Friends,
Following the fireworks and BBQ on Saturday, celebrations of our semiquincentennial continued in Little Rock this week. One event that I was most looking forward to was hosting the unveiling of a bust honoring an Arkansas hero in the rotunda of our state capitol.
Maurice "Footsie" Britt was raised in Lonoke, where he lost his father at thirteen and went to work chopping cotton and picking fruit to help his mother feed the family. At Lonoke High, he was a three-sport star and valedictorian, then went on to star in football and basketball at the University of Arkansas.
He was so good on the gridiron that the Detroit Lions drafted him. But shortly after, the Second World War came to America’s shores. Footsie played just nine games for them before trading the football field for the battlefield. What followed—in North Africa, on the island of Sicily, and in the heart of Italy—made him one of the most decorated soldiers in Arkansas history and the first soldier of the war to earn all four of the Army's top medals for valor.
His service didn't stop with the war. Footsie went on to serve as Lieutenant Governor of our great state from 1967 to 1971. |
The seats in the rotunda were full, with the Britt family sitting in the front rows. It was wonderful for them to see the admiration and celebration of Footsie. To us, he's a hero and an inspiration. To them, he's also a dad, an uncle, a grandfather.
Several distinguished guests spoke about Britt's legacy and the debt we owe to those who have worn the uniform in defense of our nation. My friend and great Arkansas artist Kevin Kresse was also in attendance. His bust masterfully captured the essence of a young Footsie with his Medal of Honor cast in bronze across his chest. This wonderful piece of art joins his remarkable statue of Johnny Cash, which stands in the Statuary Hall collection in the U.S. Capitol.
Thank you to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, State Representative Joey Carr, Dr. Paul Lawrence of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Dr. Charles Robinson of the University of Arkansas, for their thoughtful remarks, and to Secretary of State Cole Jester, the Arkansas National Guard, the U.S. Air Force, the 106th Army Band, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and everyone who came out to honor Footsie. And thank you to the Britt family.
I know they, like all of us, are so pleased that from this day forward, all who visit our Capitol will be reminded of the life and legacy of this great Arkansan. |
Following the Footsie Britt bust unveiling, Deputy Secretary Lawrence and I headed to the Eugene Towbin VA Medical Center in North Little Rock.
We started with a working lunch with the team at the medical center, where we discussed what's going right and what frustrations need to be addressed. We also discussed the possibility of another Fisher House in central Arkansas.
From there, we walked through the upgraded Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic and saw firsthand the new equipment and expanded space that are helping improve the quality of life for Arkansas veterans.
We then visited the Adult Day Health Care program, where several veterans were in the middle of an intense bingo hour. Deputy Secretary Lawrence was invited to call out the next number. I confidently told the group it would be a bingo. He barely got “N-45” out before the winner yelled out “Bingo!” It was a great moment, and everyone in the room laughed and clapped and celebrated.
Shortly after that wonderful moment, a veteran presented the Deputy Secretary and me with hand-carved pens. It was humbling to accept such a beautiful and thoughtful gift from a man who gave so much for our nation.
Thank you to Dr. Michael Moore and the dedicated staff at the Towbin & McClellan VA Medical Centers for their commitment to caring for those who have served our nation. I look forward to continuing to work with the VA to ensure Arkansas veterans receive the high-quality care and support they have earned. |
Here it is: America's 250th birthday cake, ten feet long and seven feet tall, with all fifty states represented. If you look real close, you can see Arkansas rice stalks in edible bronze. |
Tuesday was an exciting day for Little Rock. The Bezos Earth Fund announced a $30 million investment to help transform "30 Crossing Park." In just a few years, the 23-acre site will turn a stretch of old highway ramp into a destination park with trails, a playground, sports courts, gardens, and a boardwalk down to the Arkansas River, linking the Clinton Presidential Center to our downtown library and riverfront.
As I addressed the crowd, an old proverb came to mind: a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. Thanks to this investment and the hard work of local, state, and federal leaders, our kids will sit in that shade, and we'll be right there with them.
Thank you to the Bezos Earth Fund, Governor Sanders, Mayor Scott, the Little Rock Regional Chamber, and everyone whose partnership made this vision possible. |
On July 8, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to the American people for the first time in the State House Yard in Philadelphia.
Yesterday, 250 years later, I joined fellow Arkansans at the Historic Arkansas Museum for our state’s part in America Reads the Declaration, as communities in all fifty states read the same words aloud at the same time.
Thank you to Marty Ryall and the Arkansas 250 Commission for organizing this event, and to Colonel Joel Lynch for reading alongside me. Two hundred fifty years on, the words still carry the same charge they did on that first afternoon: unalienable rights, self-evident truths, a government answerable to the people it serves. |
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Rep. Hill joined community leaders and representatives from the FAA in Clinton to celebrate an important investment in STEM education, aviation, and Arkansas's future skilled workforce.
Dawson Aircraft, a 36-year-old family business, has partnered with North Arkansas College and Clinton High School to give local students a head start on aviation careers. Under the state's new Arkansas ACCESS initiative, students earn concurrent college credit while training on real aircraft, and many are walking straight into job offers.
Initiatives like this one show what's possible when local businesses, educators, and state leaders work together to give students a head start and give Arkansas the workforce it needs to keep growing. |
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Members of Team Hill stopped by the Be Pro Be Proud mobile workforce trailer to see firsthand what the program offers Arkansas students. The team tried out several of the trailer's virtual reality simulators, stepping into the shoes of a lineman, a heavy equipment operator, and a truck driver. These mobile trailers travel to schools around the state, giving students a hands-on look at skilled trades like welding, diesel mechanics, and construction before they ever set foot on a job site.
Montrell and Brian of Be Pro Be Proud spoke about how critical it is to expose students to these career paths early, helping them understand that there are numerous roads to a career that is fulfilling, meaningful, and pays well. |
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This year's fireworks display in Washington, D.C. set out to break the world record for most fireworks launched in a single display. Which country held the previous record?
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Last week’s Trivia: According to historical legend, why did John Hancock sign his name so large on the Declaration of Independence? A) So King George III could read it without his glasses
68% of respondents answered correctly. |
Treasury just finalized the investment lineup for Trump Accounts as funding begins.
Initial contributions will go into a default, low-cost fund tracking the broader U.S. stock market, chosen specifically to keep fees well below the legal cap.
In the coming months, families will also be able to choose from four additional low-cost index funds:
- iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV)
- Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI)
- State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF (SPTM)
- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT)
These funds have been selected to provide diversified exposure across major segments of the financial markets while keeping investment costs low.
These accounts can be managed through the Trump Accounts app, available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play. If you haven't downloaded it yet, do so today so you're ready when funding begins Friday.
All kids born between January 2025 and December 2028 are eligible for a $1,000 federal contribution into a Trump Account. Millions of families have already signed up.
You can open an account by filing IRS Form 4547 through TrumpAccounts.gov, or when filing your taxes.
To learn more, click HERE or call my Little Rock office at (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. |
Sincerely,
Representative French Hill
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