The stories you want. The opinions that matter.
No, thanks
Tag: mike beebe
Arkansas Gov. Beebe To Pardon Son But Rethinks Pardoning Family Friend

Arkansas Gov. Beebe To Pardon Son But Rethinks Pardoning Family Friend

By Christine Mai-Duc, Los Angeles Times (MCT)

Outgoing Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says he will pardon his son, Kyle, in connection with a felony drug conviction from more than a decade ago. Also on Wednesday, he backpedaled on his intention to pardon another man with personal ties to him.

The Arkansas Parole Board recommended the pardon of Kyle Beebe, now 34, last month. He was convicted in 2003 for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and sentenced to three years’ probation. According to parole board documents, police found two ounces of marijuana in Beebe’s home.

He completed his probation in 2006, and, his father said Wednesday, has learned from his mistake.

“He’s grown up a lot,” the elder Beebe told Arkansas TV station KATV. “Kids, when they’re young, do stupid stuff. He was no different.”

Beebe’s announcement came the same day he put another controversial pardon request on hold. That one was for convicted sex offender Michael E. Jackson, who has personal ties to the governor, and prosecutors and several state lawmakers had objected to his being pardoned.

Last week, Beebe’s office announced his intention to pardon 34-year-old Jackson, who was convicted in 2008 of Internet stalking of a child.

On Wednesday, Beebe’s office reversed course, saying it had received a copy of an affidavit in a child custody case that includes unspecified allegations against Jackson. The pardon would be granted, the governor said, only if those accusations “are found to be untrue.” Beebe, a Democrat, did not elaborate on the nature of those accusations.

In the 2008 case, Faulkner County prosecutor Cody Hiland says that Jackson was having a sexually explicit online conversation with what he thought was a 14-year-old girl on the Internet, and that he arranged to meet her at a Taco Bell. Jackson had actually been conversing with a police officer and was arrested shortly after. He was sentenced to two years in prison, of which he served less than four months, and to three years of probation. He completed his probation in January 2013 but must still register as a sex offender.

In a letter to the Arkansas Parole Board, Jackson called Gov. Beebe, his first football coach, a “father figure” who had “helped raise” him. “Mr. Beebe, you have known me since the day I was born,” Jackson wrote to the governor. “You know my character…. Our personal relationship shouldn’t sway you either way, but I do want to be a contributing member of society.”

Jackson said in the letter that he is “in no shape or form a repeat offender” and that the incident occurred at “a time in my life that I lost myself and had clouded judgment.” He said he wants to be a counselor and work with youth or coach sports.

Local prosecutors and sheriff’s officials have objected to Jackson’s pardon application. Faulkner County Sheriff Andy Shock called the fact that Jackson is eligible “ridiculous” in a statement to the parole board.

Still, in March, the Arkansas Parole Board recommended Jackson for a pardon.

Matt DeCample, the governor’s spokesman, acknowledged that Jackson and the Beebe family have known each other for “a very long time.”

“There’s always going to be a human factor involved” in pardon requests, DeCample said. “I think in this case, the governor’s personal knowledge of Mr. Jackson factored into his feeling that he would not be a risk to the public.”

Several lawmakers and a prominent conservative group have come out against Jackson’s planned pardon. In a statement Wednesday, the governor’s office said “new information sometimes arises,” which is “one of the reasons” the state requires a 30-day waiting period between the governor’s stated intent to grant a pardon and its finalization.

Meanwhile, the governor’s son is still on track to be pardoned.

In a letter to the parole board and the governor, Kyle Beebe said he’s changed: “I was young and dumb. At that time in my life, I felt like I was missing something and I tried to fill that emptiness by selling drugs. … Eleven years have passed since that time and I can assure you that I have learned from my mistake.”

He also noted that he’s now a husband and “proud father of two little girls.”

“I’m asking for a second chance at life. I am asking for a second chance to be the man that I know I can be,” he wrote.

