Ryan Norris from Americans for Prosperity in Arkansas stopped by, and we had a productive discussion about the great initiatives they are running to positively impact Americans in Arkansas.
And yes, Stu asks the most important question in Energy News Beat history. “Ryan, are you related to Chuck Norris?”
They are focused on saving consumers money while examining critical minerals, taxes, voting issues, and energy policies.
– The upcoming 2026 legislative session and the potential for a special session to address the state income tax.
– The role of Americans for Prosperity in advocating for their policy priorities and engaging with citizens.
The podcast covers a wide range of topics related to Arkansas’s economic, political, and cultural landscape, with a particular focus on Americans for Prosperity’s initiatives and priorities in the state.
**1. Americans for Prosperity’s “Pathway to Zero” Campaign**
The organization is actively working toward eliminating Arkansas’ state income tax. This is a central focus of their advocacy efforts in the state, representing a major policy initiative aimed at economic growth and tax relief.
**2. Education Policy and the LEARNS Act**
There’s a discussion of Governor Sarah Sanders’ education choice agenda, specifically the passage of the LEARNS Act. This reflects the organization’s support for education policy reforms that expand school choice options for Arkansas families.
**3. Energy and Natural Resources Development**
The transcript highlights Arkansas’ emerging role in energy production, including:
– The growing lithium industry and companies like Standard Lithium
– The state’s nuclear power capabilities and existing nuclear facilities
– Positioning Arkansas as a hub for energy production and resource extraction
**4. Arkansas’ Economic and Business Environment**
The conversation emphasizes the state’s pro-growth policies and business-friendly climate under the current administration, including discussion of:
– Strong transportation infrastructure (highways, rivers, and rail)
– Economic development opportunities
– The state’s competitive advantages
**5. Political Landscape and Governance**
Discussion of Arkansas’ political history, current leadership, and upcoming legislative priorities, including potential special sessions to address tax policy in the 2026 legislative session.
**6. Grassroots Engagement and Civic Participation**
Emphasis on the importance of citizen involvement and grassroots advocacy in shaping policy outcomes.
Connect with Ryan on his LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanwnorris/
Check Out The Americans for Prosperity: Check out Americans for Prosperity https://americansforprosperity.org/
Check out The Energy News Beat Substack https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:00:06] Hello everybody, welcome to the Energy Newsbeat podcast. My name’s Stu Turley, President of the Sandstone Group. I have got a fantastic guest today. I’ve got Ryan Norris. He is for the Americans for Prosperity, Arkansas State Director, and we’ve had a fantastic talk getting ready and getting into the showroom here. How are you today?
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:00:27] I am fantastic, Stu. So excited to be with you today.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:00:30] I’m going to be on my best behavior, because as I’m sitting here looking at you, I know you from somewhere, and you look like Chuck Norris.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:00:41] Uh, we, we do actually share an ancestor back there a few generations back. Uh, so as that’s about as close as we get, other than sharing the red beard.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:00:50] I’ll tell you what, I did not want to insult you. And I started to break out my, uh, Taekwondo. I got my black belt years ago. In fact, I broke my leg in my blackbelt test and I still finished cause I was going to get through that test.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:01:08] Yeah, it is a an interesting sport and my daughter is in it. She’s about to test for her black belt in April. So very proud of her.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:01:16] Isn’t that great?
