The Constitution

We believe in the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Arkansas. Our constitutions are the bulwarks of freedom. We are concerned about the packing of both the U.S. and state supreme courts with partisan Republicans. We endorse adoption of a constitutional amendment to fully protect the initiative and referendum process—with the goal of allowing Arkansans to participate fully in using every means to ensure good government in our state.

Fairness & Equality for All

Join us in the long-term efforts of Democrats to ensure equality and justice for everyone living in our county, state, and nation. This includes people whose sexual identity falls outside the traditional norms. We believe eligible felons who have repaid their debts to society should be granted their full voting rights.

Public Education

Our public schools have built America, and there are no challenges to public education which cannot be addressed with equal and adequate funding, intervention programs, and solid curricula taught by qualified and well-paid teachers. We support repeal of the LEARNS Act of 2023, or at a minimum heavily amending it. We condemn Gov. Sanders’ Education Secretary for disrupting the teaching of Advanced Placement African American Studies—for no reason other than blatant racism.

Separation of Church and State

We support the traditional American principle of separation of church and state. We are opposed to providing state financial vouchers to religious schools.

Health Care

We believe every citizen has the right to receive comprehensive medical care. We support the continued expansion of Medicaid. Efforts to prevent teenage pregnancies should be redoubled.

Housing

A lack of decent, affordable housing is one of the primary challenges facing Malvern and much of Hot Spring County. We encourage the development of residential apartments in abandoned buildings along Main Street in downtown Malvern and throughout the county.

Recreation

More parks, trails, and entertainment venues are all needed to not only serve local residents, but also to attract new residents to the city and county. The frontage on the Ouachita River offers a major recreational value if planned and funded properly.

Women’s Rights

HSC Democrats believe women must be accorded full equality.  We support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. We believe women and their spouses should be free from governmental intrusion when making family planning decisions. Efforts must be taken immediately to address the tragic fact that Arkansas ranks highest in the nation in maternal deaths.

Crime

Residents of Hot Spring County should be able to live without fear of crime. The law enforcement agencies of Malvern and Hot Spring County must work together, with extensive citizen involvement, to conceive and implement anti-crime programs which really work. Abandoned and deteriorated buildings in Malvern breed crime, and efforts should be redoubled to demolish or renovate them.

Transparency

Governments at all levels should be open and transparent in conceiving and fulfilling their missions. Public advisory committees should be created to address the many challenges facing our area. Public hearings should be held on all major proposals, including redistricting at all levels. We are totally opposed to gerrymandering. We oppose efforts to weaken the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Governmental budgets should be arrived at through open and public discussions, and they should be published on publicly accessible websites. Members of the public should have an opportunity to address the Quorum Court at each meeting.

The County Quorum Court should purchase a reliable public address system sufficient to allow the public to hear their deliberations.

Labor

HSC Democrats believe in the dignity of work, and we reassert our traditional support for organized labor. Employees who join unions should understand the roles that organized labor and the Democratic Party play in winning livable wages for the working families of Hot Spring County. Working people do not always vote in their own economic interest—helping cause the great concentration of wealth in the hands of the richest one percent.

Environmental Matters

Arkansas is known as “the Natural State” for a reason—our surviving natural environment—mountains, river valleys, lakes galore. We support a strong and independent Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality.  We endorse all efforts to protect the Buffalo National River.

Personal Freedom

While we support the Second Amendment, we believe in common sense interpretation of that constitutional provision. We support a waiting period for the purchase of handguns as well as raising the legal age to purchase a handgun to 20 years of age. As their name implies, assault rifles are intended as weapons of war and sale to the public should be prohibited in the future. We recognize libraries and librarians as crucial parts of our educational program. We oppose all forms of book censorship. We endorse a state-wide vote on the legalization of recreational marijuana.