In an interview with The Fordyce News Advocate, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, offered comments on the recent violence in Minneapolis and his hopes for legislation that could help Arkansas’ outdoor economy and forest lands.

Westerman, who represents the Fourth District of Arkansas, said while he supports law enforcement, he believes there should be a bipartisan Congressional investigation into the deaths of two citizens by ICE agents in Minnesota.

“It’s tragic some of the things that are happening there, and we’d never want to see American citizens get killed when they’re protesting. We also know that those law enforcement officers are sworn to do a job and they’re out there doing their job to enforce the law,” said Westerman. “Now, I get it that people have problems with the law and I think we need to change the immigration laws. I think it’s time to create a system that works much better. But when you see, especially the videos of the guy that got this weekend, Alex Pretti, that raises a lot of questions and I think there will be a thorough investigation. There’s enough video evidence there that I think it would make anybody ask, ‘what in the world’s going on here and how did that happen?’

“I trust that they will do a thorough investigation, and I know that some of the committees in Congress that had jurisdiction in that area are already putting out statements saying there should be a thorough investigation,” he said. “Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-New York), the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, is one of them that put out a statement about there should be an investigation. He obviously chairs the committee that could do that along with I guess probably the oversight committee and even the judiciary committee could get involved. I think it’s very important that we have a thorough investigation, important for our citizens, and important for those law enforcement officers who again, are out there doing the best they can to do the job they were sworn to do.”

In the Westerman interview, he also said recent hearings to gauge the effectiveness of the EXPLORE Act, a bill he authored and guided into law a year ago to promote outdoor economic activity, has had a positive impact.

The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE) expanded, modernized, and improved access to public lands and waters for outdoor recreation.

“It’s been in effect for about a year. We had an oversight hearing last week in the Natural Resources Committee on the implementation and the benefits of the EXPLORE Act and it was better than I thought it would be,” he said. “Groups from the outdoor recreation round table and others from across the country were talking about how they’ve been implementing components of the act and the difference that it’s making.”

Westerman said the act is also helping rebuild the Albert Pike Campground in Montgomery County, which was closed after tragic flooding. Through the legislation, site studies and designs to make the campground safer and to reopen are moving forward.

The congressman also said there is work to be done on the Fix our Forest Act, another bill he is authoring. It passed the House already, and is awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.

“There’s hope that they’re going to pass that in the next couple of weeks and get it on President Trump’s desk. That’ll make a huge difference on management of our federal lands and preventing wildfires and really rethinking the way we take care of our forest and our watersheds,” he said.