It is important to be prepared. Have flashlights, batteries, blankets, water, and any medications and first-aid supplies you may need on hand. Keep phones and backup chargers fully charged, avoid using generators or grills indoors due to carbon monoxide risk, and consider letting faucets drip during extreme cold to help prevent frozen pipes.

If you have to be on the road, make sure you are prepared in case you get stuck or delayed. Bring a brick phone charger, blankets, food, flash light, and water, and let someone know your route and expected arrival time. Keep your gas tank as full as possible and avoid driving during the worst conditions if you can. Even short trips can become dangerous quickly when roads are icy or visibility is low.

If your home becomes unsafe, warming centers and emergency shelters may be available through local emergency management and community partners.

Here are some additional resources:

Important websites and numbers: 

• Ready.gov for general winter storm preparedness and safety guidance
• Ardot.gov for current road conditions across Arkansas
• Weather.gov/lzk for forecasts, watches, and warnings from the National Weather Service in Little Rock
• Entergy.com/stormcenter to view and report outages and additional resources
• Call 211 or visit Arkansas211.org for information on warming centers, shelters, and other local assistance 
• Call 911 in an emergency

Here is a list of warming centers around central Arkansas: 

Little Rock:

• Little Rock Compassion Center, 3618 W. Roosevelt Rd. (24 hours)
• Dunbar Community Center, 1001 W. 16th St. (9:00 p.m. – 9:00 a.m.)

North Little Rock: North Little Rock Community Center, 2700 Willow St. (opens at 6:00 p.m.)

Conway:

• McGee Center, 3800 College Ave.
• Don Owens Sports Complex, 10 Lower Ridge Rd. (overnight, check-in required)
• Conway Emergency Shelter, 1116 Gum St.

Hot Springs: Resource Center, 109 Hobson Ave.

Searcy: Carmichael Center, 801 S. Elm St.

Benton: Saline County Warming Center, 917 N. East St.

Pine Bluff: Opportunity House, 1305 E. Sixth Ave.

Heber Springs: Renew Church Heber Springs, 1099 W Pine St.

Perryville: The Veranda Restaurant, 303 Main Street

Damascus: Damascus United Methodist, 17194 Hwy 65 S.

Clinton: Former Van Buren County Democrat Bld, 197 Court St.

Shirley: Full Gospel Tabernacle, 128 Catland Lane

Fairfield Bay: Presbyterian Kirk of the Hills, 250 Dave Pkway #2834 

Additional Tips: 
For your Home or Work: Your primary concerns during a winter storm are loss of heat, power, and telephone service and a shortage of supplies if storm conditions continue for more than a day. Make sure you have the following available:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered NOAA Weather Radio and portable radio to receive emergency information
• Extra food and water such as dried fruit, nuts, granola bars and other food requiring no cooking or refrigeration.
• Extra prescription medicine
• Baby items such as diapers and formula
• First-aid supplies
• Heating fuel: refuel before you are empty; fuel carriers may not reach you for days after a winter storm
• Emergency heat source: fireplace, wood stove or space heater properly ventilated to prevent a fire
• Fire extinguisher, smoke alarm; test smoke alarms monthly to ensure they work properly
• Extra pet food and warm shelter for pets
• Review generator safety: Never run a generator in an enclosed space
• Make sure your carbon monoxide detector is working correctly and that the outside vent is clear of leaves and debris. During or after the storm, make sure it is cleared of snow.
• Home fires are common each winter when trying to stay warm. Review ways to keep your home and loved ones safe.

For the Car: If you have to be on the road, make sure you are prepared in case you get stuck or delayed: 

The House has passed the final four appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government through the end of September, the end of the fiscal year. By passing these final bills, House Republicans are showing that regular order can still work in Washington.

After years of relying on bloated, last-minute continuing resolutions and stopgap measures, Congress is moving back to a process where spending bills are debated and passed the way they are supposed to be. All 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the government were considered through a committee-led, Member-driven process, with real accountability and transparency for taxpayers.

That is how you get better outcomes and more responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and it is another example of how House Republicans are delivering on our promises.

Together, the four bills passed this week cut spending while still funding the priorities that matter most to Arkansas families, including national defense, border security, health care priorities, and critical infrastructure.

