Latest news with #WayneLong
Global News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Canada election 2025: Saint John—Kennebecasis
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Saint John—Kennebecasis is a federal riding located in New Brunswick. This new riding replaces parts of the previous riding of Saint John—Rothesay and adds some expanded areas. Voters will decide who will represent Saint John—Kennebecasis in New Brunswick during the upcoming Canadian election on April 28, 2025. Visit this page on election night for a complete breakdown of up to the minute results. Candidates Liberal: Wayne Long (Incumbent) Conservative: Melissa Young NDP: Armand Cormier Green: David MacFarquhar Libertarian: Austin Venedam
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House panel rejects proposal to dissolve Arkansas State Library and Board
Sen. Dan Sullivan (left), R-Jonesboro, and Rep. Wayne Long (right), R-Bradford, present to the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs a bill they sponsored, Senate Bill 536, to abolish the Arkansas State Library on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) An Arkansas House committee Wednesday rejected a bill that would abolish the State Library and its board, making it difficult for the proposal to make it to the governor's desk by the end of the legislative session April 16. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, has repeatedly promised to dissolve the State Library Board and broadened this mission when he filed Senate Bill 536 last month. He told the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on Wednesday that the State Library and local libraries need more 'accountability' to the government entities that fund them. SB 536 passed the Senate last week by the slimmest possible margin. It would transfer the authorities, funds, contracts and employees of the agency and its board to the Arkansas Department of Education. The State Library is already under the department's umbrella but operates independently, and its board disburses state funds to public libraries on a quarterly basis. Education Secretary Jacob Oliva said the department is more than capable of carrying out the State Library's responsibilities, but committee members were unconvinced. Rep. Stan Berry, R-Dover, said he had 'little faith' that the department's oversight would resolve any of the issues Sullivan said he had with the State Library and its board. Arkansas Senate narrowly OKs dissolution of State Library; bill heads to House Berry and seven other committee members voted against SB 536, and five more were absent or did not vote. Seven members voted to pass the bill, including Rep. Wayne Long, R-Bradford, the bill's House sponsor, who called the State Library Board 'too big for their britches.' Long and Sullivan said they took issue with the board rejecting two motions last month to protect children in libraries and to detach from the American Library Association. At the same meeting, the board passed a separate motion aimed at protecting children in libraries while upholding the First Amendment. Conservatives statewide, including State Library Board member and former Republican state senator Jason Rapert, have called for libraries to keep children from accessing content considered inappropriate for them. SB 536 would codify several new criteria for libraries to receive state funds, including 'prohibit[ing] access to age-inappropriate materials to a person who is sixteen (16) years old or younger.' SB 536 defines 'age-inappropriate material' as 'books, media, or any other material accessible at a public library containing images or explicit and detailed descriptions' of sexual acts, sexual contact and human genitalia. Bobbie Guerra, a homeschooling mother from Lowell, said putting the Department of Education 'in direct control of public libraries would put homeschooling parents who utilize libraries as educational resources at the mercy of… what [it] deems age-appropriate.' Additionally, SB 536's language was just as 'flawed and fatal' as that of Act 372 of 2023, said Arkansas Library Association President-elect Adam Webb, referring to a Sullivan-sponsored law partially blocked in federal court that the state is appealing. The blocked sections of Act 372 would have given local elected officials the final say over whether to relocate challenged library materials some consider 'obscene' and made librarians legally liable for disseminating such materials. SB 536 does not mention 'obscenity' or 'sexually explicit' material despite its supporters routinely mentioning the latter, Webb said. 'When judges tell you, 'Here's the type of speech that you can regulate, [here's what is] sexually explicit, here are the definitions,' use it,' he said. 'Don't reinvent the wheel, but here we are again two years later with the same vague language.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Webb is also the director of the Garland County Library, and he was one of nine Arkansans who spoke against SB 536. Judy Calhoun, the recently retired director of the Southeast Arkansas Regional Library system, and Faulkner-Van Buren Regional Library director John McGraw said SB 536 created 'unfunded mandates,' such as requiring libraries to have interlibrary loan programs and to meet minimum hours of operation per year in order to receive state funds. Journalist, professor and historian Sonny Rhodes said he had a problem with the bill changing the oversight of certain historical records, which the State Library currently oversees. 'If SB 536 results in the loss or restricted access to such databases, it could hinder research efforts, making it harder to produce informed and accurate academic research,' Rhodes said. Four Arkansans spoke for the bill, including representatives of the Family Council and the all-Republican Saline County Quorum Court. All four said they struggle to attend their local libraries with the children in their families due to content they consider inappropriate and easily visible. The committee spent several minutes debating two sex education books that Greenbrier Republican Rep. Stephen Meeks, a member of the committee, challenged in 2021 with the goal of removing them from the Faulkner-Van Buren Regional Library. However, SB 536's appropriateness criteria includes a limited exception for sex education materials, which would be accessible to minors between 12 and 15 years old. Those under 12 would not be able to access such materials if their parents or guardians have forbidden their access in writing. SB 536 also puts specific higher education requirements in place for library directors. Rep. Jeremy Wooldridge, R-Marmaduke, said this provision led him to oppose the bill because every library director in his Northeast Arkansas district 'would have to be replaced.' Rep. Howard Beaty, R-Crossett, also voted against the bill and said 'both sides are going to lose.' 'Shame on y'all… I think this could have been resolved very easily,' Beaty said. 'Folks dug their heels in and decided they weren't going to negotiate.' Deputy Editor Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this article.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed ban on noncitizen voting, already illegal, passes Arkansas House committee
