Any presidential election year draws a lot of attention, but with this year’s especially bitter fight between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden, mixed with concerns about voting during the pandemic, there are a lot of questions from voters. Ahead of the November election, I hosted the latest edition of Issues That Matter, a periodic series hosted by KUAR, the Central Arkansas Library System and the League of Women Voters. Previous forums have been held in-person at libraries, but given the pandemic, for the first time this one was done virtually.
This forum was focused on ballot questions to be decided by voters. There were initially six questions to be put before voters, but one was knocked off the ballot by the Arkansas Supreme Court just hours before we held the program. Two others were also disqualified. The three proposals left for Arkansas voters to consider are:
Issue 1: Continues a 0.5 percent sales tax for transportation
Issue 2: Changes term limits to twelve consecutive years for state legislators with the opportunity to return after a four-year break
Issue 3: Changes initiative process and legislative referral requirements
Also featured was a member of the Pulaski County Election Commission who spoke about concerns from voters about getting absentee ballots and safety while voting at in-person polling locations.
The Issues That Matter program was streamed live on Facebook on Sept. 17, and we took questions from viewers. The forum was also broadcast on KUAR this past week.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
The gurney inside the Arkansas Death Chamber which inmates are strapped into for lethal injections at the Cummins Unit. Credit: Arkansas Department of Correction.
For almost two weeks I covered a federal trial with a judge considering a lawsuit by 18 Arkansas death row inmates challenging the state’s use of the sedative midazolam in lethal injections. Attorneys representing the inmates argued the drug doesn’t do enough to keep inmates unconscious when subsequent drugs paralyze the muscles and stop the heart. The plaintiffs’ attorneys suggested inmates suffer excruciating pain, but that’s masked by the paralytic.
Attorneys for the state countered that there is no legitimate proof to back up the claims. Much of the arguments and testimony focused on the execution of Kenneth Williams, one of four inmates Arkansas put to death in 2017. He lurched repeatedly for about 10 seconds during his lethal injection. But depending on which side the witness was testifying for was a factor in whether it was described as Williams violently hitting against the restraints of the gurney or was simply an involuntary muscle spasm.
In federal court, reporters are not allowed to record audio for broadcast, so much of my reporting went into detailed online stories. I also recorded longer than normal radio reports and joined KUAR’s local All Things Considered host a couple of times to talk about the proceedings. I also spoke about the trial on AETN’s Arkansas Week. Below are links to my reports and segments from the television program.
At the end of the trial, Judge Baker said she will consider the arguments and testimony. She did not give a time frame for when a written ruling will be issued. I spoke the following day, Friday, May 3 on AETN’s Arkansas Week about trial.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
Healthcare coverage, an ongoing corruption investigation involving state legislators and a major reorganization of state government were among the key topics in the only debate for governor of Arkansas that featured all three candidates. I was one of three journalists who questioned candidates during the AETN debate on Friday, October 12, joined by Lance Turner of Arkansas Business and Yuma Lee of KHBS-KHOG television.
Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS, 35-year broadcasting veteran, photographer, interested in radio, TV and railroad history, author and host of the book and podcast series Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
On the web since 2002, this is the online home and archive of broadcasting news veteran Michael Hibblen. Starting in 1989, I've worked for newspapers, radio and TV stations around the country. Today I'm Director of Public Affairs at Arkansas PBS. This website tells the story of my career, including audio, photos and videos. Also featured are various interests I've researched, primarily about broadcasting and railroad history.
My Book
Released by Arcadia Publishing in 2017, Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas delves into the history of the railroad which once had a huge footprint in Arkansas, as well as other states in the middle of the U.S. The book features historic photos and tells the story of the Rock Island, which was shut down in March 1980. READ MORE
For 13 years, from May 2009 to December 2022, I worked for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That included 10 years as News Director while continuing to anchor and report. You can read and hear reports from that time on Little Rock Public Radio's website.