News

With a vote of 82-0 and 10 members voting present, the House passed the Transformation and Efficiencies Act of 2019. This bill reduces the number of cabinet-level agencies by nearly 65 percent, from 42 to 15. A cabinet-level secretary will serve as the executive head of each department.  The House passed HB1564. This bill develops […]

The House State Agencies Committee advanced SB445. This bill states that the date of the primary election will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March for years in which the office of President of the United States will appear on the ballot at the general election. The primary would continue […]

The House Judiciary Committee advanced SB197. This bill clarifies that a law enforcement officer may carry open or concealed handgun both while on and off duty.The committee also advanced HB1625 which makes encouraging suicide a Class D felony.The House Education Committee advanced SB407. This bill gives the Department of Higher Education more flexibility when awarding […]

On Monday, the House passed HB1523. This bill states a correctional or detention facility shall not place an inmate who is in labor in restraints unless the facility makes a determination that the inmate presents a substantial flight risk. The House passed HB1689. This bill increases the penalties for passing an authorized vehicle stopped on […]

Arkansas ranks forty-fourth in the nation when it comes to maternal mortality rates.  Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a woman who is pregnant or dies within 42 days after the end of the pregnancy. Arkansas currently has 35 maternal deaths per one hundred thousand 100,000 live births, compared with the national average […]

The House Education Committee advanced HB1409.  This bill provides 40 minutes of recess for elementary school students. Currently, most students are allowed 20 minutes.The committee also advanced HB1647. This bill amends the eligibility requirements for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship to include the applicant’s superscore on the ACT.  “Superscore” means the final composite score that […]

The House Rules committee advanced HB1565.  This bill seeks to provide funding for a national cancer institute-designated center at UAMS.  The bill provides the funding by diverting existing taxes on medical marijuana from general revenue to the institute trust fund. The trust fund would also receive new revenue created by a 50 cents per pack […]

The House Education Committee advanced HB1569. This bill allows school districts to develop policies for distribution of excess food. As long as health department standards are met, this bill would allow schools to give students the left-over food from lunch to take home. The Education Committee also advanced HB1018. This bill allows school districts with […]

On Monday, the House passed two pieces of legislation addressing highway funding. In a vote of 71-26, the House passed SB336. This bill outlines $95 million in additional funding in three ways. First, it diverts all revenue from casino gaming that exceeds $31.2 million to the State Highway and Transportation Department Fund. Second, it includes […]

In Arkansas, there are two ways to put a constitutional amendment on an election ballot. First, an individual or group can draft a ballot measure and then collect the needed number of signatures. The second way amendments are put forth is by the General Assembly.  Article 19 of the Arkansas Constitution allows the General Assembly […]

In a vote of 85-6, the House passed HB1437. This bill makes it a Class A misdemeanor if a mandated reporter fails to notify law enforcement of a serious threat made by an individual regarding violence in or targeted at a school. The House also passed HB1356. This bill makes it against the law for […]

The House State Agencies committee advanced HJR1018. This is a proposed constitutional amendment which would permanently extend a ½ cent sales tax for the purpose of funding state highways.  The current ½ sales tax funding highways are set to expire in 2023.  If this resolution passes both chambers, it would be on the ballot for […]