Mireya Reith (left), executive director of immigrant advocacy group Arkansas United, speaks against the Only Citizens Voting Act, sponsored by Rep. Wayne Long (right), R-Bradford, before the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) A bill meant to further deter those who are not United States citizens from voting in Arkansas elections narrowly passed a legislative committee Wednesday. Noncitizen voting is already illegal on the federal level. In Arkansas, the only documents required for voter registration are a Social Security card and a driver's license or state-issued identification card, both of which noncitizens are able to obtain, said Rep. Wayne Long, R-Bradford, sponsor of the Only Citizens Vote Act. The proposed law, House Bill 1422, would require the Department of Finance and Administration to share 'names and identifying information of each' noncitizen with an Arkansas-issued ID or driver's license with the Secretary of State's office, which oversees elections. The DF&A, which oversees issuance of driver's licenses and state IDs, would provide the information in quarterly reports starting Jan. 1, 2026. Anyone with this ID is 'a guest in our country,' Long told the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs. 'I don't think it's really a burden to ask them to help us protect the integrity of our voting system, and if they really do plan to become citizens, I think they probably would have an appreciation for the fact that we're trying to make sure only citizens vote,' he said. If a noncitizen is found to be registered to vote, the bill requires the Secretary of State to refer the individual to the Attorney General's office for prosecution, and the clerk of the noncitizen's county of residence would be required to cancel the person's voter registration. The individual would have the chance to provide proof of U.S. citizenship after being notified of the Secretary of State's actions. Long said this provision should prevent citizens from being wrongfully removed from the voter rolls or having their licenses suspended, in response to a question from Rep. Denise Ennett, D-Little Rock. When asked for data about noncitizen voting in Arkansas, Long said the Secretary of State's office doesn't currently 'have any way of knowing' whether noncitizens have voted because they do not have data from the finance department that would indicate whether any noncitizens are registered to vote. There are 71,648 noncitizens legally residing in Arkansas, and any of them 'could potentially be voting, but we don't really know,' Long said. The Secretary of State's office has been 'diligently looking' for ways to confirm registered voters' citizenship status since the Legislature passed a 2023 law mandating the office do so, but this remains a 'blind spot' within the office, assistant director of elections Josh Bridges told the committee. Two advocates for immigrants in Arkansas spoke against HB 1422 and said noncitizens do not vote. Maricella Garcia, race equity director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, noted that voting as a noncitizen is 'the most dangerous thing they can do.' 'I have spoken to the community at length,' she said, adding she used to be the director of Catholic Immigration Services. 'No one wants to do the very few things that will permanently bar you from being eligible for any [legal] status.' Immigrants in Arkansas 'have been purged' from voter rolls 'through the name-checking and data-sharing' outlined in HB 1422, said Mireya Reith, founder and executive director of Arkansas United, an immigrant advocacy group. Additionally, 'there are a lot of checks and balances' that prevent noncitizens from voting, she said. 'It's just so important, on behalf of our members, that it be known that immigrants are very aware of the citizenship process and aren't trying to vote when they're not able to,' said Reith, one of two speakers against HB 1422. Noncitizen voting is rare but has been legalized in a handful of municipalities nationwide, including in Washington, D.C., in 2023, leading to backlash from conservatives. Thirteen states — including Louisiana, Oklahoma and Missouri — have amended their constitutions since 2020 to specify that noncitizens cannot vote in those states. President Donald Trump pushed the false narrative of noncitizens voting often in federal elections while he was campaigning for reelection last year, and U.S. House Republicans introduced legislation that would have required states to verify proof of citizenship to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. The bill stalled in the U.S. Senate, which was controlled by Democrats at the time. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HB 1422 would also require the finance department to print noncitizen driver's licenses and state-issued IDs in a vertical format. Individuals from ages 16 to 20 already have vertically printed ID cards. The finance department would likely have to make more changes to the licenses of people under 21 to differentiate them from noncitizen licenses, Garcia said. This would both be time-consuming and make it difficult for the state to meet the requirement for Arkansans to have a Real ID to enter a federal building or board a domestic flight from May 5 onward, she said. Noncitizen ID cards would be required to have the words 'limited term' on them in conspicuous letters under HB 1422, with the expiration date matching that of the document signifying the noncitizen's legal U.S. residency status. Current noncitizen ID holders would not be required to exchange their current IDs for new ones as soon as the proposed law goes into effect and would instead be allowed to