Free Republic

Little by little… Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on Friday canceled the state’s contracts with Planned Parenthood, making his the third Southern state to do so since anti-abortion activists released a series of videos that they say suggests the organization sells fetal tissue.“It is apparent that after the recent revelations on the actions of Planned Parenthood, that this organization does not represent the values of the people of our state and Arkansas is better served by terminating any and all existing contracts with them,” Hutchinson, a Republican, said in a statement.The move comes after the U.S. government has warned states...

To no one’s surprise, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-Walmart) caved on the state’s RFRA. Excerpt: Facing a backlash from businesses and gay rights advocates, Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas on Wednesday called on state lawmakers to either recall or amend legislation billed as a religious freedom measure so that it mirrored a federal law approved in 1993.

details have started to fade, but Seth Hutchinson, a son of Gov. Hutchinson of Arkansas, remembers the arrest in the 1990s of a teacher who was gay. “He was not out,” Seth Hutchinson recounted on Wednesday. “And he was arrested in a park — I think the official charge was attempting to loiter — and it was obvious he was there because he couldn’t be out and keep his job.” Mr. Hutchinson said the episode was a formative experience in the political journey that has frequently pitted him against his father. Hutchinson surged into the spotlight on Wednesday when Governor...

You can look at this three ways. One: Asa Hutchinson got cold feet after watching Mike Pence take a vicious media beating for signing Indiana’s RFRA. So he caved to the left, pure and simple, out of political cowardice. If the GOP won’t stand for religious liberty against pressure from gay-rights activists even in the very red state of Arkansas, this culture war is well and truly lost. Might as well repeal RFRA and let liberals shut down any business owner who resists conscription into a gay wedding ceremony. Two: Hutchinson caved, but not to the left. He caved to...

arkansasonline.com/liveaudio will stream it live

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have given final approval to a religious-freedom bill that has drawn sharp criticism from opponents who say it opens the door to state-sanctioned discrimination against gays and lesbians. The House voted Tuesday to approve the measure, which prohibits the state and local governments from infringing on a person’s religious beliefs without a “compelling” interest. The measure now heads to Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has said he will sign it into law.

Walmart's CEO is standing up against a religious freedom law that just landed on the governor's desk in Arkansas, home to the company's headquarters. It's similar to the law Indiana adopted last week, which sparked outrage from those who say it opens the door for discrimination against gays and lesbians. Walmart (WMT) CEO Doug McMillon asked Gov. Asa Hutchinson to veto the bill, which was approved by the Arkansas House on Tuesday. The company is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas. "Today's passage of HB1228 threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion present throughout the state of Arkansas and does not reflect...

Lawmakers in Indiana are scrambling to clarify a religious freedom law amid a national firestorm. But their counterparts in Arkansas are pushing ahead with a similar measure — and the governor says he'll sign it. Protesters gathered outside the governor's mansion in Little Rock on Tuesday morning. A final vote in the state House could come later in the day.

The chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc on Tuesday asked the governor of Arkansas to veto a religious freedom measure, saying the bill approved by lawmakers earlier in the day undermines "the spirit of inclusion" in the state.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a "religious freedom" bill similar to the controversial measure in Indiana. The bill now heads to Gov. Asa Hutchinson's desk for signing into law. Hutchinson said that he would approve the measure if it made it to his office, CBS News affiliate KTVH in Little Rock reported. The Arkansas version of the bill -- HB 1228 -- would prevent state and local governments from infringement on someone's religious beliefs unless there were a "compelling" reason. Like the Indiana law, opponents say it would foster discrimination against the gay and lesbian...

Torii Hunter is an anti-gay bigot. This is something he has proven with his own words on multiple occasions. Yesterday, at the press conference to announce the one-year, $10.5 million deal he signed to return to the Minnesota Twins, beat writer Mike Berardino of the Saint Paul Pioneer-Press asked him about those beliefs—specifically, in the context of how Hunter thought supporting Arkansas Republican Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson in his recent election had affected his free agency. Torii Hunter Says Homosexuality Is "Not Right" (Then Claims He Was Misquoted) Hunter's response: You got some people who are just messy, you know? So,...

