Speaker Robbie Wills’ 5 Front Jobs Plan
| Workforce Education | |
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“I’ve spent my entire state legislative career supporting 2 year colleges, and I will do the same as your congressman. A workforce that constantly retrains is fundamentally more secure than one that doesn’t.”
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| Small Business | |
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“As the only small business owner in this race, I know both the opportunities and challenges that come with small business. The current recession is as much about the lack of job creation as it is about job losses. By removing barriers to entry we can create jobs and reward good ideas and hard work.”
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| Exports | |
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“The American economy is strongest when we make things, not when we consume things. Growing global markets are an opportunity, not a threat. Central Arkansas can create jobs and grow our economy at every level by taking part in the global market.”
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| Fayetteville Shale and Clean Energy Jobs | |
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“The Fayetteville Shale natural gas play is a global opportunity located right here in Arkansas. I will be their tireless advocate. For me, it’s about Arkansas jobs, clean energy, economic and even national security.”
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| Infrastructure | |
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“When I chaired the House Transportation Committee, I saw firsthand Arkansas’s infrastructure needs. As your congressman, I will fight for the investment and the jobs associated with improving our highway, water, broadband and military infrastructure.”
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Jobs Plan Endorsements
Small Business
“As an entrepreneur and a part owner in a new start up business, I applaud Speaker Wills for addressing the issues that are on the mind of every new business owner—increasing deductions for start up businesses and proposing a reduction in the burden of health care costs. More initiatives like this will create an environment that fosters more new business start ups and creates more jobs.”
Andy Hawkins, Partner
Hawkins, Jessen and Clayborn
Conway, AR
Fayetteville Shale
“The priorities and emphasis that Rep Wills has placed on advancing this cleaner Arkansas fuel demonstrates his obvious appreciation for our state’s biggest economic engine and job creator over the last several years, and something that could very well accelerate our state moving forward. His priorities are our priorities and will ensure that companies like mine can continue to create good paying jobs in White County.”
Floyd Parnell, CEO
Parnell Consultants
Searcy, AR
Workforce Education
“Workforce education through Arkansas’ community and technical colleges is a key component of successful economic development for our state. It’s encouraging to see Speaker Wills recognize our role in Arkansas’ economic growth.”
Nathan Crook, Chancellor
University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton
Morrilton, AR
Infrastructure
“Robbie Wills knows the infrastructure needs of Arkansas. He knows that investing in our infrastructure creates jobs immediately and will help our economy grow in the future.”
Don Weaver, President
Weaver Bailey Construction
El Paso, AR
Speaker Robbie Wills’ Education Plan
“As the son of two school teachers, I learned about academic accountability the old fashioned way: at home! As a legislator and Speaker of the House, I’ve supported policies that give our teachers freedom to teach, while maintaining strong accountability measures.”
- Close the achievement gap by requiring states to take detailed steps to correct educational achievement discrepancies.
- · Hold teachers accountable by conducting annual standards-based teacher evaluations that assess teaching practices based on validated benchmarks complemented by a systematic collection of evidence of teaching practices and work with parents and students.
- Promote high standards for teacher licensure while recruiting highly qualified, talented, and committed individuals to the profession.
“Every Arkansan that wants to further their education should be able to. That’s why I made sure the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship Program covered Arkansans of every age and education level. Ensuring that everyone has access to a 21st century education benefits our economy by producing highly qualified, highly skilled workers.”
- Support the recent reforms to student loan programs and fight to protect funding for Pell grants.
- Encourage collaboration between educators, innovators and policy makers to make leading edge technology part of the public education experience.
- Stimulate the pursuit of Professional Certifications throughout the workforce.
- Increase classroom capacity for Arkansas’s two-year colleges.
“Arkansas’s children are our most valuable resource. We have to make investments in our children early. Head Start and Early Head Start programs have a proven track record of preparing our children with the literacy and math skills they need to compete. They also provide the comprehensive services necessary for healthy development. I will protect time-tested and proven programs like Head Start.”
- Improve investments in Head Start and Early Head Start programs to protect the future of our children early in their childhood.
- Support early childhood programs that have a track record for increasing student academic performance and ensure smooth transitions into kindergarten.
