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Fired federal workers keep up pressure to regain jobs as courts order them rehired

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arkansasadvocate.com – Antoinette Grajeda – 2025-03-14 15:00:00

Fired federal workers keep up pressure to regain jobs as courts order them rehired

by Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate
March 14, 2025

Since being fired last month amid efforts to slash the federal workforce, Christopher Ford has been hopeful about getting his job back at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks.

Ford’s hopes were bolstered Thursday when a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately reinstate jobs for thousands of probationary federal workers — employees who had been recently hired or promoted.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “I’m very happy about this, and I’m excited that other people are seeing exactly what I saw — that how they conducted this was illegal.”

The Trump administration swiftly appealed the ruling, which directed the rehiring of tens of thousands of workers in various federal agencies, including the departments of Agriculture, Interior and Veterans Affairs. A second federal judge late Thursday also ordered probationary workers to be reinstated.

Christopher Ford (Courtesy photo)

Though the appeals process could take time, Ford said he’s confident the courts will ultimately deem the administration’s actions illegal.

Beyond the shock of being fired, Ford was frustrated by his termination letter citing poor performance because he said he’s never been disciplined and has consistently received positive appraisals.

“That impacts me being able to get a federal job in the future,” he said. “As someone who’s done 13-and-a-half years of federal service, I’m committed.”

The Florida native’s experience includes nine years of active military duty and three deployments to the Middle East. He moved to Arkansas in 2019 and worked in a remote position until he was hired as an Equal Employment Opportunity program manager last June.

Having invested so much time as a federal worker, Ford said he’d prefer to remain in the federal workforce for a few more years to earn a pension. The Northwest Arkansas resident said he’d take his job back “in a heartbeat” because he loved what he did and working with veterans.

“The VA fit me and I understood, and it was an honor and privilege working for all the people I worked with,” he said. “That’s why for me, I just want my job back.”

To assist in that goal, Ford filed a complaint over his firing with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. But there’s been little movement on that front, he said, which is why he’s grateful to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) for joining other organizations in suing the Office of Personnel Management.

AFGE Local 2201 is hosting a rally at noon Saturday at VHSO’s Fayetteville campus, which Ford said he’ll attend. Local union President Bruce Appel said they began planning the rally prior to the Department of Veterans Affairs announcing last week a reorganization that will include cutting 80,000 jobs.

The announcement just “added fuel to the fire,” Appel said.

“Our focus of the rally is going to be to try to get the public to understand that what they read in the news about all these federal employees getting cut and getting their jobs screwed with, hey, it’s going to impact our ability to take care of grandpa when he comes to our hospital,” Appel said. “That this has real consequences to their lives, and I’m not sure that the general public is really understanding that.”

Amid the chaos and confusion of the last few months, protesting has become an accessible form of action for fired federal workers like Myles McManus, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data scientist working in Tulsa who participated in a Stand Up for Science rally at the Arkansas state Capitol last week while he was passing through town.

Myles McManus (Courtesy photo)

McManus, who grew up in Alabama, has about eight years of experience working for the federal government and was hired for his most recent position nearly 11 months ago. He was fired on Feb. 27.

“These cuts are putting NOAA under the weather, and I’m sick about it,” he said.

The long-term effects of the federal workforce reduction is a concern for McManus, who said accurate, accessible datasets are needed for research and studies that can help predict things like 100-year floodplains.

While it’s been a challenging time for many federal workers, McManus said the upheaval has provided an opportunity for the scientific community to rally and help the public understand how much science affects their lives — from weather forecasts to how fish get into their recreational lakes.

“NOAA is an organization that does premiere scientific work that’s used worldwide, and its primary strength are the people that work there,” he said. “So to minimize NOAA’s efforts to bring commerce and science to the American people by going after the scientists that work there, in a way that is kind of blindsiding and a detriment to what public service is all about.”

McManus has secured a new job, but said he’d like to go back to NOAA because “the agency will need people who can sustain any attacks on scientific integrity,” and he feels called to provide that service.

“It’s not about the job availability on the private side, it was about doing something beyond just the monetary value, doing something beyond myself, and so losing that hurts in a way that getting another job for more money can’t replace,” he said.

An estimated 650 NOAA workers have been fired nationally, and 1,000 more are on the chopping block. NOAA falls under the Department of Commerce, which was included in the second lawsuit ruled on by judges Thursday. The department was also sued over improper terminations in a separate lawsuit filed Tuesday.

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Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

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News from the South - Arkansas News Feed

Arkansas's top news stories | March 14, 2025

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www.youtube.com – THV11 – 2025-03-14 12:14:26

SUMMARY: On March 14, 2025, severe weather alerts were issued in Arkansas as storms moved through western and central regions, prompting meteorologists to warn of potential severe conditions later in the day, especially in eastern areas. In other news, a 95-year-old woman disappeared after leaving to pay a bill, causing family concerns and search efforts. Meanwhile, former Little Rock coach Steven Liser was sentenced to 36 years for sexual offenses against a minor. Additionally, a proposed budget amendment for a state prison facility raised concerns over funding. Lastly, an American Airlines flight faced a fiery landing in Denver but no serious injuries occurred.

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Jurnee Taylor presents Arkansas’s top news stories for March 14, 2025, including the latest crime updates and education reforms.

