Fiscal Session On Track to End Thursday

The House of Representatives tackled a packed calendar Wednesday, staying on track to wrap up the fiscal session Thursday - five days ahead of schedule. The House passed HB1163, the Jodie Mahony Scholarship Act, which establishes $5,000 lottery scholarships for qualifying Arkansas students attending four-year colleges and universities, and $2,500 scholarships for students at two-year colleges. Current students and some non-traditional students can also qualify. The bill will now be taken up in the Senate. Also Wednesday, members passed HB1159, which amends Arkansas' Revenue Stabilization Act. This sets the state's roughly $4.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year, prioritizing spending into categories, so that the most essential programs are always funded, and the state only spends revenue it has. The House also passed $12.2 million in supplemental appropriation bills Wednesday to fund vital state needs, including designating $7.2 million dollars to reimburse county jails for the housing of state prisoners. In addition, $1.6 million will go to the Department of Community Corrections to help fund services, and $200,000 will be used to purchase automatic external defibrillators for Arkansas schools. House members have worked hard, accomplishing much to keep the state on track during these tight economic times, and it looks like the General Assembly will be bringing its first-ever fiscal session to a successful close on Thursday.


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