A seismic shift in the campaigns for governor and Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas tonight.

A special one hour edition of Arkansas weekend.

We'll hear from state Senator Jason Rapert a candidate for Lieutenant governor, the senator, as you're about to see, has a lot to say about the shifts in the primary for these statewide offices.

Also, a special good roots story about how Arkansas is leading the nation by far in a very important crop.

Then an update on the state of medical marijuana in Arkansas and the potential for that program.

All that and more in this edition of Arkansas Week starting right now.

Second, support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and KUARFM 89.

And hello again everyone and thanks very much for joining us.

Arkansas politics, especially Arkansas Republican politics got another jolt at midweek.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced he was leaving the race for governor.

She will instead seek her party's nomination for Lieutenant governor.

She becomes the second GOP candidate to abandon the gubernatorial primary for a different office.

Months ago, the incumbent, Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin, switched to the race for Attorney general, tacitly acknowledging the enormous lead.

Held by Sarah Huckabee Sanders in both political polls and fundraising, suddenly the race to succeed Mr Griffin.

This is very crowded among the high profile candidates.

State Senator Jason Rapert, who joins us now.

Senator thank you very much for being with us before we get started.

I should.

Well, thank you I I would advise the audience that we because of technical reasons, scheduling and holidays and the like, we are taping this broadcast at mid morning on Wednesday.

We do hope that General Rutledge will be able to join us within moments because she has in fact been invited.

But let's begin by saying, senator, how does this change the race?

It doesn't change anything for me, Steve, you know I was the first candidate to announce for Lieutenant governor and I have been leading in the fund raising amongst all of the candidates, even though I haven't even been able to raise funds for about half a year.

Because when the Senate is in session, we are unable to raise funds.

But the bottom line is, we see the support out there for Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

I believe that I make a perfect right arm to serve as Lieutenant governor and to help Sarah make sure that we accomplish the goals.

Of a new Republican administration in our state, and I find it very interesting and I do not know how in the world someone would have posed themselves to be Lieutenant governor in this race when they have constantly undermined and took shots at Sarah Huckabee Sanders over the course of the last few months.

We have even seen of the new candidate that's entered this race say that they would find the job of Lieutenant Governor boring, and that after leading an office like the Attorney General's Office.

That they really would have no interest in serving as Lieutenant governor in the matter of fact, Steve, a few months ago, the candidate that's just now entered the race called me up personally and said that the rumors that many had been putting out about her leaving the governor's race dinner.

The Lieutenant governor's race were absolutely false.

She called me personally and told me all of that and so I understand.

Politics is interesting, but it is sad when somebody calls up and gives you their word on something that they suddenly back up.

On that, the bottom line is, is that I have fought hard for the people of Arkansas, but elected four times popularly to my seat in the Arkansas Senate, and I am fully committed to working hard for the state of Arkansas, fighting hard for the individual liberties of our citizens, and I fully intend to be victorious in my race for Lieutenant governor, the barbs that she has aimed at at Miss Sanders.

As you note Senator, have, I must say, they've been fairly gentle, and in withdrawing from the race for governor yesterday, she was.

She was coming even even when she fired a Barber too.

She was kind of complementary and she certainly endorsed her yesterday and was highly complimentary, so.

That doesn't exactly disqualify her, does it?

From the Sanders POV.

Well, there's a big difference.

I have been a friend to the Huckabee show.

Governor Mike Huckabee actually has endorsed me for every single race that I've been in for the Arkansas Senate.

He also serves on my National Board of Advisors, which up for the National Association of Christian lawmakers.

We've put together for 14 months.

Miss Rutledge working so in terms of my positioning, Steve and again we may be having a delay here.

My positioning in this race is that I have been a constant supporter of the Huckabee family and that Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her race and I have not been one that is stating that there's a difference between her and the candidate, which I have often heard the candidate referred to.

The fact that she is the one that knows how to pilot the plane.

She's not a stewardess.

So look her words speak for themselves.

They've been quoted in the in the paper.

As you know, I believe that you need a Lieutenant governor that can work well with the governor of the state of Arkansas.

And I'm the one with experience in the Senate.

One with legislative experience.

I'm the one that passed off many of the Pro life bills that Leslie Rutledge goes out there and claims that she has some sort of ownership of.

She defends the laws that we passed, but I fought the battles to get the heartbeat bill passed.

I fought the battle to get the 10 commandments on my Arkansas capital state grounds, and I'm the only legislator in the entire nation being sued by the American Atheists because I fight for what is right and I have never cowered from that.

And so, hey, this is politics.

There's a race and I'm going to be a gentleman in the race, but I will speak the truth and I will continue to fight hard and plan on being victorious for the race.

For Lieutenant governor when the Constitution was written, Sir, it's authors seem to you seem to deliberately make it a. Quote boring office.

It's only constitutional powers to preside over the Senate, so other than the bully pulpit, how can you use that office?

Can anyone use that office too?