“A major concern for schools today is retaining highly qualified educators. Improving teacher salaries and benefits is essential to improving the quality of education that our young children receive. We must ensure that the best and brightest young professionals enter into and remain in the teaching profession.”
- Provide a professional salary for all pre-K – 12 teachers to attract and retain the most qualified and talented professionals and a living wage for education support professionals.
- Invest in school improvement strategies such as smaller class sizes, higher qualified teachers, and the flexibility to purchase a much wider range of relevant, up-to-date instructional materials and technological equipment, as well as traditional textbooks.
Speaker Robbie Wills’ Education Plan Supporters and Endorsers
SUPPORTING PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES
“Rep. Wills has been a tireless advocate for public education throughout his legislative career. We especially appreciate Rep. Wills’ service to public school employees. He worked hard to secure funding for public schools health insurance, and he is always willing to listen to public school employees” – Donna Morey. AEA President
SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS
“Speaker Wills’ Education Plan promotes high standards, supports teachers, principals and education support professionals. His priorities for education will ensure that students and educators have the support and resources they need to thrive now and in the future. Our schools need this type of smart leadership in Washington, DC.” – Greg Murry, Ed.D., Superintendent of Conway Public Schools
PROMOTING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
“While the Arkansas Head Start Association does not endorse individual candidates, we applaud Speaker Wills for making Head Start and Early Head Start a central component of his campaign. The more than 11,000 Arkansas children currently served by Head Start programs need a strong voice in Washington, DC.” – Jerry Adair, President, Arkansas Head Start Association.
RECRUITING AND RETAINING THE BEST TEACHERS
“As a public school teacher for the past eighteen years, I understand the challenges we face in recruiting and retaining the best teachers. Providing a competitive salary and essential resources will encourage effective teachers to remain in the classroom, induce more great teachers to embrace difficult assignments, and enhance the capacity of teachers to incorporate practices that will increase the achievement of all students.” – Melinda Beith, Secondary Teacher, Little Rock
Speaker Robbie Wills’ Energy and Environment Plan
“Continuing to rely too heavily on fossil fuels to meet our energy needs will be costly to our environment and our economy. Therefore investing in renewable energy like wind, solar, and sustainable biomass is a smart way to address our energy and environmental concerns while strengthening our economy by creating energy jobs. I will fight to bring renewable energy jobs to Arkansas to increase energy efficiency while growing our economy.”
• Decrease dependence on fossil fuels in providing our energy needs.
• Reduce greenhouse gasses while working to ensure that low-income and middle-income families can afford energy costs by increasing home energy efficiency.
• Increase the production of renewable energy resources which will produce new jobs for a stronger economy both nationally and locally.
“The Fayetteville Shale natural gas play is a global opportunity located right here in Arkansas. However, we must make sure that our natural gas drilling practices are safe and responsible. For me, it’s about Arkansas jobs, clean energy, economic and even national security.”
• Pursue conversion of the federal fleet to compressed natural gas.
• Create a level playing field for natural gas in the energy and electric power marketplace.
• Facilitate the conversion of state and commercial fleets to compressed natural gas.
• Advocate for enforcement of environmental standards that will ensure that our drilling practices are safe.
“Arkansas is poised to be a national leader in the clean energy field. We have the perfect population base to support clean energy manufacturing and installation jobs. Comprehensive clean energy legislation will require support for American clean energy manufacturers to ensure that our domestic manufacturing base is strong and competitive. Providing support for American clean energy manufacturers is essential to America’s long term energy goals.”
• Take measures to ensure that clean energy costs are low for manufacturers.
• Invest in American energy manufacturers so that they can expand into new markets and create, as well as retain, energy jobs.
• Support American manufacturers in their research and development clean energy technologies.
“Our national security requires that we reduce our dependence on foreign oil. We must diversify our energy resources and invest in other energy alternatives like solar, wind, sustainable biomass. We should export rather than import technology and goods. If we do that, then we can create millions of American jobs and at the same time help our nation to be more reliant on clean energy.”
• Work to ensure that domestic drilling is environmentally safe in an effort to decrease our dependence on foreign oil without harming other important industries like fishing and tourism
• Invest more in energy research so we can use energy efficiently and find ways to invent new alternative energy systems.
• Support more walkable urban communities and compact development.
• Invest more in public transportation. We can move more people efficiently if we invest in a good transport system such as trains and trams.
