Cotton appears in Ark. for Trump discussion

LITTLE ROCK — U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton discussed President Trump’s first 100 days in office before a tamer Arkansas audience than he has seen in other recent public forums.

Cotton was interviewed Wednesday in Little Rock by the Clinton School of Public Service’s dean, Skip Rutherford.

Cotton said he would give Trump an A-plus for some efforts, like the Syrian airstrike.

But he gave Trump an “incomplete” for aborted efforts to overhaul the health care system. Immigration reform and North Korea were discussed as well.

Rutherford emphasized several times that he wanted the exchange between himself and the audience to be respectful.

Cotton faced a combative crowd at a raucous town hall held in Springdale in February. He held a joint town-hall-style meeting Monday in Little Rock with U.S. Rep. French Hills.

Ark. leaders mull over Hutchinson’s vetoes

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas leaders are mulling over Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s vetoes of recent measures.

Hutchinson vetoed one Republican’s legislation that would make unlawful mass picketing a misdemeanor offense and a measure that would ban the enforcement division of Alcoholic Beverage Control from enforcing laws related to gaming or gambling devices, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

Sen. Trent Garner of El Dorado said he doesn’t plan on asking the Legislature to override the governor’s veto of the picketing bill. Instead, he wants lawmakers and Hutchinson to discuss how to address the problem that blocks workers from their jobs, leads to people being harassed outside their homes and stops people from driving along their streets.

“I want to make sure that we have the best law for all parties involved,” Garner said.

But GOP Sen. Scott Flippo, whose measure is aimed at helping places such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Elks clubs, said he’s considering a veto override. Flippo said his bill would make local law enforcement officers and prosecutors responsible for enforcing state laws relating to gambling devices.

“I haven’t taken it off the table,” Flippo said

Hutchinson released a written statement Tuesday saying he appreciates Garner’s understanding and is looking forward to continuing discussions with Flippo.

Arkansas panel to determine discipline in judge’s DWI case

LITTLE ROCK — An Arkansas panel is considering how to discipline a judge who has pleaded guilty to drunken driving charges. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Circuit Judge William Pearson pleaded guilty Monday in Johnson County to charges of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.

The punishment the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission decides to give Pearson will determine if or how soon he can return to the bench as a judge in Arkansas’ 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Franklin, Johnson and Pope counties.

Executive Director David Sachar says the commission will act quickly to determine how to sanction Pearson for violating ethical canons by breaking state law. He says the commission could admonish, reprimand or censure him or pass on a recommendation to the Arkansas Supreme Court for another action.