Hello March! We're going to recap the past two months as we missed the January Roundup. It's been a busy few months from kicking off the General Assembly with Legislative session, hosting our first session of 2025 ACLC, our newest communication tool, attending a national convention, and preparing for Area Conferences here’s a look back at what happened this past two months:
Legislative Session Began on January 13
The 95th General Assembly opened up with the swearing-in of both re-elected and newly elected legislators. They have been meeting and hearing legislation since then.
The Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association is committed to working alongside these leaders to ensure the voice of our cattle producers is heard.
Stay tuned as we work to protect and promote the cattle industry in our state.
Bills of Interest:
SB61Â
Sponsor/s: Senator Ricky Hill and Representatives DeAnn Vaught and Stetson PainterÂ
Committee of Jurisdiction:Â AgricultureÂ
Introduced:Â 1/14/2025Â
House Vote: Yea – 98, Nay 0, Non-Voting 2Â
Senate Vote: Yea – 33, Nay 2Â
Signed into Law:Â Act 18, February 6Â
Bill Synopsis: SB61 authorizes veterinary telemedicine in the state of Arkansas. Under this bill, veterinarians with an Arkansas license can practice telemedicine and must establish a VCPR, in-person, within 21 days of the telehealth visit. Â
ACA position:Â Priority legislation, strongly supportÂ
SB68Â
Sponsor/s: Senator Ricky Hill and Representatives DeAnn Vaught and Stetson PainterÂ
Committee of Jurisdiction: AgricultureÂ
Introduced: 1/15/2025Â
House Vote: Yea – 98, Nay – 0, Non-voting - 2Â
Senate Vote: Yea – 34, Nay 1Â
Signed into Law:Â Act 19, February 6Â
Bill Synopsis: SB68 authorizes veterinary technicians, technologists, and technician specialists to go to a location other than the location of the supervising veterinarian to provide services based on an emergency call under indirect supervision.Â
ACA position: Priority legislation, strongly supportÂ
SB290
Sponsor/s: Senator Blake Johnson and Representatives DeAnn Vaught and Stetson PainterÂ
Committee of Jurisdiction:Â AgricultureÂ
Introduced:Â 2/25/2025Â
Bill Synopsis:Â SB290Â prohibits a moratorium on the issuance of permits in watersheds and other bodies of water by state agencies. If a state agency would like to institute a moratorium, approval must be obtained from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
ACA position:Â Priority legislation, strongly supportÂ
ACLC Session 1
The first session of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Leadership Course took place in Little Rock in February!
These producers from across the state had the opportunity to learn about the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association and our policy efforts and see the state legislature in action.
The group heard about the ACA's structure, organization, and policy work from ACA President Scott Sullivan, Secretary/Treasurer Marcus Creasy, and Executive Vice President Michelle Bufkin Horton. They also learned about the history of ACA and the rules of life from Jim Baker.
On the second day, the group went to the State Capitol, where they attended a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting and met with Senator Ron Caldwell and Representative Chad Puryear about the importance of engaging with your elected officials. They then went to the Senate floor and met with Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Leslie Rutledge about her role and background in agriculture.
Thank you to our speakers, hosts, and sponsors for making this session a success!
2025 Participants:
Blake Swain
Brett Kendig
Carol Johnson
Casie Greenwood Smith
Cody Whitehead
Dennis Fendley
Drake Weeks
Dylan Leddy
Gary Morrison
Ginger Morris
Hanna Robbins
Jacob Nichols
John Armstrong
Kara James
Keely Plyler
Logan Weller
Nicole Young
Rebecca Emitt
Sarah Fendley
Wyatt Wooten
We have a podcast!
Very exciting news, we have a podcast! Arkansas Cattle Business Podcast comes out every Friday anywhere you find podcasts and includes a Hats on the Hill legislative overview, membership update, and information on any upcoming events.
Where to find us or just watch the video?
Youtube: https://youtu.be/SkoH-Nep6WU
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../arkansas.../id1791309819...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7jkVwAir6Xw3TQyYEFGKM3...
iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/259032640/
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/.../arkansas-cattle-business...
CattleCon Attendance
In February, Arkansas Cattlemen's leaders and members attended the Cattle Con in San Antonio, along with members and leaders from the Arkansas Beef Council.
They had the opportunity to network with industry experts, connect with vendors, and attend insightful sessions.
Arkansas was well represented at the committee meetings where they voted on policy that impacts our industry on the national level.
Area Conference Preparations
March kicks off our Area Conferences! We're excited to see our members in their areas and provide a free steak dinner to y'all.
The events this year are sponsored by Farm Credit and the Cattlemen's Education Series grant. We're excited to be offering something new because of their support - a producer panel!
RSVPs are currently open for certain conferences, view the full list on our website.
Doors open at 5:00 pm each night, so come visit with our vendors, eat a steak and listen to our producer panel, receive an ACA legislative update, and more!
Stay Connected
The Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association remains committed to supporting our producers, advocating for industry needs, and fostering leadership within our community. Stay tuned for updates, and don’t forget to share this post with fellow cattle producers!
The second round of renewal cards should be hitting mailboxes soon, so be sure to renew your ACA membership. Here’s to a great March!