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Extremely strong winds will lead to high fire danger today

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www.youtube.com – 40/29 News – 2025-03-14 06:29:56

SUMMARY: Today, Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley face extremely high fire danger due to severe winds, with gusts reaching up to 65 mph. Warm, dry conditions will persist, with temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. Isolated storms may occur, but they are unlikely to produce significant rain; however, lightning could ignite fires amid dry conditions. Red flag warnings are active until 8 p.m., and high wind warnings will remain in effect. Although the severe weather threat is low locally, areas to the east anticipate significant severe weather, including tornadoes. Stay safe and secure outdoor items.

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Extremely strong winds will lead to high fire danger today

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SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas legislators seek to clarify FOIA, overhaul state employee pay plan

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arkansasadvocate.com – Antoinette Grajeda – 2025-03-14 01:00:00

SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas legislators seek to clarify FOIA, overhaul state employee pay plan

by Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate
March 14, 2025

Arkansas lawmakers during the ninth week of the 95th General Assembly advanced legislation backed by the governor that would overhaul the state’s higher education system and the state employee pay plan.

Arkansas ACCESS, the higher education bill, debuted Monday in the Joint Education Committee where critics focused on a provision to prohibit excused absences for students who participate in protests or attempts to influence legislation. 

After opponents kept raising concerns about infringing on free speech, the committee approved an amendment that would allow excused absences for attempts to influence legislation if students obtain parental consent. Opponents noted that the amendment only applied to students in high school, not college. 

Arkansas ACCESS, which was filed as two identical bills in the House and Senate, will likely clear final legislative hurdles next week and be sent to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ desk.

Sen. Reginald Murdock, D-Marianna, asks a question about Arkansas ACCESS from the Senate floor on March 13, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)

On Tuesday, lawmakers turned their attention to a proposed overhaul of the state employee pay plan, which is expected to cost $139 million. Sanders has previously said the goal of the plan is to recruit and retain employees in hard-to-fill positions, and to clarify the promotion ladders in each state agency. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the bill next Tuesday. 

An Arkansas House committee on Wednesday also approved two bills that mirror stalled legislation aimed at regulating companies’ online interactions with children. Protecting children’s online activity is another stated goal of Sanders’ administration. 

House Speaker Brian Evans, R-Cabot, told reporters Thursday that lawmakers “made really good strides this week” as they pushed to stay on track to wrap up their business by April 16. 

“We’ve seen really good movement, committees have worked long,” Evans said. “We’ve had committees that’s been meeting up into the night, and the purpose of that is just to make sure that the public is being heard, staying however long it takes.”

Longer days are likely to continue next week, he said, as lawmakers continue considering a variety of bills, including a $750 million appropriations bill for a Franklin County prison project that’s expected to generate discussion. 

1) FOIA bills

A Senate committee approved two bills this week that would define a public meeting, an effort to bring clarity to the state’s government transparency law

Senate Bill 376 defines a public meeting as any gathering of more than two members of a public body. Senate Bill 227 would set parameters for what members of city councils, quorum courts or school boards can discuss outside of a public meeting. 

SB 227 also would amend the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to add a cybersecurity breach as a reason to meet in executive session, introduce and regulate remote meeting attendance, and allow a court to nullify official actions taken as a result of violations of open meetings law.

SB 227 passed out of the Senate Thursday. SB 376 is on the upper chamber’s agenda on Monday.

2) Energy and environment

Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday approved an amended bill to streamline the process for building electricity-generating plants in the state, one week after rejecting the original proposal. 

Senate Bill 307 sponsor Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, said the bill aims to mitigate the sharp increase in rates that’s expected when the state purchases or generates new energy to meet anticipated demand in the coming years. 

While Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock, said he appreciated Dismang’s work on the amendments, but he still didn’t believe the bill did enough to protect ratepayers. 

Sen. Mark Johnson, R-Little Rock, asks a question about Senate Bill 307 on March 12, 2025. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)

Meanwhile, legislation that would make it harder to protect Arkansas watersheds from possible pollution from large animals farms finally got a hearing Tuesday after weeks of deferrals. The proposal by Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, received support from agricultural interests and opposition from environmental advocates. 

Johnson ultimately pulled Senate Bill 290 for revisions. 

3) Nitrogen Gas

Arkansas could become the fifth state to allow executions by nitrogen gas after lawmakers approved House Bill 1489 and sent it to the governor’s desk this week. 

Supporters of the bill say the state has a responsibility to carry out capital punishment and must find new ways to do as securing the necessary drugs for lethal injection has become increasingly difficult.

Alabama is the only state to have carried out nitrogen gas executions, and HB 1489 opponents have criticized the method as experimental and inhumane.

4) New bills 

Arkansas lawmakers filed about 140 bills by Thursday evening, including: 

Senate Bill 426 by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, establishes “enhanced penalties” for immigrants lacking legal status who commit a “serious felony involving violence,” ensures that sheriff’s offices and the Arkansas Department of Correction’s Division of Correction can participate in the Warrant Service Officer program, and expands the state’s ban on sanctuary cities to include counties and unincorporated areas. 

Senate Bill 433, by Sen. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville, would require the 10 Commandments to be displayed in public schools and taxpayer-funded buildings. 

Senate Bill 434, also by Dotson, would require that a majority of all registered voters eligible to vote approve a constitutional amendment in order for it to become law.

Senate Bill 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis, R-Russellville, would require the Arkansas Department of Education to include a human fetal growth and development discussion “in the relevant standards” during the state’s academic standards revision cycle. Davis opposed a similar bill that stalled in committee after critics questioned its age appropriateness, medical accuracy and inclusion of a video developed by an anti-abortion group. 

Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday for one more week of meetings before taking the following week off for Spring Break. Meeting schedules, agendas and livestream videos are available on the Arkansas Legislature’s website.

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Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

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