let s hear it for tom and the civil rights division. [applause] our resolve to meet the evolving threats with new vigilance has never been more clear. this past april, the department issued its first ever indictment for a hate crime based on sexual orientation on the matthew shepherd hate crimes convention act. [applause] this is a landmark measure signed into law by president obama in 2009, which many of the people in this room helps to move forward in relation to an alleged anti-gay hate crime in kentucky. we continue to review cases that may fall under this legislation. we are working to strengthen our ability to achieve justice on behalf of those victimized simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. we stand ready to vigorously pursue allegations of federal hate crimes wherever they arise to bring charges were ever they are warranted and support the efforts of our state and local law enforcement partners to enforce their own hate crimes laws. the civil
than ever before. there is always the charge of partisanship and things like that. when you have a debate that never existed before, it is challenging. i am the i was always aware that you should not paint yourself into a corner. the example i always used was the bands marching down the road and there is nowhere to go so they walk into the wall. how do you successfully impact the process in policy but not lock yourself in? view cannot vote and compromise. there are people in arkansas who would keep you a different you cannot vote and compromise. there are people in arkansas who would give you a different point of view. the fiscal session we just came out of did not change the budget that much. at the end of the day, we still had one of the short secessions we ever had. we still pass the budget and we left on time. we had one of the shortest sessions we ever had. we were elected for a job and we were there for a reason. you want to make sure you end up with the final pro