News

The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced HB1056. This bill amends the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act allowing public meetings to be held via phone or video conference during a declared emergency.The House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee advanced HB1009 which authorizes the Veterinary Medical Examining Board to promulgate rules for use […]

The House began its second week of the Regular Session on Tuesday. The House Public Transportation Committee advanced HB1028. This bill changes the length of time a consumer has to license their vehicle. Current law gives car buyers 30 days to pay the sales tax and register a vehicle. HB 1028 would extend it to […]

House members are now ready to begin the second week of the 2021 Regular Session. Nearly 200 bills have been filed so far in the House and more than 135 have been filed in the Senate. House members elected to serve in the 93rd General Assembly took the oath of office in the House Chamber […]

The House has now completed its work for the first week of the 2021 Regular Session. This afternoon, the House passed HR1005, which requires members, staff, and the public to wear a mask when accessing House properties, including the House Chamber. HR1005 also provides remote voting options for members on House floor proceedings. Members can […]

The House Rules committee advanced resolutions outlining new rules and changes to procedure due to COVID-19.HR1005 requires members, staff, and the public to wear a mask when accessing House properties, including the House Chamber. Limited exceptions such as when a member is recognized to speak are included in the resolution. HR1005 also outlines options for […]

On this second day of the Regular Session, Governor Asa Hutchinson addressed the General Assembly and outlined his legislative goals for this session. He said he will be asking the General Assembly to affirm the current health emergency order and direct federal COVID-19 relief funds for vaccine distribution. The Governor’s legislative agenda also includes the […]

House members elected to serve in the 93rd General Assembly took the oath of office in the House Chamber this afternoon. Upon swearing-in, members then voted to name Rep. Matthew J. Shepherd of El Dorado as the Speaker of the Arkansas House. This will be his second full term to serve as Speaker.Speaker Shepherd announced […]

·      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 […]

Whether it is rebuilding a family home or planning for a loss of crops, our state will be recovering from these historic floods for months to come. FEMA just recently announced that federal emergency aid has been made available to Arkansas to supplement state and local response efforts. While our emergency management teams across the […]

For students just beginning an education or going back to school, the lottery scholarship offers opportunities to pursue dream careers and secure financial futures. That’s why you should mark July 1 on your calendar. That day is the deadline to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship, which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars […]

The month of May is designated as Military Appreciation Month.Not only do we pause on Memorial Day to remember the sacrifice and service of those who gave all, but the month also holds Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 10 and Armed Forces day on May 18.We have more than 3,000 active military members residing […]