Other supported incumbent governor or two or to pursue issues.

Your power, your powers are limited to duties.

The two duties of the office of Lieutenant Governor is to preside over the Senate and to be a tie breaking vote when it is necessary, and then obviously also to be ready to be governor on day one.

I will tell you that the office of Lieutenant Governor might be boring to some until the point that it's not.

It's Jim Guy Tucker having to resign and leave office under a cloud in my could be becoming governor of this state.

There are many instances over the years when we've had a transition in that way.

I have made a commitment to the people of Arkansas at the same Conservative leadership in the same fight that I've given to making Arkansas a Republican state.

I will continue those in the office of Lieutenant Governor.

My role will be to be a voice to continue the Republican ideals.

The Conservative leadership that we believe are taking our state in a good direction.

And I've been a part of making this state a Republican state, and I believe that they support that we've been saying.

Is resonating with the citizens around this state and I look forward to continuing that in this race, and as Lieutenant governor of the state of Arkansas, it would seem senator that you and the other five Republican, now five Republican candidates for the six of you and all four Lieutenant governor, share the same ideological space.

Pretty much you're all emphasizing the same issues.

So again, how would what's going to separate you from the other from your five competitors?

What sets you apart?

Well, number one I'm the only one that's in this race that has been leading and a part of the majority since we took over in 2012.

I was first elected in 2010, served in a minority position while the Democrats had their last two years of leadership in the legislature.

So I have been a part of the actual group of Republican leaders that has won the support of the people of Arkansas and has been passing the Bills that have been cutting taxes.

None of the candidates that are currently in here has been a part of any of those decisions.

Cutting taxes in Arkansas.

I have none of them in the current race right now have been apart of the decisions that have made this state the most pro-life state in America.

I have been there.

I have been there for those fights and we've been victorious in them and the people of Arkansas and know that I love all of my fellow Republicans.

But I will absolutely make sure that the record is clear that there's one candidate that is well known.

For finding these legislative battles and winning in the Arkansas Legislature.

And that's myself in this race, and we invite everybody to go to Jason rapert.com become a volunteer to donate and become a part of our campaign.

Will social issues that that has been excuse me, senator your Forte.

You did mention fiscal policy, but you've stressed in your legislative career, social issues, time session after session.

Is that going to dominate this this conversation or will it get into issues such as, well, other issues?

Fiscal for example?

Well, there are many issues that are out there.

I also was a strong voice during the last extended session that we just had to protect people from being fired from these onerous vaccine mandates and that does separate me some from some of the folks that are running for office.

They may have said they were against the Biden mandates, but they absolutely sold out the Arkansas people when it came to standing up for their own individual liberties to be able to use a medical exemption or a religious exemption.

If some employer just decides to try to mandate that upon them, we have freedoms and liberties in this country that are very important and I have been a fighter for those things as it relates to the social issues.

I am the founder and president of the National Association of Christian lawmaker Steve.

That group is just 14 months old.

We've had two major national meetings and I've got 26 individual elected officials that are state chairs of that organization with members and supporters in 49 states.

I know how to build coalitions around the.

Country and to get things done and that has been a part of my legacy and my history in the Arkansas Senate.

The people of Arkansas need a fighter right now.

They need somebody that's proven when it comes to being a leader on policy and promoting ideas that can get popular support.

I appreciate the records of many of the candidates and what they've done, but you're looking for a Lieutenant governor that could preside over the Senate.

And I'm the one with those relationships and very happy that last night I got calls from several of those senators.

Telling me to stay the course and to stay in this race, and I plan to do it.

How much do you plan on spending?

Do you know?

Could you give us an estimate of what this race is going to cost?

Well, racist cost what they cost.

In the end it so happens that if you look up the record I am told that I have raised more from my legislative races than any other sitting legislator right now in the state of Arkansas.

I've been proven that I can raise funds.

I'm not only raise those funds for my races in campaigns, I have raised funds to help with the NaCl and the other efforts in putting up the Arkansas 10 Commandments monument.

I am able to go get support for the causes that I'm involved, including my own.

Race which I lead the fund raising out of all of the other candidates in this race and I will go out and raise whatever is needed to be victorious in the race.

For Lieutenant governor, just like I've always done in the past.

One of the signature issues of your tenure senator has been abortion, which is now before EU S Supreme Court and you have indicated that if at all possible during a special legislative session which Mr. Hudson Governor Hutchinson indicates, he he still wants.

That you will pursue it in that special session.

Are you sticking with that position?

Yes, Sir, and there are two fundamental issues that I'm working on for the special session, and I've already communicated with Governor Hutchinson before this announcement that just happened and we're planning to meet on the 23rd and in that meeting we plan to talk about two things.

One is I propose a a full time law enforcement officer tax credit for all full time law enforcement officers in the state of Arkansas.

The Sheriff's Association supports this.

The municipal Chiefs of Police Association supports this.

The Association of Arkansas County supports this and they state Police foundation supports this.