wait until the card expires, Long said. Election commissioners and poll workers would be required under HB 1422 to undergo training to recognize and refuse noncitizens' identification if presented with them at polling locations. Reith and Garcia both said the proposed special IDs would single out legal residents of Arkansas who are not U.S. citizens. Driver's licenses are necessary for engaging with law enforcement, and Reith said having a 'safe document' that doesn't 'look different from everybody else's' is important to immigrants who want to help their communities. Long said it's important for poll workers to be able 'to recognize if someone's trying to vote that should not be voting.' Rep. Howard Beaty, R-Crossett, said the state should be able to 'just catch one' noncitizen who does not 'have good intentions' while acknowledging Reith's point that the immigrants she works with are 'good actors.' He asked Reith if HB 1422 would be worth passing for that reason. 'For us, part of how we catch and get ahead of finding who those individuals are is our community feeling safe to report,' Reith replied. HB 1422 passed the committee with the minimum of 11 affirmative votes on a roll call vote. All members in favor of the bill were Republicans, while two Republicans and two Democrats voted against it. Five members were absent. No members of the public spoke for the bill, which will next be heard by the full House.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Atlantic Canada fish farmers group gets $473K for 2-year project
The aquaculture industry in the Atlantic region is getting a financial boost from Ottawa to support a two-year project to "expand markets, strengthen sustainability and improve innovation" within the industry, ACOA announced Thursday in Saint John. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency said in a news release that it's spending $473,000 from its Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program. Wayne Long, MP for Saint John–Rothesay, said the initiative will allow the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association to attract new investments and strengthen global competitiveness. "The aquaculture industry absolutely checks every box that our government should be focused on, blue economy, sustainability, growing protein, employing people in coastal communities," he said. Long said the project will involve organizing innovation forums and hosting workshops. It also involves sending 60 industry members to Trondheim, Norway, for the Aqua Nor global aquaculture exhibition later this year. Another 55 industry members will go to Boston for the 2025 Seafood Expo North America this weekend. "Events like that will give Atlantic Canadian fish and seafood companies the opportunity to showcase their products, connect with global buyers and expand into new lucrative markets," said Long. David Seeley, interim chair of the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association, is heading to the Seafood Expo for his 13th year in a row. "There's truly nothing like it," said Seeley. "It's exciting and exhausting." The association represents 81 members, including finfish farmers, feed producers and industry partners in Atlantic Canada. The project has a total cost of $800,000, with just over 40 per cent funded by industry partners, the association said.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Multiple Arkansas bills target motor racing regulation
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A wild west of motor vehicle racing is getting plenty of attention from state lawmakers this session. From the race track to a tract of legislation. Both are asking where to accelerate or put on the brakes. Currently, there are at least three bills that would regulate it. Track owners have gotten one withdrawn, asked for another's removal, and praised the third. Malvern motocross complex aims to become national hub for sport Jerry Bradley owns The Ridge Off-Road Park in Bradford. He convinced Rep. Wayne Long (Bradford-R) to withdraw House Bill 1564 Wednesday. The legislation would have added a noise restriction, quiet hours, and liability insurance requirement to include all motocross, ATV tracks, truck or automobile racing tracks. 'ATV side-by-side motocross cycles I mean they use is just becoming extremely popular after Covid you know and I think that's why there's so many bills concerning the regulation of them,' Bradford said. Homeowners around Diamond State Moto Complex near Malvern have been asking for restrictions for months. In December many, including Raymond Tanner, said it is unfair the business can disrupt their lives so easily. 'Tell me when do the people of the community not have the rights? Why do the people moving in making all the noise have a say so over us?' Tanner asked. House Bill 1567 sponsored by Representative Rick McClure (Malvern (R)) is still in committee. It would apply the existing rural truck and automobile racing facilities code to ATV and motocross race facilities. New permits would need to be issued with public notifications and hearings. That permit would need renewal each year and the county judge would weigh the benefits of the facility with the impact it has to property around it. Sheridan 6-year-old taking passion for motocross racing nationwide, competing in amateur nationals Diamond State Moto Complex has come out against it saying in part: 'A renewal process…could subject us to license revocation each year. If passed, these Bills will render operation of our facility and similar facilities across the state unfeasible and our investment in this community a total loss.' The complex is in favor of House Bill 1465 sponsored by Representative Justin Gonzalez (Okolona (R)). It would recognize the inherent risk of participating in motocross and remove liability from the track owners in most cases of injury or death. Bradford would like to his that extend to parks like his. 'I think it all should be grouped into one you know one term that covers all of those that would that would simplify the law,' Bradford said. Hopefully making the twists and turns more navigable for owners, racers, and neighbors. 'Because right now the way the laws are written is pretty complicated honestly,' Bradford explained. Hot Spring County locals raise complaints with motocross complex KARK 4 News contacted Long and McClure for comment. Neither responded as of the time of this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