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:01:18] And he won’t tell you. She can spark cousin Chuck.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:01:21] Cousin Chuck, I like that. I’ll tell you what, you got to have some great Norris jokes coming around, especially from that. But we’ve been visiting about the Americans for Prosperity and what you have got going on. Tell us what you’ve got going for your Arkansas Champ.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:01:40] What we are really excited about right now is we are in the process of launching our pathway to zero, which is a campaign that is to build grassroots and legislative momentum towards a serious responsible package for zeroing out Arkansas state income tax. We have friends around us like Texas and Tennessee to have zero income tax, Mississippi’s making moves in this direction. Oklahoma, Missouri is even talking about this. So Arkansas has done very well. Governor Sarah Sanders has cut income tax four times and she’s in her first term. Potentially another opportunity for us to do that in a special session coming up, but it’s not zero. And this is a dynamic space and Oklahoma wants to be competitive than everyone else. So excited about this opportunity to work. Uh, with our legislature, our governor and the grassroots citizen, uh, to, to focus on zeroing out the.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:02:45] That’s really cool. I just got a shout out from the Oklahoma governor and I’m going to be interviewing them very soon. I’d love to interview you and the great governor of Arkansas. I really like her and her dad. They’re great people.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:03:02] Yeah, she’s done a great job. Transformational policy she’s very focused on. We were happy to support her during education choice campaign, and we helped her pass the Learns Act. Her leadership was very crucial to that. It had been 20 plus years that the issue had lingered out there and improved a little bit and a little but, and then all of a sudden with her sending to the governor of Arkansas, we got it done.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:03:32] Now, as Americans for Prosperity, I have truly enjoyed every one of my discussions from the state groups and everybody there. One of the things I really respect is the fact that if we don’t get involved locally and we don’t have a grassroots, we won’t have a country.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:03:53] Yeah, well, I do agree with that. I had a conversation this morning on a radio show about the need for more engagement by citizens in the marketplace of ideas that turn into the policy that either improve or complicate our lives. And so many people complain about, you know, other voices that are under the domes, wherever that dome may be, federal or state, but you still have that same access. If you’re passionate enough about it and you want to work particularly with groups like Americans for Prosperity, we help to catalyze that process for you. We’ll train you on how the policy is made. We will direct you to where the policymakers are open to your ideas. And we will make sure your voice is heard in that process. That is our mission. That’s who we are. And that’s what makes me excited every day about my job.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:04:49] That is really cool. So some of the other things that you had been mentioning errors are the energy policies and things going on in Arkansas. And, uh, speaking of Chuck Norris and the smack over, there is a lot of lithium over in that smack over.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:05:06] Definitely so lithium industry is really taking off in Arkansas and there’s components of it in Texas as well uh the Estimates are that 15 percent of world lithium will be extracted out of that smack over play And we’re
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:05:25] And you had standard lithium as one of the main culprits in there, isn’t it?
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:05:30] Yeah, standard lithium has some really innovative processes that have less of an environmental impact, some really interesting ways of extraction and refinement that I think are gonna be a benefit, definitely a benefit to Arkansas, but also to our energy independence here in the country, because lithium is a key strategic mineral and we must have it for all of our electronics. Our battery power, predominantly lithium right now, and excited that Arkansas is taking the lead. And it’s to such a degree that we are very proud to have the Chair of Natural Resources in the House is Congressman Bruce Westerman of Arkansas. And we appreciate the work that he does because he really understands how the resources connect to the energy conversation.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:06:25] Uh, I’ll tell you, that is really neat. And I’ve, I’ve loved driving by Arkansas one, you know, the, our, the nuclear plant there, people kind of forget that, uh, Arkansas can stand on its own with its agricultural it’s into industrial manufacturing, as well as having its own nuclear plant sitting right there. It kind of got, it’s really pretty around there.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:06:48] It really is. We love our state. We love the natural state. And nuclear is a great way, I think, of lapping the Venn diagram between the political spectrums that are interested in abundant, affordable, reliable energy that’s dispatchable. And those that are concerned about environmental impact of energy, wherever it may be, they’re concerned in the supply chain of that. You have… Very low to no emissions. And with the technologies that we now have through small modular reactors and such, there’s a lot of opportunity to innovate and make the grid fit what everyone’s…