We're all working together so that we truly can fund law enforcement in our state, and the second part of those of that meeting will be about putting forth a bill that utilizes the Texas civil cause of action.

I passed the first heartbeat bill in the entire nation in 2013, the NaCl, the organization that I just mentioned earlier in 2021 and July this year.

We passed the first model bill.

Using the Texas Heartbeat bill and the civil cause of action as the basis for that model now in Arkansas, I was able to have help with leadership of Representative Mary Bentley and we passed SB6, which is the total abolishment of abortion in the state of Arkansas except a lot except to save the life of a mother.

We intend to actually run SB6, which is the bill which was a total abolishment of abortion and add the Texas civil cause of action.

We're obviously waiting to see if the Supreme Court.

It's going to take any action to put forth an injunction related to the Texas civil cause of action, but if they do not, then it's a total green light for us and the fact of the matter is each state has the ability to continue to pass pro-life legislation to let our voices come forward and be heard.

I made a commitment to run pro-life legislation when I was first elected, and I will continue to seek to do that until the last opportunity to do so.

So you will see me filing a bill.

We've already putting together our legislative sponsors, and I believe that if that special session is called called that whether the governor puts that on the session call or not, we will be able to get it to 2/3 that we need to make Arkansas stand out once again as one of the strongest pro-life states in the entire country.

The governor has indicated that he would prefer that none of this, that it's that it stays strictly on the matter of tax.

Policy and leave abortion for or social issues other issues for another time that would seem to put you.

And if you can get there are two thirds of the General Assembly at odds with Mr Hutchinson, correct?

Is he wrong to take that posture?

Well it would put us at odds if that's where he stays and and I'm trying to always give room that people can make decisions.

I think Governor Hutchinson sees if you will the future here and one of the things he cited in postponing the legislative session was to see what the Supreme Court might say as it relates to the Texas bill.

I think in the state of Arkansas the people of this state have proven we want to continue to do our best to stop abortions in our state.

I want to see Planned Parenthood clinics.

Shut down, I want to see the Little Rock abortion facility completely shut down.

There's been over 60 million babies killed in this nation since the 73 decision in the state of Arkansas.

Wants to see about see abortion abolished.

I've said many times Steve that just as this nation abolished slavery, which was a crime against humanity, we should abolish abortion, which is also a crime against humanity.

So invite Governor Hutchinson to join me in the Pro life stance that he knows is paramount.

In the state of Arkansas, let's put this on the call and let's take another action which shows that Arkansas is serious about saving lives.

How wide is the gulf between Mr Hutchinson and his the Republican Conference in the Senate and in the General Assembly as a whole?

It seems to be substantial senator, and it seems to be growing.

Is that correct?

Well, I think that you've called it right.

There has been a divide there.

The reasoning for that you would have to ask him about that, but I've been consistent.

I am a conservative Christian and I have stood and filed bills that back up that position stance and I will tell you that in this legislature as well.

Steve, I want to point something else out to you.

We've got very strong Christian conservatives that are in office in our state, but we have some folks that say their report.

Republicans, they finance behind the scenes I'm calling upon all of the churches in Arkansas.

All of the pastors in Arkansas.

This is a time where you need to stand up and get your people to go out and vote as they have never voted before.

I also passed SJR 14 Steve which is the Arkansas Religious Freedom amendment.

I worked with Representative Gasaway to do that.

That's going to be on the ballot next year.

That is the Arkansas Religious Freedom amendment.

And so I've got an open call to all churches.

In all pastors, you need to register your people to vote and vote as never before.

The state of Arkansas only had a 55% turn out in the last presidential election.

It was one of the lowest in the entire country.

That's unacceptable.

We've got great people in the state of Arkansas and we need them to come out and let their voices be heard.

And I believe, not only will they vote for SJR 14, I would think they also will support the total abolishment of abortion and I believe they will support a candidate like myself.

Who's been on the front line?

Advocating for those very policies on the abortion issue Senator or what?

What say you to those who say that you have a different view that this essentially is about a woman's autonomy over her own body over her own reproductive health.

Your response to that, and if the state has no business regulating that.

There you see if you had time to get deeply into the issue, you would find that there miss stating that.

The body that they carry in their womb is a separate body from themselves.

So once that baby is alive in a mother's womb, even in the state of Arkansas under criminal penalty, if a baby is killed in euro and among mothers womb, a person could be charged for the death of that child and the mother's womb.

Even though the mother survives.

So we know that life is precious and people like myself believe that life begins at conception.

The Bible says in proverbs Chapter 616 through 19 there are six things that he hates.

Yeah, seven are abomination, and one of those are hands that shed innocent blood.

It is unacceptable in today's time that we allow babies to be killed.

When in Arkansas we have the safe Haven baby box legislation and just had a baby saved a few days ago, and Maumelle that was turned over at the fire department in one of those safe haven baby boxes, which is legislation.

I support it.

We do not have to kill the child to also allow the mother to make a decision.

