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Committee Reviews Progress in Family Preservation Services

August 29, 2024
This week, the House Committee for Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs reviewed a vital report from the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) regarding family preservation services. The data presented painted a hopeful picture of progress in our efforts to support Arkansas families and protect our children. At the close of […]
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Education Committee Continues Adequacy Study

August 23, 2024
This week, the House and Senate Education Committee convened to continue important work on the Educational Adequacy Study, a crucial study aimed at ensuring that every student in Arkansas has access to a high-quality education. One area of focus has been teacher recruitment and retention—an essential component in providing a stable and effective learning environment […]
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Speaker Shepherd Honored at 2024 CSG Southern Legislative Conference

August 16, 2024
News Release Arkansas House Speaker Matthew J. Shepherd was recently named the recipient of the 2024 Thomas B. Murphy Legacy Award from the Council of State Governments Southern Office during their annual Southern Legislative Conference. The Thomas B. Murphy Legacy Award, formally known as the Longevity of Service Award, is presented to a Southern state […]
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Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

August 16, 2024
As we approach Labor Day, it’s crucial to highlight a significant initiative aimed at making our roads safer. From August 16 through September 2, including the Labor Day holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will partner with Arkansas law enforcement for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” […]
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Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

August 16, 2024
As we approach Labor Day, it’s crucial to highlight a significant initiative aimed at making our roads safer. From August 16 through September 2, including the Labor Day holiday weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will partner with Arkansas law enforcement for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” […]
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Safeguarding Children from Online Predators

August 9, 2024
Recently, the Arkansas State Police (ASP) issued a reminder for parents to remain vigilant in recognizing and preventing online predators from targeting children. This summer alone, ASP has issued several Missing/Endangered Advisories for missing children and teens, including five Amber Alerts since May. Disturbingly, multiple Arkansas teens have been lured away by predators they encountered […]
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Flashing Red Kids Ahead

August 2, 2024
Every day during the school year, more than 350,000 Arkansas children depend on school buses to transport them safely to and from school. These buses make multiple stops in every community. As a new school year approaches, we want to remind you that it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus in Arkansas. The […]
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Sales Tax Holiday 2024

July 24, 2024
A recent survey by the National Retail Foundation revealed that families plan to spend an average of $875 for children starting or returning to school. This time of year can be financially burdensome for many families across Arkansas. To ease this burden, we want to remind you about the upcoming Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday. This […]
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Improving Access to Childcare

July 19, 2024
Early childhood education lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Improving access to high-quality childcare programs helps to provide structured environments where children can explore, play, and interact, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and cooperation. This week, we would like to share a recent announcement regarding increased access to affordable childcare. The Arkansas Department of Education announced […]
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Improving Access in Arkansas

July 12, 2024
This week, the House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs Committee received updates on the ongoing efforts by state agencies to enhance accessibility in their facilities for individuals with disabilities. In 2022, Arkansas State Parks initiated a collaboration with the non-profit organization Accessibility Across Arkansas to enhance access to state parks for individuals […]
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2024 Independence Day

July 3, 2024
The State Capitol Offices and all State Buildings will be Closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024, to observe Independence Day. Official Holiday Bulletin
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Arkansas State Parks

July 3, 2024
As July rolls around, so does National Parks and Recreation Month, a time to recognize the importance of parks and recreation in establishing and maintaining the well-being of communities. We invite you to celebrate this month by visiting one of Arkansas’s 52 state parks. The parks include about 55,000 acres with 1,800 campsites, 208 cabins, […]