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:07:28] Exactly. And, and I’ll tell you, the only problem I’m having right now with Arkansas is with my lake house over there, uh, we have an overpopulation of bears and mountain lions that are coming from Arkansas. I’m not sure if you guys are running them off, but they’re, uh hidden hit me up over there on that corner, uh over over in that area, but what do you see coming around the corner for the midterms cause you are going to be getting really busy trying to help get that going.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosperity, Arkansas [00:07:56] Yeah, so when it comes to midterms, Arkansas is very safe as a red state, and we know that we’re gonna have conservative, center-right candidates that will win. This does not let us rest on our laurels though, because national policy and politics and perceptions about administrations, presidential administrations can play into this dynamic. And so we are very focused on trying to show what good has happened for our Congressional delegation, particularly because they supported the bill that extended the tax cuts from the Trump administration’s first time, first Trump administration that have, and even in that same package, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill, but now they’ve retitled that. I never can remember it now because I was so One Big beautiful bill. I love that title. But there’s energy components in there, too, to make energy abundance more likely and to help us get there more quickly. So we’re letting people know if you’re concerned about pricing, cost of living, affordability. These bills that have been advanced are kicking in right now in twenty twenty six and we’ll help you out in that space.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:09:17] Yeah, the, the cost, uh, I just did a, a couple of articles and we did a podcast last week and the average blue state is 37% higher for electricity than red states, uh across the United States. And it’s because of energy policies that if you take, uh. Uh, New Jersey, I believe it’s New Jersey. New Jersey’s got nuclear and natural gas, but yet they are in the top high cost States because of policy. So you’ve got to be involved with your local policies.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:09:55] Yes, and so there’s local policies that you do get involved in, and that’s a question that we ask is, how does government frustrate the processes to put energy online? And that is hours of conversation, but that’s why we’ve been supportive at the federal level for the Speed Act, that is, again, Congressman Westerman’s bill, because this will help us provide consistent timelines under NEPA. To ensure that these projects are not just being strung along and frustrated by those that are truly opposed and have no intention to really allow them to happen or move forward. And that timeline, the more that stretches out, the more the cost increase for us for that energy or for that mineral to be extracted. And you have to get involved. A lot of people don’t understand Don’t take the time to understand how what happens there or what happens here does actually contribute to whether they can make the ends meet at the end of the month. That’s where AFP steps in. We help you connect the dots.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:11:04] Nice. Um, you know, when we sit back and take a look at not only getting ready for them, the midterms and that re industrial re-industrialization is going on across the United States, thanks to the Trump administration’s really focusing on American first and Arkansas with its industrial base, you have Walmart up there and if you’re going to make something, making it in Arkansas is not a bad place to make things.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:11:32] Yes, we have I-40. We have I 30. We have the Arkansas River. We have rail. We have a lot of great ways to move resources and products finished or unfinished across the nation. I have a fan. I’m very bullish on Arkansas when it comes to saying I love our people here. I love all our food and our culture. And I love the opportunities that are being created by a very pro-growth. Governor, a very economic development minded governor that does benefit people. We recently had the the revenue was just recently reported and the previous revenue is showing that we’ve had an increase and it was in consumer goods purchasing and in increases and improvements in salary for the workers in Arkansas. Those air positive good things that are contributing to surpluses for us. Which the surpluses are then being able to be calculated up and accumulated to drive down our income tax rate. And we love that.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:12:39] You know, that’s, that was pretty cool. In fact, um, at Little Rock Air Force base, uh, I was there the morning that, uh, John F Ken or JFK, uh landed before he went to, um Dallas to ultimately, uh, in his immediate is in there. I met him that morning, uh as he was, uh going there, I was on my mom’s hip. Uh, but he met my brother’s, um, class and, uh, that was pretty cool. Uh, to remember to be able to be part of that, the air force base there was, was very important and it was important that he stopped there. So when you sit back and think about the importance of Arkansas, you’ve had other other presidents from there, uh you know, Bill Clinton and everything else, but I’ll tell you, I, you can’t beat the state. Um, uh, the, the hogs, you gotta love a good Arkansas hog fan. My neighbors are absolutely hog fans and they wear them silly helmets every Saturday, you know, when the football games are going on, it’s kind of fun.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:13:54] Yeah, but it is a lot of fun. Funny thing on hogs is I’m in had have had the ability to travel a little bit. I’m In Madrid, Spain, and they are well known for Hamman. Very salty, dry cured ham. And this gentleman’s cutting it off. Ask me where I’m from. I’m like, you’re not going to know. And he goes, just tell me. I’m, like, from the United States, from a little state called Arkansas. He goes, oh, pig, silly. And I’m. Like, how do you know this? And he gets this pig. The Spanish conquistadors released their their hogs or is the original Arkansas Razorback. And so here I am. I’m like Arkansas. We get underestimated all the time about our impact on the world. I also offer up that we had Johnny Cash was born here. Oh, absolutely. That you was just unveiled in Statuary Hall in D.C. About him. We have had, of course, General Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock. And there’s that as well and. We love our state and we’re proud of it. And it has been improving and moving forward in just about every indicator that shows a quality place to live.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:15:05] I would like to bring back a great Arkansas tradition. You had a hanging judge out of Fort Smith. I would love to have that hanging judge back in play again after some people are prosecuted around, but we’ll leave that for a different discussion.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:15:26] There are some great discussions.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:15:28] Yeah, that’s a whole different discussion, but I’ll tell you what, Arkansas has got some great things going on. How do people, Ryan, get in touch with you?