She doesn't want to keep the child, she can simply give the child over to the state of Arkansas.

We will find a home for that child.

That's the humane answer.

Abortion is a crime against humanity and it should be abolished while the matter Sir of medical freedom as it is sometimes referred to a should that apply also to immunization, say for measles, mumps, diphtheria, should parents be able to to say no, no, my child is not going to have that immunization.

We have, well, I will tell you that this is an issue.

Again that requires a deeper dive into the discussion.

Right now you have an injection that is being forced on a large part of the population, which is not really that effective.

We've seen this in the results that are coming out.

It is not as effective as some of the other vaccines that have been put out there for public use to curb sickness and illness and disease.

I've had many vaccine shots myself.

But I will tell you that we should not force a population.

For instance, I just talked with a couple in Northeast Arkansas.

They called me for help because the woman worked for a hospital and she's pregnant, but she had lost two of her previous babies through miscarriage.

Her doctor gave her a note and said you should not take the vaccine until after you've delivered the baby Steve.

The hospital refused to honor the doctor's written instructions for that Lady.

And she was terminated.

She was fired from her job because she was being forced to choose between taking the advice of her doctor were taking the advice of the Biden administration or an employer mandate that was being given to him.

Our Declaration of Independence said that we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which is working and pursuing the job that you want to have happiness and family.

Those two things are under attack with the vaccine mandates.

I stood up to fight for the people of Arkansas and they know that and there were many in our state who failed on that note.

In fact, in the Senate we were two votes shy of having the emergency clause to immediately protect people from these vaccine mandates if they don't want a vaccine or an injection, they should not have to take it in this situation for sure, because it's unproven, so again.

We want to make sure that we are following the science and the science is telling us that this vaccine is not as effective as it was sold to the American people.

This is why they're forcing people to take boosters and very short amount of times the scientists who are in the employ of the Hutchinson administration Sir and the state, for example, the state health department say it is highly effective and at a minimum it's the best vaccine we can do.

And also it is entirely.

It's quite safe for pregnant women.

So once again you are you, you would seem to be strikingly at odds with the.

With Mr. Hutchinson.

I I haven't been at the table, I had COVID.

It's a dangerous situation.

My grand father died with COVID-19.

I preached his funeral.

My father just survived COVID-19 body was over on a ventilator for over 30 days.

I tell people all the time it can be a very serious matter, but when we have evidence this been presented to us, Steve from doctors and from nurses to talk about side effects in people that have been harmed from this vaccine.

Don't even attempt to tell me that there is not danger involved in that, and shame on anyone that would hide in missed Miss State.

Some of the facts involved with this.

I believe that we should be caring for people.

We should not be forcing them to take something that even a doctor in some instances tell them they should not take.

This is the proper course, not forcing people to take an injection when they have a valid religious exemption or a valid medical exemption and ask for Jose Romero.

I stood on the floor of the Senate.

There are many people that opposed him being confirmed as the leader of our Department of Health.

I believe that we've got some Arkansas Dr foul cheese that need to resign and go just as we need Doctor Fauci to go at the national level.

Well, Mr Hutchinson seems to Doctor Romero, for example, seems to have Mr Hutchinson's full support.

He has in fact said so it is Mr. Hutchinson then errors his judgment at the flawed in this matter.

As it relates to Doctor Romero, he knows I actually stated on the Senate floor.

I am sad that we still have Doctor Romero in his position because I have seen some of the bad judgments when we had the Department of Health calling up churches in the state of Arkansas and threatening to shut them down because they were singing in their churches.

That falls on the leadership of the Department of Health under the leadership of Doctor Romero when there were edicts that were coming out and back.

This was last year.

Where he was chastising people that might be using off label medications.

You remember that came to a head.

I have had calls for people that went to their pharmacies and their prescriptions were refused to be filled at their pharmacies and those people would then cite some of the communications that's come out from Doctor Romero.

I actually believe that we'd be better served by someone else in that leadership role because of the fact of the confusion and the the misstatements that we've seen come out over the last couple of years.

The bottom line for me is that with all this confusion Steve, we need to honor people's liberty and their individual choice as it relates to the injections related to COVID-19 running short of time here.

But Senator, let me ask the the the the matter of liberty opponents of your positions say that is tantamount to granting people the liberty to infect other people with about a minute remaining.

I'll let you respond to that.

Your presence.

That's ridiculous.

And if vaccines are totally effective, then why are the vaccinated scared of the unvaccinated?

It's a totally ridiculous argument.

The bottom line is this nation has been under a spell of all of these things for the last couple of years.

They've shut down people's businesses.

They threaten people to take their jobs away from them because they don't want to take an injection that has been proven regardless of what might be stated by anyone.

There's proof that it has not been as effective as sold.

They said that you could quit wearing your mask when you take a vaccination.

Guess what you couldn't.

The American people will know that we have been literally sold a complete sham in terms of the response to COVID-19 senator, I want us to have a Roach that honors individual liberty and I stood in fall for that on the floor of the Arkansas Senate.