The governor’s office said he has issued hundreds of pardons during his time in office, and that his son’s pardon does not constitute special treatment. The governor intends to pardon nearly a dozen people with similar drug offenses, according to a list posted last week.

“If you took his son’s name off the file, it would look like a lot of other people the governor has issued pardons to, as well … people who committed nonviolent crimes as a first offense when they were young,” said DeCample, the governor’s spokesman.

DeCample noted that as with many other pardon cases, Kyle Beebe has completed all of his sentencing requirements and has not been in trouble with the law since.

Public opinion polls continue to show a softening of attitudes toward marijuana, and drug sentencing in particular. Last year, a clear majority in a Gallup national poll — 58 percent of those surveyed — for the first time said the drug should be legalized.

In California, the recent passage of Proposition 47 will reduce sentences for drug possession, among other nonviolent crimes.

On the timing of Kyle Beebe’s pardon, the governor said he would have granted one to his son sooner if he had asked earlier. The governor is scheduled to leave office in January after two terms in office.

Although it’s unusual for outgoing office-holders to pardon close family members, politicians often leave the most controversial executive acts for the eleventh hour of their terms.

In the final hours of his presidency, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger, for a 1980s drug conviction.

In 2011, on his final night in office, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reduced the prison sentence of the son of former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Esteban Nunez, who had pleaded guilty to participating in the killing of a college student. Over the objections of prosecutors, Schwarzenegger cut Nunez’s prison term from 16 years to seven years.

Photo: L. Allen Brewer via Flickr

Poll Roundup: Is McConnell Safe In Kentucky?

Poll Roundup: Is McConnell Safe In Kentucky?

As the 2014 midterm elections draw closer, pollsters across the country will begin releasing masses of data and their predictions of who will control the House of Representatives, the Senate, and statehouses across the country. We’ll put those predictions in focus and provide a brief summary of key polls. Here’s our roundup from the week of May 25:

Oregon:

Pediatric neurosurgeon and GOP Senate candidate Monica Wehby won the May 20 primary by a 12-point advantage over her closest challenger, Representative Jason Conger (R-OR). November’s general election however, is unlikely to provide another easy win for the Wehby camp.

According to a new Public Policy Polling survey released on Thursday, incumbent Democratic senator Jeff Merkley is ahead by 50-36 among Oregon voters. While Merkley’s job performance number remains at a tepid 41 percent, the negative news surrounding Wehby’s divorce and accusations of stalking may give Merkley an extra boost in the polls.

Said PPP president Dean Debnam, “Democrats in Oregon start out ahead by double digits in the major races for this fall. The Republican candidates aren’t that well known at this point, so they do have room to grow. But for now Merkley and [Governor of Oregon John] Kitzhaber are strong favorites.”

Mississippi:

In last week’s roundup, we cited a Citizens United Political Victory Fund poll that had Tea Party state senator and candidate for U.S. Senate Chris McDaniel ahead of incumbent Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS). But a new poll shows fluctuating opinion among Mississippi voters.

According to a Harper Polling survey conducted this week, Cochran now holds a 5-point advantage over McDaniel—just outside the 4-point margin of error.

McDaniel is currently fighting allegations that individuals affiliated with his campaign illegally broke into a nursing home and videotaped Cochran’s wife, who suffers from dementia.

Harper Polling explained in its memo that although Cochran has a slight edge, he is slipping in the polls and faces a tough re-election fight, since the videotape scandal isn’t convincing undecided voters to vote against McDaniel. The memo also stated, “The McDaniel campaign has not persuaded voters to dislike Cochran, but the argument for a fresh start is proving compelling. Compelling enough for voters who are in fact fond of the six-term senator to give serious consideration to bringing him home.”

Kentucky:

While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) easily defeated Tea Party challenger Matt Bevin in the state’s GOP primary, facing Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes will not be an effortless task for the incumbent senator.

