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Arkansas Watermelons, A Crop Worth Celebrating

July 9, 2021
Arkansans know that no summer barbecue is complete without fresh watermelon. Our state may not be the largest producer of watermelon, but Arkansas communities lay claim to being the home of the world’s largest and the world’s sweetest. The month of July is known as National Watermelon Month. July is typically the largest shipping month […]
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New Fiscal Year

July 2, 2021
Arkansas started a new fiscal year this week, and final reports for the previous year give us an optimistic outlook about the future of our economy. Fiscal Year 2021 ended on June 30. We began Fiscal Year 2022 on July 1. Results from collections and distributions for FY2021 reached $6.845 billion. This is $1.09 billion […]
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Independence Day 2021

June 28, 2021
The State Capitol Offices and all State Buildings will be closed on Sunday, July 4, 2021, and Monday, July 5, 2021, to observe Independence Day. The State Capitol will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. A legal holiday by authority of Act 304 of 2001 and amended by Act 561 […]
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Alzheimer’s Awareness Month

June 24, 2021
There are currently 58,000 Arkansans who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that 67,000 will be diagnosed by 2025.June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, an opportunity to hold a conversation about the brain, and share the fact that Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are a major public health issue.In 2019, there were […]
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A Review and Forward Look at Arkansas Waterways

June 18, 2021
This week, the Arkansas Legislative Council Highway Commission Review and Advisory Subcommittee reviewed a presentation regarding Arkansas’ inland waterways. This year marks 50 years of service from the McClellan‐Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. The system serves a 12 state region and provides a cost-effective form of transportation to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and surrounding states. The […]
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Scholarship Deadline Approaching

June 11, 2021
This week, we would like to remind families of an upcoming scholarship deadline. July 1 is the deadline to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. The scholarship provides tuition assistance to traditional and non-traditional students attending universities and two-year colleges – both public and private – in the state. Freshman students at four-year colleges […]
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Tourism in Arkansas

June 4, 2021
Tourism in Arkansas is making a big comeback.  While the pandemic severely impacted the industry in 2020, there are signs that tourism is rebounding and doing better than before the health emergency began. The tourism tax collections for March 2021 exceeded collections from March 2019 by 14.6%From mountain biking adventures to world-class art museums, Arkansas […]
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Memorial Day 2021

May 27, 2021
Directly behind the Capitol stands a monument honoring those Arkansas families who sacrificed more than most. The Gold Star Family Memorial Monument reminds us daily here at the Capitol that without those sacrifices, our freedom could not and would not have been preserved. Arkansas has citizens in nearly every community willing to make such sacrifices. […]
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Rental Assistance

May 20, 2021
This week, we want to direct your attention to a program that could help Arkansans struggling to pay rent and utilities due to the pandemic. The Arkansas Rent Relief Program offers financial help to pay overdue and upcoming rent and utilities for eligible Arkansas renters. Landlords who have tenants unable to pay their rent because […]
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National Police Week

May 14, 2021
When an officer is killed, it is not only a loss to the agency, it’s a loss to our entire state. National Police Week is May 9-May 15. May 15 has also been designated as Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor the service and sacrifice of those law enforcement officers killed in the line of […]
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2021 Changes to Transportation Legislation

May 7, 2021
From when you can drive in the left lane to regulating autonomous cars, the 93rd General Assembly made several changes to laws regarding our roadways.This week, we want to update you on these upcoming changes. Act 1090 states a vehicle shall not be driven upon the left lane of a multilane highway, except as follows:(1) […]
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2021 Public Health Legislation

April 30, 2021
Act 530 creates the Arkansas Health & Opportunity for Me Program known as ARHOME. ARHOME is a new version of the Medicaid expansion program that would will to offer low-income families private insurance, with incentives for taking advantage of career and work opportunities, education and skill development, and health or other activities that will lead […]