Senator, I wish we could continue, but we are simply out of time and we thank you very much for yours.

Come back soon.

Thank you for having me on.

It isn't Arkansas's largest in terms of acreage, but it is profoundly important to our economy and perhaps perhaps even to American foreign policy.

Here's this month's Good Roots report.

Another rice harvest has come to a close in Arkansas on this next episode of Good Roots will explore its history, the economic impact and its golden future.

Then that brown rice.

OK, OK, that's long great.

This is the first long grain rice sale to China anywhere in southeastern United States.

But we're delighted that that market was opened in a family farm in Atkins, AR.

All shipment Wales to northwest China.

It was in July.

That's about a 45 day venture.

The rice industry has been working on getting access to China for a long time and now we've done it and the rosters have done it.

We're here to celebrate with them and make that announcement with the governor marketing Arkansas right there.

I like that it's a big deal for us.

I think it's a big deal for Arkansas.

Hopefully it'll start that process where other farmers and rice mills can follow behind.

You start putting an entire crop.

And a 24 ounce package is, you know, it takes a lot of distribution to to move it through so.

Will take All India.

This recent announcement from the Ralston's is just one more big step for Arkansas Rice, but it got us to thinking where did it all start?

We're here at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie to learn more.

So Gina there is a lot to see here at the museum.

But today we're here to talk about rice.

How did rice even get to Arkansas?

Well, we have stories of rice actually being part of Arkansas before was part of stuck guard.

There is evidence of a Native American woman having rice on a steamship going down the White River in Crocketts Bluff.

You can see pictures of barges loaded with rice going through the Mississippi River to go to New Orleans to be milled.

But that was not a significant presence in the agricultural dynamics of Arkansas at all.

In stuck guard, Rice came to Stutgart because of some hunting trips in Louisiana for rice adventus staple for many, many years, and people thought you know what.

This is very much like like we have at home.

You know if we just study what is happening in Louisiana, it'll translate really well to for our firm can do, and that's how it got here behind us.

We have got pictures of some of the people that were involved in that first effort.

Mr Fuller, Mr Morris.

Brother in laws Mr Hope the rice seed in this vile right here.

As part of the first rice grown in the Grand Prairie, the rice seeds were purchased from a man named Elias Moses.

He was born in slavery in South Carolina.

He moved post war to Arkansas and he brought Rice with him.

That's Carolina gold.

That's the variety of rice.

This exhibit talks about how much rice did it takes to raise 65 million gallons of water to raise 100 acres of rice.

Rice does require a flood.

Now we're able to use a much more shallow flood and the growing season is so much shorter that you don't have to use as many floods a season to get a successful rice crop.

And there's so many steps being made right now all over this community to reduce the use of water.

It certainly is a very important to us in an agricultural community.

So this photo mural says day of delivery.

Tell us what's going on here.

Well, we all still gather at the mill right now.

You're seeing people bring their rice in bags on wagons pulled by horses and mules, but you'll see here, the the railroad is coming through, and so this is how the mill was working now.

It wasn't long, and farmers began to gather their resources and the Rice Growers Association.

So they are cooperative efforts.

And so farmers are working together to.

To have a milling process that is to their advantage.

I'm Kelly Robbins.

I'm the executive director of the Arkansas Rice Federation and we're a nonprofit trade association that represents all facets and aspects of our state drives community.

Two of the primary markets for August, alright, is going to be Mexico and Haiti, our National Group USA rise helps promote rice in up to 25 countries.

There's well over 2000 Arkansas Rice farms.

96% of them are family owned and operated.

Each of those rice farms have about $1,000,000.

Economic impact on their local communities and produce about 200 million bushels of rice each year.

That's about £9 billion of rice farm sale receipts for the actual rice itself is about a billion dollars a year.

The economic impact from those sales in anywhere from 4 to $6 billion a year that it makes an impact on our state's economy here.

Science and technology have been the driving force for this success here in the state.

The whitakers down just South of do Massara prime example of those taking advantage of these advancements.

My name is Jim Whittaker.

I'm a farmer in Southeast Arkansas phone my brother, Sam, our family's been here since the middle of 1800s, and the technology has evolved overtime.

Your rice is zero grade.

That means our fields are perfectly flat.

They've been precision leveled.

This helps us reduce water use by about 50%.

You know, cloud based technology.

Our tractors are linked to the cloud, so we could sit on the iPad and monitor them.

We can analyze their efficiencies.

See what they're doing every day, how many acres they cover.

The bushels per hour.

So this field here that we're standing in is fully automated.

There's a sensor that measures water depth.

When we get to a low watermark, it turns the well on move water from field to field through the gates.

That is all hands free.

Cloud based sponsoring the field 24 hours a day before technology didn't realize some of our inefficiencies and some of the some of the resources we're wasting with rice, especially rice has to be is usually.

Harvested at higher moisture in the computer.