Democrats may be making their last stand in Arkansas. At the beginning of the cycle, Democrats touted a dream ticket that could help rally the party back to relevance after a series of stinging losses in the state. They cheered Sen. Mark Pryor’s (D) centrist profile and strong family name. In the governor’s race, they hoped former Rep. Mike Ross’s long string of successes in conservative southwest Arkansas would boost him. But months later, Pryor has trailed freshman Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for much of the summer in the Razorback State and former Rep. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.) has had a...

Former Republican Congressman and Drug Czar Asa Hutchinson (at right) holds an eight-point lead over his Democratic rival for governor, former Democratic Rep. Mike Ross, D. The two men are vying to replace Gov. Mike Beebe, D, who defeated Hutchinson for the job in 2006 but cannot run again due to term limits. The Conservative Intel poll of Arkansas, whose Senate results were released yesterday, was conducted by Harper Polling and surveyed 587 likely voters in the state...

NRO’s Andrew Johnson notes that the NRA rushed to counter its own spokesman for the new school-safety initiative shortly after this aired yesterday on CNN, but Asa Hutchinson’s “support” for expanded background checks was, shall we say, nuanced. While Hutchinson did say he was “open” to expanded background checks, his idea for expanding them runs counter to the proposals circulating in Congress at the moment: (video link at source) (snip) Therefore, Hutchinson’s support for expanding background checks sounds more like support for the federal government to enforce the laws they already have on the books. We already know that federal...

Proposing the National School Shield http://nraschoolshield.com/

The Smoking Gun has produced court documents telling us that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, producer of the movie Innocence of Muslims, partnered with Eiad Salameh and that Nakoula was finally caught in 2009 for his role in a check-kiting ring that stole over $870,000 from six financial institutions by using stolen Social Security numbers and identities. In this, we will show how this story is mired in FBI failure and the Eiad connection is crucial in unraveling more facts to this story, since many of his dealings with Nakoula can tell us more about his true motives. After all, Eiad Salameh...

Former congressman Asa Hutchinson, whose brother and former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson is a top Huckabee supporter, said Thursday he's no longer backing Huckabee's presidential campaign and endorsed presumptive GOP nominee John McCain. Hutchinson said he endorsed McCain because it's virtually impossible for Huckabee to gain the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination. Huckabee's campaign had announced in November that the Hutchinson brothers were among high profile Arkansas Republicans backing the former governor's bid. "I was delighted to support Gov. Huckabee whenever there was a possibility he could garner the delegates necessary to win," Hutchinson told The Associated...

A former director of the Drug Enforcement Administration warned federal officials shortly after the September 11 attacks that violent drug cartels from Mexico were teaming with Muslim gangs to fund terrorist organizations overseas. Asa Hutchinson, who also has been a Homeland Security undersecretary, said that in 2001, DEA agents uncovered the link between the drug cartels and terrorist groups but too few government officials listened. "I think it's important to recognize that the link between terrorism and drug trafficking exists," said Mr. Hutchinson in a phone interview from Arkansas. "While we are fighting terrorists, we should not neglect our fight...

The president hit the campaign trail, traveling from Texas to Arkansas to support gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, then to Loews Vanderbilt Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee (news and video), where he’ll attend a fundraiser for Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Bob Corker. Laura Bush was in Bellevue, WA, to help raise funds for Senate candidate Mike Mike McGavick.

Opinions clash in initial meeting of Ark. immigration watch group Viewpoints clashed Tuesday night during the Arkansas Minuteman Civil Defense Corps organizational meeting at Lake Hamilton Fire Department. Nearly half of the packed meeting room at the station were there to voice their opposition to the organization’s mission, while the other half voiced staunch support. "It’s up to us to do what we can to protect the birthright of our children and grandchildren," meeting organizer Bill Riggins of Hot Springs told the crowd. "With every benefit and every reward comes responsibility." Riggins called the influx of illegal immigrants into the...