Real Clear Politics shows McConnell with a mere 2-point average over Grimes, six months ahead of the race. Senate polls emerging from the Bluegrass State have been conflicting, however. Real Clear Politics also shows McConnell’s advantage over Grimes may be a growing trend. A poll conducted on May 7 was the first that had McConnell ahead, and his small lead seems to be increasing.

Arkansas:

Term limits placed on governors in Arkansas mean that Governor Mike Beebe (D-AR) will be leaving office after 2014. Former U.S. Representatives Mike Ross (D-AR) and Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) are vying for the open seat.

Hutchinson ran in 2006 against Beebe and was defeated by a 55-41 percent margin. According to a Rasmussen Reports poll released on Friday, Hutchinson may have the advantage come November. The poll conducted among likely voters has Hutchinson ahead by a 48-41 percent spread. Hutchinson may be able to hold the advantage over Ross until November and turn the Arkansas capitol red again.

Photo: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

For more election results and analysis, sign up for our daily email newsletter!

Rescuers Seek Survivors From Devastating Tornado In Arkansas; 16 Dead

Rescuers Seek Survivors From Devastating Tornado In Arkansas; 16 Dead

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times

VILONIA, Ark. — Rescuers continued to move through parts of Arkansas on Monday seeking survivors of a deadly tornado that tore through the region, killing at least 16 and injuring dozens.

The hardest-hit area was in Vilonia, outside of Little Rock, where officials said 10 people died: eight adults and two children. Six others died in two other Arkansas counties and one person died after a tornado struck Oklahoma before crossing into Kansas on Sunday for a total death toll of 17.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it is one of the most devastating tornadoes we’ve had,” Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe told reporters Monday morning. “Arkansans are resilient and neighbors help neighbors. We’re seeing that here.”

The governor said that 16 deaths have been confirmed, but he noted that the number could rise as rescuers move through the towns. There is no count for those missing, he noted.

“Rescue efforts are continuing,” the governor said. “We have severe damage in Vilonia and Mayflower, but there are rural areas as well. “This is an on-going process. All resources that need to be dispatched will be dispatched.”

The tornado that slammed into Vilonia, about 10 miles west of the capital, grew to about half a mile in width. It was among a rash of tornadoes and heavy storms that moved across the nation’s center and South on Sunday during the tornado season that typically runs from about mid-March through June.

The National Weather Service on Monday warned that destructive storms, including more tornadoes, damaging winds and very large hail, would continue to strike in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana. Storm watches and warnings were posted throughout the area.

There was no immediate estimate of the ferocity of the tornado that hit Arkansas, but it could hit an EF3, meaning it carried winds of more than 136 mph, Chris Buonanno of the National Weather Service in Little Rock told the Los Angeles Times.

“We’re still looking at the damage,” and two teams are on the ground as well, he said. He said that early reports showed that there could be a long swath of damage of at least 20 miles through the state. That figure could increase as new data come in, he said.

At a news conference in the Philippines, President Barack Obama sent his condolences and promised the government would help in the recovery.

“Your country will be there to help you recover and rebuild as long as it takes,” Obama said.

Beebe said he had talked with federal officials Monday morning and they were promising help.

Vilonia was last hit by a tornado three years ago when at least four people were reported dead.

One of the buildings destroyed in 2011 was a school that was rebuilt. On Sunday, the latest tornado hit the building again, causing extensive damage, officials said.

“My heart is heavy this morning as we continue to uncover the devastation of last night’s storms,” said Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR). “We’ve seen the loss of lives, homes and property, but not the loss of spirit. The people of Arkansas have come together to help our friends and neighbors in need. I stand ready to help those impacted and ensure that our state has the resources it needs to rebuild, recover, and come back stronger than before. To all those affected, we’re praying for you.”

In Kansas, Governor Sam Brownback will visit Baxter Springs on Monday, which was also hit by a tornado Sunday that damaged or destroyed about 70 homes and up to 25 businesses and injured 34 people, nine requiring hospitalization.

Photo via AFP