There it's, you know, it's it's reading temperature and moisture throughout the band, so it's got.

It'll give us a 3D picture if we can see if we're getting a hot spot.

If we're getting.

If we got some.

Some places were not able to get the moisture out of.

We had the solar system here and it's pretty well taken care of.

The energy needs for this facility right here in order to be sustainable, we've got to maximize all that.

We've got to be.

We've got to be really efficient with what we're doing and in real mindful of those resources.

There are more than 2000 Arkansas Rice farms and more than 90% of those farms are family owned and operated.

This museum is a great place to learn more about its history, the long and the short of it.

The easiest way to show your support is to eat more rice for good roots.

I'm Lauren McCullough.

Major funding for good roots is provided by Arkansas Farm Bureau, Arkansas Farm Bureau advocating the interests of Arkansas's largest industry for more than 80 years.

Arkansas counts on agriculture, agriculture counts on Farm Bureau.

Back in the studio now and who better to pick up the story within our Secretary of Agriculture was Ward Mr Secretary.

As always, thanks for coming on our air.

Thanks for making yourself available.

We saw you in that piece just a moment out in the out in the field.

So let me kind of follow up on that a little bit from the standpoint of R&D, can you tell us what's going on now in terms of Agresearch specifically, rice research that can both improve yields?

And be more environmentally sustainable.

Sure, yeah.

I would say a lot.

Actually, you know, I think that both the Ralston, the whitakers are great examples of of the industry and great partners with the Rice Federation and Farm Bureau and so many ad council others that are involved in making the industry as productive as if.

As it possibly can be, and so every aspect of the industry you know, the rice industry included, you know every aspect of that is is looked at.

You know.

Ultimately, when when a producer is making decisions, you know every every dollar spent you know is is looking towards making that crop as as high quality as they can.

So rice in particular, you know, Rice uses a lot of water, so there's a lot of efforts on looking at things like alternate alternative wetting and drying.

How much water needs to be used, conserving that water.

You know different varieties of rice itself that are being looked at to increase yields.

So really across the board technology genetics, water use, you name it.

It's on the table and every year producers in the industry or finding ways to make it better or more effective, more efficient, more sustainable, higher quality for the for the consumer of that product.

Will be struck, I think by the technology had work that we saw in the Whiteaker operation.

How wet, but we've got hundreds literally more than 1000, almost 2000.

I believe rice producing farms in the state.

How widespread is that tech?

How common is that tech?

Very common, you know I, I think that's where the industry does a good job of sharing information.

So pre and the corollary, the support of industries that support agriculture and rice production itself.

So I think just about every farmer is looking.

Technologies to incorporate and implement that, and I think that's really, you know, as you see, the smaller number of produce in agriculture.

But you see a larger number of people that are in the support aspect of agriculture.

So we we think agriculture is incredibly important, says largest industry.

But there's a.

There's a broad, very broad array of careers in agriculture for people to be involved on the technology side on the conservation side, the sustainability side and the production side.

Whether it's a grain bin or GPS, or you know water tracking water quality, those sort of things, there's a broad range of things and factors that are involved and also help the producer provide that product and works out advances in the industry and what it does for our state and for our nation as a whole.

Well, maybe this is coming from the genetic side?

Is there any hope?

Any indication at all?

Everyone knows that Rice is a very water intensive crop even under the best of circumstances conservation circumstances, any research being done that that could come up.

With a species of variety that actually requires less water, anything being done in that regard.

Sure, I think everybody is looking at that different.

You know how much water is needed for particular varieties?

You know in Arkansas we we do obviously use a lot of water, and so it's not just the varieties, but also where the water comes from.

And so you know, historically we've used a lot of of groundwater to provide that for for the rice industry and for those fields and agriculture as a whole, and so it's also looking at, you know, how do we shift from.

Groundwater to surface water so we know Arkansas water, rich state and so how do we make sure we capture that and in the best way where we're not depleting an aquifer or not?

You know having an impact on you know Uncle facility into the long run and so really everything is on the table and the whole industry health states looking at that to make it as efficient, sustainable as possible.

We were just discussing in that piece the announced earlier this week the sale of some long grain to China Asian markets.

Are a little different than Occidental market, sometimes in that Asian taste are markedly different.

Do you see other opportunities?

Or just a continuation of an expansion of the tree that we have now in terms of AG.

Yeah, I think you you hit on a great point earlier about just the the relationship with with trade in general, so it's it's often and most often almost always about just agricultural trade.

There are other issues involved.

You know, from country to country as as you're trying to expand those opportunities and you know, I think you know people have been working on getting access to the China market for rice for for several years, and you know in the rawsons.

As was mentioned that video, the then was the first long grain rice to go to China, so we're excited about that.

You know, we we do think you know rice is a an incredibly important to be in China.

You know they have a very large population over a billion people in China, so you know USDA is expecting that that that be over 300 million a year for for rice.

