THINGS TO KNOW:
→ Watch last Thursday’s Quorum Court meeting here. https://www.youtube.com/live/A_jwMY9ICWo?si=7jCAfmb8KvPZaztG More community involvement means better county government. Some meeting points of interest, but you should watch the whole thing:
@ 8:28 A Marshallese middle-schooler speaks to the court about her dad being picked up by ICE and is now in deportation proceedings. @10:05 “I just really miss him.”
@11:29 Another Pacific Islander speaks, “...law enforcement should keep us safe and not funnel our friends and neighbors into the ice deportation machine for money…”
@37:48 Quorum Court discussion begins on SCAAP.
@39:32 JP Coger speaks against SCAAP.
@44:53 JP Sean Simons, District 3, speaks in favor of SCAAP.
@48:50 JP Suki Highers speaks against SCAAP.
@49:34 Judge Deakins has a member of the public removed from meeting by law enforcement.
@49:54 JP Coger responds to Simons’ remarks.
@51:36 JP Leming speaks in favor of SCAAP.
@57:28 Community member Irvin Camacho speaks against SCAAP. “This program is racist and xenophobic.”
@1:07:56 I introduce my ordinance to expand CJCC membership base.
@1:11:30 JP Lyons begins speaking against my ordinance and puts forth his amendment.
→ As of 2/11/24, there are 738 people incarcerated in the WC Detention Center. Learn more here and see how you can get involved.
→ Unfortunately, the quorum court majority voted to accept grant funding from the Department of Justice (State Criminal Alien Assistance Program-SCAAP). The following JPs voted FOR TO TAKE THE MONEY, DESPITE PLEAS FROM OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS TO NOT DO SO AND THEIR TESTIMONY OF HOW HARMFUL THE PROGRAM CAN BE AND THE FEAR IT CREATES: District 1 Coleman Taylor; District 2 David Wilson; District 3 Sean Simons; District 5 Kyle Lyons; District 7 Charles Dean; District 10 Robert Dennis; District 13 Willie Leming; District 14 Gary Ricker; District 15 Butch Pond. ASK THEM WHY
The following JPs voted AGAINST the SCAAP GRANT AND RECOGNIZED THE HARM IT CAN CAUSE TO OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS: District 8, Shawndra Washington; District 9 Beth Coger; District 11 Suki Highers; District 12 Evelyn Rios Stafford. Read more here and here.
Special thanks to JP Highers for her strong statements opposing SCAAP!
→ My ordinance to expand the base of potential membership for the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) failed to pass - by one vote. This is why local elections are so important! We need this committee to be up and running. It’s been dormant for six months. Learn more here about my ordinance and the CJCC’s history in Washington County.
→ Have you subscribed to the Washington County’s YouTube channel? You can do that here: https://www.youtube.com/@washcoar
Go back and watch meetings at your leisure and make notes. If you have questions, ask me.
MEETINGS THIS WEEK:
→ Washington County Courthouse closed Monday, 2/19/24.
→ Washington County Planning & Zoning Board regular monthly meeting Thursday, 2/22/24, 5:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse. This meeting is in-person only, so you must be present to speak and participate. You can watch the meeting here:https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/planning/meetings Here’s the agenda. Too much to list here, but you should look it over to see if something near you is up for approval. The list this week includes residential, another wedding venue, and rv/boat storage.
INFORMATION ON COUNTY BIDS/REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS:
→ Circuit Court Division IV has a bid posted for drug testing services for WC Drug Court. Here’s the bid packet if you know someone who might be interested in bidding on this service. This bid closes at 4:00 PM 2/29/24 and bids will be opened at 9:00 AM 3/1/24.
WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED?
ARKANSAS JUSTICE REFORM COALITION is hosting a failure to appear warrant clinic Tuesday, 2/20/24 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 224 N East Avenue, Fayetteville. If you know someone who has an outstanding arrest warrant from Washington County for failure to appear, send them our way. Go to arjusticereform.org for more information. We'll have food and resource providers there to connect people to needed services.
ATTEND AS MANY MEETINGS OF THE QUORUM COURT AS YOU CAN. CHECK MY WEBSITE WWW.BETHCOGER.COM FOR DATES AND TIMES.
Read the 2020 Criminal Justice Assessment Study here and learn more. This tells us what we must do if we do not want to build a larger jail.
Continue to ask Judge Deakins to appoint members to the CJCC and get that group up and running! This is too important. If you haven’t called, please do so, or send email, or go by the courthouse and speak to the judge in person.
Contact your JP and set up a time to meet them for coffee or just to get together. Become a regular voice in their ear and urge them to support criminal justice reform and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. That’s how I got started advocating to the court back in 2019. CAN YOU TAKE AN HOUR OR TWO AND MEET WITH YOUR JP AND SHARE YOUR CONCERNS OR COMMENTS, OR WHATEVER YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
Share this Newsletter with your friends and neighbors!
Write letters to the editor. letters@nwadg.com Thank you to everyone who has written letters recently.
Subscribe to the WC YouTube channel (link above).
Here's link to contact your elected representatives and other county officials: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tx_nJbsWcStPPtVIzPjzZxd5CBLC06BOUaNuG09JF0c/edit?usp=sharing
Every day, your determination continues to inspire me. Thank you for never quitting.