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:15:36] Yeah, so you can reach out to us at believeinar.com.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:15:43] And that’s where we’re making. Believe in AR.com.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosperity Arkansas [00:15:46] Yes, that’s the Americans for Prosperity Arkansas chapter’s page, and you can go to the contact us. You can also reach out to me directly at rnorris at AFPHQ.org. We are always interested in citizens who have problems that we can help them solve via getting government out of their way. And we have had a lot of success in improving the quality of life for our Kansans, giving them more choices over their own life. And we look forward to advancing even more strongly than ever before in making sure you get to keep what you have earned in your pocket. And also having more choices when it comes to energy or having more choice in education. We’ve worked on all of it. Excited to help. We are here to be a benefit to the people. Our agenda is simply this, Stu. I wanna society in which more decisions are made by you than decisions being made for you. Ooh, I like that. And that’s our full intention.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:16:54] Uh, that is absolutely critical. Um, for some reason I was going to call up your site and I can’t find it for some reasons.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:17:04] Even a or dot com must be my
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:17:05] Must be my Oklahoma state inability to spell, but I will have that in the show notes for you there. Anyway, so what are you, what is the biggest thing that you’ve got coming around the corner for this next quarter.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:17:23] Yeah, so that again this quarter is going to be about building the momentum to have a serious package to zero out Arkansas state income tax when Governor Asa Hutchins.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:17:35] When are they voting on this?
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:17:37] Uh, so we have our first, our general, next general, uh, session, a legislative session is in 2027. So we’re looking at a 2027, so we’re looking at a fiscal session, seeing if we can’t move the needle, um, in, in maybe a special session to be called at least some, but we are moving towards a serious intent of zero and out the state income tax. So people have. Uh, able to keep their money that they earn, that’s by the sweat of their brow. They didn’t spend that on goods and services that are created by other people, which creates this virtuous cycle to where my needs are getting met because I have more money and you’re making more benefit and profit as a business person and you have to hire more people and order more things and that just keeps this economic engine going and growing. That’s what I love about Americans for Prosperity. We’re not negotiating or coming from a context of a fixed pie mentality. It is, there is an ever-growing pie that you can create value for yourself and your community. And so when people are talking about, we understand the resources are finite, but the ability to organize those finite resources to continually increase value for each other, that’s almost limitless.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:19:03] You know, and it’s amazing the amount of taxes that we do pay and then the income tax and then you get taxed here and then get tax there. I remember about 15 years ago, Arkansas didn’t want to get rid of the tax on food.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:19:21] Yeah. And that actually just ended. We just this month, uh, the no way of tax on food. Uh, governor Sanders and the general assembly worked that out, got it taken care of. And now we have no state tax on.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:19:40] That is absolutely wonderful for everyone. That to me is huge.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:19:47] Yeah. And you know, some folks are, are saying it’s way too small an amount, but also there’s just a principle of a thing that government shouldn’t take the first bite of your food dollar. Oh, I like the way you say that. You know, that’s just the truth of the matter that, uh, when it comes to the sustenance that you need to live in and thrive and survive, government needs to get out of the way as much as possible. And that applies to food. That applies to energy. Most of the frustrations we have, and even some of the lack that we may have in these policy areas or commodity areas can be contributed back to government interferences that are causing these problems.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:20:29] Um, yeah, we’ve got a few, I had a few jokes, but I don’t want to get thrown off of any of the social media platforms. Uh, you know, when, when government gets in the way, they get in the way and they become very expensive. And I like the way you just said everything there, Ryan, I’m going to have all of your show notes and everything in the show notes. And again, I want to have you back again, if there’s anything that is absolutely huge. And if I’m rolling through, I’ll bring by and stop by and take you out and get some great barbecue.
Ryan Norris, Americans for Prosparity Arkansas [00:21:05] Anytime you come come over and let me show you some awesome places in our state. You know, we’ve got connections to the Louisiana Purchase to the Conquistadors to the you know, the first peoples that lived here. We take you out to Scott to show you the the the mounds out there. I’m again, like I said, I’m very bullish on Arkansas. I love our people. I love my state and we want to see it improve.
Stu Turley, Energy News Beat Host [00:21:30] I think, I think it’s it. So thank you very much for stopping by the energy newsbeat podcast. This was Ryan Norson. He’s the state director for Americans for prosperity. I’ll have all his contact information in the show notes. And I’m Stu Turley, president CEO of the sandstone group. Have a great day. Talk to y’all soon.
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