And so we think there's obviously a lot of lot of room for growth there as it's very, very new and we hope that that will be able to do but.

It's it's countries like China, but it's also, you know, South American countries where a lot of rice is going currently to across the globe.

You know, I I, I tried several times a week.

I know a lot of people in Arkansas do as well, but it's across the globe.

Ross is a staple commodity and we want to make sure that when people are thinking about that and thinking about their food choices and that they that they're thinking about falling and rice and the governor does does an incredible job of talking about Russia's just about everywhere he goes.

He's in in the Middle East.

And you know it is real.

He's across the globe talking about agriculture and talk about our state and every time he goes somewhere, he's talking about their agriculture.

Korean rice is always an important topic for him.

Well, along those lines.

Now with their many factors can influence.

Obviously overseas sales, exports and imports.

For example, Taiwan, the tensions between the US and China are especially high at the moment and they seem distant to get higher.

Any concern, how concerned are you or are you concerned that that particular hotspot could affect the commerce?

Sure, it certainly could, and you're absolutely right there.

There's certainly tensions there.

There's there's tensions across the board when it comes to China, and some of the things that have been going on there.

One we want to make sure that trade is fair and you know one of the big issues has been, you know, intellectual property theft and not meeting commitments.

And so you know those are always factors in those considerations.

As we're talking about trading relationships.

But Taiwan, Gordon, and we try very hard to make sure you know, people have to eat and we want to make sure people have access to good.

High quality food products and and trying to make agriculture products not as political but they they get pulled in that category as well, but that that's certainly a consideration that impacts trading relationships.

It's never as simple as just say we.

You know we want rice.

We want to buy rice.

It's you know what are the other country agreements and other things that go into battle.

Sanitary dreams of broad range of factors that impact an actual sale of a commodity.

So for the rawsons in particular to be able to get that sail across the finish line is as a significant.

Smith and accomplishment.

Well, your boss, Mr Hutchinson.

Governor Hutchinson is in I think he's returning about now from anyway.

He's been spending some time in Israel in the past several days and and maybe some other stops.

I think in the Middle East what's going to come of that?

What do you anticipate?

Yeah, so steel Mr. Hutchinson Thunder if you want to yeah that's right.

Well it it'll get on for sure but you know so so many things Arkansas does is important across the globe and I know he's talking about computer science and technology and you know missile defender broad range of factors that are important in our relationship between Arkansas and Israel.

But as I meant you know everywhere that the governor goes, he talks about agriculture.

Every trip, you know, no question about it.

He's going to bring up our agriculture industry is our largest industry and talk about that.

And you know what may not be a sale of rice?

You know we're always looking for those relationships where?

Or maybe it's culture.

Maybe it's another product consultant that would be a a staple product at another country.

Might might might like in mountain joy and the governor always tries to advocate and and bring those up when he's traveling abroad.

Mr Secretary, I gotta end up there because we are simply out of time.

Once again, we thank you for yours.

Come back soon.

Then five years now since Arkansas voted to legalize medical marijuana and two and a half years since sales began by year's end, the 80,000 or so Arkansans who are clinically authorized will have spent almost a half billion dollars to purchase cannabis from the states, three dozen or so licensed dispensaries.

We call them dispensaries, and the taxes on those transactions will almost certainly reach 60.

$1,000,000 so a half decade into the program, a review joining us.

Scott Harden of the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission.

Mr Harden that's in Austin.

Thank you for coming in both.

Thank you Sir.

Appreciate and of course you're an offshoot or of the Department of Finance.

And then right in the stration right the system now in terms of the what the law authorizes, the amendment authorizes in terms of dispensaries, would seem to be operating at near capacity.

You have what one or two, two left two licenses licensees left.

That's right.

That's right, so as of today, when Arkansans went to the polls in November of 2016 and said yes we want medical marijuana within that proposal, it allowed for 40 dispensaries maximum.

As of today, they've issued 38 of those 37 of the 38 are in operation and we think those last two licenses will go out the door, probably in early January.

Those will be in Southwest Arkansas and that really has been one point of contention.

That number of dispensaries it because everyone naturally.

Looks across the border to Oklahoma and sees thousands of dispensaries and says, well, what in the world are we doing in Arkansas when we have thousands across the border and we only have 40.

Please do better, you know, get more.

So we are.

Constantly telling patients and people.

Unfortunately, this is where we are.

We're locked in and less voters go back to the polls and change that.

It would literally take an amendment.

We think.

So there is also a conversation.

Could the legislature potentially go in and and alter that amendment so that might be another option.

So one of those paths.

But and who knows where we're going from here?

But I I think at least that could be a conversation.

Well, the political aspects of it, of course, is belongs to the General Assembly and not the Department of Self perceived.

But do you sense pressure building?

Or a significant expansion I do to some degree, and one thing that we consistently hear is I wish there was a dispensary a little closer and I think that's one of the number of patients grew fairly significantly over the last couple of years because we continued to hear I want a card, but I'm not going to get a patient card until there's a dispensary within 30 minutes, or 45 minutes of my home.

