Red Wing Daily: January 12, 2024
"the more you know..."
Links of interest today, in no particular order:
State:
Governor Sanders will hire a consultant on a three-year contract to overhaul the 15 departments within the state’s executive branch, looking for “improvements in efficiencies and reducing red tape,” including setting up a possible “revised state employee pay plan and performance evaluation system;” no dollar amount is available (yet). In March, 2023, Sanders opposed a proposal for a $80 million “broad-based pay plan increase” that former Governor Asa Hutchinson had envisioned and that was presented by then state Transformation and Shared Services Secretary Joseph Wood just 2 months before Sanders elevated Wood to RPA Chair in July last year. Sanders had also hired the now former Board of Corrections secretary Joe Profiri and awarded him a $40,000 raise without the Board’s approval.
Arkansas’ medical marijuana business has hit a milestone of $1 billion in total sales after 2023 sales broke records at $283 million resulted in $31 million in tax revenue. Sales — up from just $31 million in 2019 — have grown by over 800% sin the five years since voters legalized medical marijuana.
Congressmen Bruce Westerman and Steve Womack are helping sponsor bipartisan legislation that provides more funding for federal recreation areas in Arkansas by allowing U.S. Corps of Engineers to keep 80% of the fees collected for using these areas and allow the Corps to contract with nonprofit groups to operate and maintain Corps areas.
Tech
Have you ever felt uncomfortable using your phone “in public,” thinking that someone nearby might see personal or private information on your screen? You can see about getting a “privacy screen protector.” While it won’t help protect the screen from breakage, it does make your screen look blank unless you are looking directly at the device; here’s more info on where to find one.
National
We've already been told (by a former air marshal union leader) that our country's air marshals are not on flights watching for our enemies but are instead tasked with following folks who were in the D.C. area but not at the Capitol. Trump says his persecution is a witch hunt. Now the D.C. U.S. Attorney says the DoJ “is going to target THOUSANDS of Americans who were around the Capitol on Jan 6 – but did not enter the building.” Is this any different? President Trump has warned that the Marxist machine "is after YOU, I'm just in their way." We the People should listen and pay attention; the noose is slowly tightening.
No Surprises Here! Dr. Anthony Fauci “did not recall” important information or conversations more than 100 times on first day of a two-day transcribed interview with the House Coronavirus Select Subcommittee about the origins of the Covid pandemic, but also revealed major failures in the U.S. health system says Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio.
A course being provided over the course of a decade that defines “manhood, or the study of masculinity, through a biblical lens of ‘what a real man looks like’ got cancelled recently because it “directly conflicts with diversity, equity, and inclusivity values” at the Minnesota Department of Corrections. The course provider has sued, alleging religious discrimination…