Free Arkansas

It’s almost Christmas, and in this episode Andy McNeill and Misty Hale are feeling festive while still talking about what’s happening in Arkansas and beyond.🎁 In this episode:🎄 Arkansas towns with Christmas-sounding names like Snowball, Holly Grove, and Star City😂 A hilarious Christmas-themed SNL skit worth sharing🌿 A thoughtful, level-headed conversation on marijuana policy, medical use, and why the debate is more complicated than it sounds⚖️ Do women bear more of the holiday load and why it maybe doesn't matterIt’s part holiday cheer, part current events, and fully Y’all Hear About This.👇 Tune in and enjoy the conversation.

In this episode of Free Arkansas, Andy McNeill sits down with Dr. Tyler Tarver-- educator, entrepreneur, and one of the most-followed teacher voices online-- to talk about where education is headed in an AI-driven world.

💡 What they cover:

🤖 How AI is changing classrooms (and why it won’t replace teachers)

⏱️ Tools that save teachers time and reduce burnout

🎓 What great teaching looks like in 2025

🏫 Big-picture thoughts on K–12, higher ed, and Arkansas’ future

From Harry Potter references 🧙‍♂️ to real-world classroom strategy, this is a fast-moving, practical conversation about learning, leadership, and adapting to change.

👇 Subscribe for more Arkansas-focused conversations on policy, culture, and innovation.

In this episode, Andy and Misty dig into two big Arkansas stories:

🧑‍⚖️ A major Supreme Court decision that shifts the balance between direct democracy and legislative power

😢 And a series of troubling child maltreatment cases that have legislators demanding answers.

They break down what changed, why it matters, and what comes next for kids, families, and voters in Arkansas.

👉 Subscribe for more Arkansas news, context, and conversations you won’t get anywhere else.

Dr. Maria Markham sits down with Andy for an honest look at higher education in Arkansas — the politics she never expected to walk into, the funding fights nobody sees, the pressure colleges face from every direction, and why welding instructors were sometimes making more than she did. She led the system for nearly seven years, and she speaks candidly about what she learned.Topics include:🎓 Why tuition keeps rising and what's driving costs🚜 Arkansas’ brain drain and how to keep students here🏫 College athletics, campus expectations, and DEI🔧 The value of technical programs and multiple career pathways👉 Subscribe for more Free Arkansas conversations and deep dives into the issues shaping our state.

State Rep. David Ray sits down with Andy for a wide-ranging conversation about tax policy, economic competitiveness, and what it takes to keep Arkansas moving forward. From income-tax cuts to property-tax reform, Ray lays out the framework he thinks will shape the state’s next decade. In this episode:💰 Why he believes income tax cuts are essential — and what it would take to eventually reach zero.📉 How tax policy shapes job growth and why Arkansas can’t afford to fall behind states like Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri.🏡 Property tax frustration & ‘truth-in-taxation’ reforms he’s exploring for next session.📈 The affordability challenge affecting groceries, housing, and the American Dream.🧾 Closing loopholes, trimming government waste, and modernizing tax code to stay competitive.🗳️ His concerns about Arkansas’ ballot initiative process and why he believes guardrails matter.🌐 Economic development ideas from capital gains reform to creating a more business-friendly legal environment.This conversation is packed with insights on jobs, growth, taxes, and the long-term direction of Arkansas.Tap in and subscribe for more conversations that shape our state.

In this week’s episode of Y’all Hear About This, Andy and Misty swap stories on travel culture, Spotify’s “listening age,” and why classic movies and books are having a moment,.In this episode:✈️ The Transportation Secretary’s “civility campaign” — Should people dress up more on planes, or is comfort king in the TSA era?👀 Why airports are a full-blown social experiment 🎧 Spotify Wrapped gets personal — Misty's “listening age” comes back way older than expected.📚 A return to the classics — why old books and movies feel better than new releases, plus Misty’s take on rereading Animal Farm.🏈 High school football playoffs — Hector’s season ends, Elkins keeps rolling, and Andy gets ready for Dardanelle vs. Warren.A fun, fast episode with travel observations, music nostalgia, culture talk, and a few Arkansas curveballs.Subscribe for more YHAT every week.