Obviously, people didn't want to drive 2 hours to the nearest dispensary, so as of now there there are.

I mean you look at Little Rock.

We have seven within about a 30 mile radius, so there are certainly choices in certain parts of the state, but I think that conversation or requests that we need more is not going away.

By the same token, do you see has opposition to it diminished?

It really has it's that is through the issuance and not necessarily an expansion of the number of dispensaries, but to the concept of medical marijuana itself.

It it it really has.

It's been interesting.

You know it Arkansans approve medical marijuana in November 2016, they approved casino gambling and a couple years later in late 2018 and what's been interesting, DFA is helped implement both of those programs, but as far as the the pushback or the opposition to medical marijuana.

If there, if it's out there, we don't see it.

There are pockets here and there every once in awhile we'll get a letter from someone that says I don't want a dispensary in my community or near me, but with the exception of that, it has been oddly quiet.

We haven't had any major issues, no major.

These dispensaries we've had violations issued due to small items, but we haven't had any major issues that would result in revocation or anything else of that nature, so.

Really, it has been quiet and yeah, I think it's safe to say if the opposition is out there, it's not very loud at this point.

Why the the delay?

Or is there a particular reason for the delay in in Southwest or 4?

The time lag in Southwest right it?

They kept looking at the number of patients.

We have a county map that shows the number of patients in each county in each zone and so the members of the Commission just said we don't think we're quite there and it's we don't think it's quite justified to issue those two remaining licenses.

But if you look at it now, the number of in Southwest Arkansas, it justifies the two remaining dispensaries.

So there's a threshold in terms of author outpatient authorization.

Yes, it's not an official number.

It's really more discretionary.

But in looking at that.

You can look across the state and say, well, we've issued the other 38.

Why not go ahead and get the other two out the door?

Are you satisfied that the agency has done all the appropriate agencies involved have done as good a job as possible at enforcing the rules and regulations that were set forth?

I think so it if you look at from our perspective from DFA, we have ABC under us.

Will the ABC enforcement agents are now overseeing alcohol, tobacco and medical marijuana?

So these agents are you could call them super agents to some degree because they're overseeing so many different aspects of enforcement in Arkansas, but I do.

I think these they have learned a lot about the program since it passed back in 2016.

They jumped right in the middle of it and now we have a team of about 20 agents that are so well versed in medical marijuana they can tell you exactly walk into a dispensary and they can spot.

If something's off, they can spot it.

We have this seed to sale tracking system so we know exactly how much is in stock.

How much has been sold and we can compare that against their records and our records when we go check it out.

Any surprise on your part of the agencies part in terms of volume of sales or revenue?

I think so.

If you look at again going back to 2016 in this past we looked at a couple of guesses and looked at other states.

Had medical marijuana programs, and said, well, maybe when we have 50,000 patients I think we could consider that a mature medical marijuana market.

Well today we're at 80,000.

So obviously that was a estimate that was a bit low revenue, you know.

Again, as you mentioned, we've generated about 50 million between the two state level taxes, and I think it's safe to say that exceeds our expectations also.

So overall, I think the level of interest in the program from patients from media from citizens just overall just a curiosity and engagement, has surprised all of us any concern.

Of course, your rules and regulations.

Are your agencies Forte and responsibility the impulse to abuse is not necessarily at all yours, right?

But is there official agency concern that this thing may go out and get out of hand?

Not now.

It's.

This is again looking at Oklahoma versus Arkansas.

I I think it's safe to say we have probably the most tightly controlled, most regulated program medical marijuana program in the country.

And then again you look across at Oklahoma.

I don't think I would argue you couldn't have two programs.

That differ anymore than these two, so know that there are so many controls in place.

Again, you can.

Every patient can buy up to 2 1/2 ounces every 14 days.

Once you hit that 2 1/2 ounces, you're maxed out.

I don't think any dispensary would would would gamble with doing anything that would potentially jeopardize that license.

So as of now, it it really has.

We've not received any from a law enforcement perspective.

Any complaints regarding the product getting into the wrong hands, so so far so good.

You said.

I think earlier in the program in in the interview he said the infractions reported thus far have been minor.

For example, yes, yeah, it really minor.

So if you look edibles you can have edibles.

Dispensaries can sell.

Edibles, but they can't be in the form of a candy.

A cookie or brownie, really.

Anything that would appeal to a child.

So with that you can't have anything even remotely on your store that would indicate, hey, this is appealing to children.

So for instance, one dispensary had a sticker on a window.

I believe it was a superhero Batman or Spiderman, that in itself was a violation, so again nothing major.

You know, there have been something a little more serious than that, but as far as getting to the level of revocation.

We haven't gotten there.

Scott Heart of the Department of Finance, Administration of Marijuana Commission.

Thank you very much for coming out great to be here.

Come back soon, will do and that's it for us for this week.

See you next week.

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