas secretary of state in 2002 but was not elected. She and Mike Huckabee have three children, including current governor of Arkansas Sarah Huckabee Sanders. After several years living in Florida, the family returned to Arkansas in 2020. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
