In the News

U.S. Rep. French Hill last week reintroduced legislation that would help historically black colleges and universities to assist inmates as they near the end of their terms. The Shift Back to Society Act calls for $5 million per year to be used on a pilot program. The money would come from existing Department of Justice appropriations. Hill originally introduced the bill in July and is promising to push for it during the 115th session of Congress. In a news release, the Republican from Little Roc... Read more

It's clear evidence of local widespread shock and disgust at the actions of President Trump in his first 10 days in office that in less than 24 hours, and just a day after people rallied at the state Capitol in support of reproductive rights, nearly a thousand people showed up again Sunday for a spur-of-the moment protest of his immigration ban. Trump's executive order banning entry into the United States of people from seven Muslim nations left students, professors, professionals and families w... Read more

More than 100 people protested Wednesday outside the Springdale office of U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, objecting to Republican policies and their lack of access to the state's junior senator. Members of Ozark Indivisible say they had visited the offices of the D.C. representatives from their area, and Cotton's representatives were the only ones who refused to hear their concerns. "We have gone to Sen. [John] Boozman's office, and we have gone to Congressman [Steve] Womack's office, and we've had no iss... Read more

THE ISSUE: President Trump’s suspension of travel for immigrants from several Middle Eastern nations. LOCAL IMPACT: The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Southeast Arkansas College and the Jefferson Regional Medical Center, which admit foreign students and employ a number of foreign employees, respectively, are monitoring the situation to see what, if any effect it will have on them. Representatives of three Jefferson County institutions are monitoring President Donald Trump’s executive ord... Read more

A group of 10 students banded together during a peaceful, symbolic demonstration Tuesday at Congressman French Hill’s headquarters in Conway to voice their disapproval of President Donald Trump’s executive actions Jan. 24 to advance the Keystone XL Pipeline. The group spoke out against Hill’s approval of the continuance of the project, despite the damage caused by the Pegasus Pipeline bursting and spilling more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil into a Mayflower neighborhood in 2013. According to... Read more

President Donald Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates on Monday night, hours after Yates ordered Justice Department lawyers not to defend his immigration order temporarily banning entry into the United States for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from around the world. In a news release, the White House said Yates had "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." The White House n... Read more

President Donald Trump is looking at an Arkansas congressman for money-related posts, according to recent press accounts. U.S. Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Little Rock, is being considered for a spot on the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, Bloomberg and Reuters reported this month. Two other media outlets, Dow Jones and American Banker, say Hill is one of the candidates to serve as deputy treasury secretary. None of the four named the sources of their information. Hill, w... Read more

Sheridan High School senior Sean Fitzgerald recently accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He is the son of Dennis and Lee Anne Fitzgerald. “With an acceptance rate comparable to those of Ivy League schools like Yale and Princeton — the U.S. Naval Academy is ranked one of the most challenging institutions of higher learning to get into,” a spokesman said in a news release. Fitzgerald learned of the news from U.S. Rep. French Hill, who called to congratulate him on his acceptance. Fi... Read more

U.S. Representative French Hill (R-2nd District) is the latest member of Arkansas's House delegation to back President Trump's refugee order while calling for peeling back restrictions on green card holders and others. Hill issued a statement on Monday afternoon. "While modest inconveniences are acceptable in order to keep our homeland safe, blocking U.S. green card holders, students and professors possessing proper visas, and those extraordinary men and women who have aided us in our Global War... Read more

Arkansas's congressional delegation is lining up to support President Donald Trump's moves to revive the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines. President Trump utilized the power of executive orders on Tuesday to expedite reviews of the projects and re-start processes halted or delayed by former President Obama. Following Trump's moves U.S. Representative French Hill, of the 2nd District in central Arkansas, issued a statement praising the President. Hill referenced a direct connection to a ma... Read more