News

The House will convene for an Extraordinary Session on Thursday at 1 pm. In an effort to provide a safe distance for members and the press, the House will meet at the Jack Stephens Center at UALR.  Live streaming will be provided by Arkansas PBS.  WATCH LIVE AGENDA.pdf 2020 First Extraordinary Call to Special Session.pdf

•Sadly, the first COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in Arkansas. Since yesterday, two people have lost their lives as a result of the virus. •There are now a total of 218 cases in the state. Of those cases, 14 patients are in the hospital and 6 are on a ventilator. Positive cases include 11 […]

A total of 174 cases has now been confirmed in Arkansas. This is an increase of 9 from Sunday.The Governor announced the state has ordered 2 million personal protective equipment (PPE) units. We expect to see a portion of that ordered delivered later this week.The individual taxpayer deadline has been extended from April 15 to […]

·      The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is working closely with the Arkansas Department of Human Services and the Arkansas Healthcare Association to address cases of COVID-19 in three nursing homes across the state. The nursing homes affected are Apple Creek Nursing and Rehab in Centerton, The Villages of General Baptist West in […]

If you are a business owner struggling to meet payroll or if you have recently become unemployed due to the response from COVID-19, we want to direct you to state resources that may help.Earlier this week the Governor announced that Arkansas will tap Community Development Block Grant funds and the state’s Quick Action Closing Fund […]

·      The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Arkansas has climbed to 62. The Governor said there is evidence of “increasing community spread.”·      In an effort to reduce the spread of the virus, the Governor issued several new directives.·      On-site instruction for K-12 schools in Arkansas will remain closed […]

•11 new cases have been confirmed for a total of 33 in the state. Faulkner, Bradley, and Washington counties have been added to list where COVID-19 has been detected. The new cases involve patients who have known travel or a connection to the existing cases. •Governor Hutchinson has requested that the Small Business Administration (SBA) […]

There were no new cases were reported today (3/17). However, the Governor expects numbers to increase as more testing becomes available later this week. The Governor announced he is directing the Commerce Department to waive the one-week waiting period and the work-related reporting requirement for unemployment benefits for the next 30 days. To avoid large […]

Upon reviewing the latest guidance regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate leadership have agreed to cancel the Arkansas Legislative Council (“ALC”) meeting and all ALC subcommittee meetings previously scheduled for March 18 and 19.  The co-chairs of ALC and the co-chairs of the affected subcommittees are authorized to consider and approve any […]

Today the Governor announced that there are six new positive COVID-19 cases in Arkansas, bringing the total to 22.  Four of the new cases are from Central Arkansas, where cases had previously been detected. The other two confirmed are in Cleburne County.The Governor is discouraging unnecessary out-of-state travel during this time of mitigation. This is […]

While the state response to COVID-19 is one that is rapidly evolving, we do want to update you on the latest developments. Late Friday afternoon, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced he will amend an executive order to allow expanded use of telemedicine in the state. The Governor also announced he is providing additional resources to the […]

COVID-19 State Assistance Resources are listed below UNEMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS: https://www.ezarc.adws.arkansas.gov/ THE ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS COMMITTED TO HELPING BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYEES COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19. ON THIS PAGE THEY HAVE COMPILED A LIST OF PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES: www.arkansasedc.com/covid19 THE WORK-REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR SNAP BENEFITS IS TEMPORARILY WAVED.THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOB DUE […]