Dear Fayetteville,

This past week was a tough one at the Capitol. You've probably read a lot about bad bills. In this week's update, I'll talk about one of them. But I'll also tell you about a good bill we passed out of the House that I bet you haven't heard about yet. And if it's all feeling like too much, go ahead and skip to the end for a little encouragement.
SB3 – Ending Affirmative Action

SB3, which will end affirmative action and all “preferential treatment” based on race, sex, or national origin, came before the House. First the bill came before the State Agencies Committee -- a committee composed of 20 members and only 3 Democrats. We pushed back hard and asked a lot of questions. You can watch a short clip of my questioning here ([link removed]) .

While there are plenty of legal and policy concerns surrounding this bill, my bottom-line question remains: Who is being harmed by affirmative action or DEI initiatives in our state? Through the hours of debate and hundreds of e-mails and calls, I never heard from a *single* person who was harmed because of these programs. I did, however, hear from many who have been helped. Our job is to help. So I'm for these programs.

Unfortunately, on Thursday, SB3 was voted off the House floor and is now headed to the Governor’s desk for a signature. It’s critical to note, however, that this vote happened after numerous speeches by members of the Democratic House Caucus. Their words were brilliant, powerful, personal, and true. I have never been prouder to be a Democrat than I was last week.

I highly encourage you to watch their speeches. I guarantee you you'll be proud, too. You can see clips from Rep. Shephard's here ([link removed]) , and Rep. Allen's here ([link removed]) .

Rep. Ken Ferguson, Rep. Tara Shephard, and Rep. Fred Allen were among those members who spoke powerfully against the bill.

A Step Forward for Gun Safety

Despite that huge step back, there are still some good things happening. I especially want to highlight HB1067 ([link removed]) by Rep. Zack Gramlich (R-Fort Smith). This bill makes it easier for people in crisis— people who fear they may hurt themselves or others—to voluntarily hand over their firearms to licensed dealers for safekeeping. This has proven to be an effective suicide prevention measure and is one of the first (if not the only) pieces of gun-related legislation during my time in office that will actually make Arkansans safer.
While much of last week was spent fighting harmful legislation, I am also working hard to move the two bills I’ve already filed, and I plan to introduce more this week. These proactive efforts are just as important as stopping bad policies from becoming law.

A Reminder to Take Care
Finally, a constituent shared this beautiful piece by Austin Kleon with me last week and I knew right away that I needed to pass it along to all of you.
Things on every political level are overwhelming. Keeping up with headlines and legislative updates may sometimes feel like too much right now. I get it. Here's what I want you to remember: When it starts to feel that way, give yourself permission to step away.

You don’t have to know it all. You don't have to fix it all. Do your good – plant your iris – whatever that may be. Your work, your kindness, and your efforts in your own family, friend-group, and neighborhood all matter.

Thank you for staying engaged, for fighting for a better Arkansas, and for taking care of yourselves and each other.

Love,
Nicole

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USA
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