In this episode of Free Arkansas, Andy sits down with Hallie Shoffner, a Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate and a fifth-generation Delta farmer whose family just closed their 150-year-old farm. Hallie opens up about the collapse of small farming, why she decided to run, and what she thinks Arkansas could be doing right now to rebuild rural communities, strengthen the middle class, and feed the state.From economic development and food security to health care access, unions, education, and the role of government in people’s daily lives — this conversation digs deep into what Arkansas is facing and what meaningful change could look like.In this episode:The collapse of her family farm — and the moment she decided to run for SenateWhy Arkansas grows so much animal feed but not enough food, and how to fix itWhat rural economic development could look like if we diversified crops and invested in processingHer views on health care, wages, unions, SNAP, misinformation, and Tom Cotton’s recordHow she’d approach bipartisan work, constituent services, and rebuilding trust in governmentFull interview here on Free Arkansas. Tap in and hear her vision for ArkansasIn this episode of Free Arkansas, Andy sits down with Hallie Shoffner, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and a fifth-generation Delta farmer whose family just closed their 150-year-old farm. Hallie opens up about the collapse of small farming, why she decided to run, and what she thinks Arkansas could be doing right now to rebuild rural communities, strengthen the middle class, and feed the state.From economic development and food security to health care access, unions, education, and the role of government in people’s daily lives — this conversation digs deep into what Arkansas is facing and what meaningful change could look like.In this episode:The collapse of her family farm — and the moment she decided to run for SenateWhy Arkansas grows so much animal feed but not enough food, and how to fix itWhat rural economic development could look like if we diversified crops and invested in processingHer views on health care, wages, unions, SNAP, misinformation, and Tom Cotton’s recordHow she’d approach bipartisan work, constituent services, and rebuilding trust in governmentFull interview here on Free Arkansas. Tap in and hear her vision for Arkansas

Andy sits down with U.S. Senator Tom Cotton for a wide-ranging conversation. You'll hear about marathon training and Ranger School leadership lessons, baseball loyalties, China, AI, and what life is like chairing the Intelligence Committee. This episode shows aims to show a more personal side of the Senator from Dardanelle.In this episode:* How 9/11 shaped Cotton’s path from Harvard to the Army to Congress* What leadership looks like inside Ranger School, the Senate, and the Intelligence Committee* The threats he sees from China — economic, military, and political* Arkansas talk: Dardanelle memories, fishing spots, favorite local eats, and more00:00 Intro — Andy welcomes Senator Cotton01:02 Cotton’s political path from Dardanelle to DC02:21 Marathon training, Ranger School, and Army stories05:29 What leadership really looks like in tough environments16:00 China — America’s biggest strategic threat18:00 AI, privacy, and how much government should regulate22:44 Baseball talk — Red Sox, Cardinals, and Arkansas teams26:17 Rapid-fire Arkansas questions28:21 Immigration, enforcement, and local perspectives

On this episode of Y’all Hear About This, Andy and Misty jump into the start of duck season, the chaos of mud motors on public ground, and why pontoon blinds at Sunken Lands WMA have become a big headache for Arkansas Game & Fish.

They also talk about the Governor’s Mansion 75th anniversary gala—and a rare moment of statewide political unity—plus Andy’s review of Aunt Suzy’s Granola, and a quick preview of recent Free Arkansas interviews with Senator Tom Cotton and Hallie Shoffner.

In this episode:

• Why mud motors are stressing ducks and frustrating hunters

• The wild workaround hunters are using with pontoon blinds—and how the state is responding

• A moment of civility: four former governors + a president under one roof

• Andy’s “crack granola” discovery at Aunt Suzy’s

• A look ahead to big Free Arkansas interviews this week

Watch, subscribe, and hang out with us as we talk all things Arkansas.

Andy sits down with Game & Fish Commissioner Bill Jones for a conversation on what's happening in Arkansas woods and waters — from WMAs to trophy bass programs to the future of duck season. If you hunt, fish, float, or just love this state, this conversation hits home.🦆 What’s happening with duck numbers 🚤 The Lake Conway drawdown and what it means long-term🌲 Mud motors, blown-out WMAs, and the fixes Game & Fish is considering🎣 Trophy bass, Bear encounters, CWD, and hatchery problems🐺 Black panthers and why we shouldn't re-introduce wolves