Political Animals Club of Northwest Arkansas

I'm here at the Fayetteville Clarion as the Political Animals Club of Northwest Arkansas wraps up its morning program, where Sen. Gil Baker and Rep. Bruce Maloch provided a legislative update and inside analysis on the 2009 legislative session. Both serve as co-chairs of the Joint Budget Committee, so they both provided some inside perspectives on the development of this balanced budget and a few particulars of the 2009 General Improvement Fund distribution. Sen. Baker also provided an articulate response to a question on Sen. Arlen Specter's departure from the Republican Party. I'm paraphrasing here, but he believes that all perspectives are needed in Washington and that neither Democrats nor Republicans should have total control over the government. I'm now going to join them as we tour the David & Barbara Pryor Center for Oral & Visual History for a briefing with Richard Hudson.