The Senate is still working through its appropriations process, but once that is complete, the House and Senate will work together to finalize the last few funding bills so we can provide certainty and stability for families, small businesses, and taxpayers.

Here are the appropriations passed in the House this week:

• Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS)
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD)
• Defense
• Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Here are just a few of the highlights of items in the bills that will benefit Central Arkansas and make America stronger, safer, healthier, and more prosperous:

• Support for apprenticeship programs to build strong American working families and increased funding to train workers and educate students in rural America.
• $418 million for rural health, including increased funding for America’s rural hospitals.
• $1.9 billion to support community health centers.
• $49 billion for the National Institutes of Health for biomedical research to find cures for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, rare diseases, and chronic diseases impacting Americans.
• Increased funding by $20 million for special education, including $5 million for rural education.
• Improves transportation safety by increasing funding for the FAA by $1.588 billion and providing the FAA with resources to hire 2,500 new air traffic controllers.
• Reinforces English language proficiency requirements for truck drivers.
• Champions America’s military superiority and provides a 3.8% pay raise for all service members and a 1% civilian employee pay increase.
• Bolsters public safety and homeland preparedness by enhancing resources to detect and counter the spread of deadly drugs like fentanyl.
• Strengthens U.S. national security and border protections by providing $513 million to sustain 22,000 Border Patrol agents.
• Invests $20 million to hire critical positions at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to counter the threat from China.

The LHHS appropriations bill I voted for includes important reforms to rein in pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs. These are third-party companies that negotiate prescription drug rebates with manufacturers on behalf of health insurance companies and play a direct role in what patients pay at the pharmacy counter, and profit by driving up prices.

Here's how my vote will hold PBMs accountable:

• Placing transparency requirements on PBMs to ensure that PBMs can be held accountable and be examined.
• Require PBMs to pass on prescription drug rebates to health insurance plans. That would increase price transparency and ensure savings go to health plans and employers, thus lowering patient costs. Currently, PBMs pocket prescription drug rebates, which drives up prescription drug costs

These reforms will mean lower prescription drug costs for families and seniors across Arkansas, while protecting the local pharmacies our communities count on.

Last week’s Trivia: Religious Freedom Day commemorates what event? C) Passage of Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom

40.5% of respondents answered correctly. (48.2% selected "Adoption of the Bill of Rights")

Submissions for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition are now open!

This competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent from across central Arkansas, with the winning artwork displayed for a year in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

I will again be hosting a “Fan Favorite” award, where central Arkansans can vote for their favorite piece. The artwork that wins Fan Favorite will be displayed in my Little Rock office.

This challenge is open to all students in grades 9 through 12 who live in Arkansas’s Second Congressional District. The deadline to submit artwork to my office is Tuesday, March 31 at 12:00 pm CST.

One small change from years past: Students are no longer required to submit a photo of themselves with their artwork.

For more information and full submission instructions, click HERE.

Last year's winner, “Beyond the Familiar" by Amber Bae.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime has announced several grant opportunities to help communities provide services, housing, and support for victims of human trafficking. Here is a list of grant opportunities:

Deadline: Grants.gov 02/24/2026 11:59 p.m. EST and JustGrants 03/03/2026 08:59 p.m. EST

• Housing Assistance for Victims of Human Trafficking
• Integrated Services for Minor Victims of Human Trafficking
• Preventing Trafficking of Girls
• Specialized Human Trafficking Assistance: Supporting Survivor Engagement in Anti-Trafficking Programming

Deadline: Grants.gov 03/11/2026 11:59 p.m. EST and JustGrants 03/18/2026 08:59 p.m. EST:

• Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking
• Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking
• Services for Victims of Human Trafficking

You can learn more by clicking HERE or by contacting my Little Rock office: (501) 324-5941

My office can arrange tours of the Capitol and many other sights in Washington, D.C., on behalf of you and your family during your stay. Please note: White House tours require Real IDs or other accepted forms of ID, such as a valid passport or U.S. military ID.

If you and your loved ones are planning on visiting Washington, D.C. in the coming months, I recommend you reach out to my office to request tours as soon as possible HERE.

If you have any questions about your visit to Washington, D.C., please call my D.C. office at (202) 225-2506.