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Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and celebrating recovery from mental illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 23% of Arkansans reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders from March to April of this […]
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House Elects Speaker-designate

On Thursday, the House adjourned the 2024 Fiscal Session Sine Die. In this Fiscal Session, the General Assembly passed a $6.3 billion budget with limited spending growth. The largest increases in the budget are directed to education and public safety. The appropriation for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the next fiscal year did […]
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Week 4 of the 2024 Fiscal Session

This week, the House tackled several key issues including state employee pay, digital asset mining regulations, and the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. SB77, which was passed by the House, outlines a temporary pay plan for state employees, including a potential 3% raise and setting the minimum salary at $32,405 per year. Additionally, it […]
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Daily Summary for the 2024 Fiscal Session for Thursday, May 2, 2024

On Thursday, the House passed SB80. This bill amends the Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) by outlining state spending for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year. It is identical to HB1097 which the House passed on Wednesday. The RSA increases funding for the Education Freedom Accounts by $65.7 million. The public school fund will increase by $38.2 million […]
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Daily Summary for the 2024 Fiscal Session for Wednesday, May 1, 2024

On Wednesday, the House passed HB1097. This bill amends the Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) by outlining state spending for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year. The RSA includes a 1.76% increase in state spending. The largest increases can be found in Educational Freedom Accounts, the Public School Fund, and Arkansas State Police.  The House also passed SB77 […]
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Daily Summary for the 2024 Fiscal Session for Tuesday, April 30, 2024

On Tuesday, the House City, County, and Local Affairs Committee advanced two bills addressing regulations for digital asset mining. SB78 requires that digital asset mining businesses apply specified noise-reduction techniques. It states that a prohibited foreign party shall not purchase or acquire any interest in a digital mining business in the state. SB79 states that […]
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Week 3 of the 2024 Fiscal Session

During the third week of the 2024 Fiscal Session, members received the proposed Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) for the 2025 Fiscal Year. The RSA, which categorizes and prioritizes state spending, includes a 1.76% increase in spending, with the largest increases allocated to Educational Freedom Accounts, the Public School Fund, and Arkansas State Police. Specifically, the […]
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Daily Summary for the 2024 Fiscal Session for Thursday, April 25

Members are now reviewing the proposed Revenue Stabilization Act for the 2025 Fiscal Year. The Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) categorizes and prioritizes state spending. It is typically one of the last items passed every session. The proposed RSA outlines a 1.76% increase in state spending. The largest increases can be found in Educational Freedom Accounts, […]
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Daily Summary for the 2024 Fiscal Session for Wednesday, April 24

The Joint Budget Committee advanced SB77 on Wednesday. This bill outlines a temporary pay plan for state employees. Members were informed on Wednesday that the proposed Revenue Stabilization Act for the next fiscal year will be made available in the coming days. The Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) categorizes and prioritizes state spending. It is typically […]
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Daily Summary for the 2024 Fiscal Session for Tuesday, April 23

On Tuesday, the Joint Budget Personnel Subcommittee adopted an amendment for SB77 and advanced the amended version of the bill. SB77 outlines the temporary pay plan for state employees. The amendment adopted today adds specific requirements for special compensation. This bill now heads to the Joint Budget Committee. The full House adopted an amendment to […]
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Second Week of the 2024 Regular Session

The General Assembly is now entering the third week of the 2024 Fiscal Session. This week, the House passed three resolutions to allow the introduction of non-appropriation bills during this session. HR1013 will allow for the introduction of legislation outlining a temporary pay plan for state employees. The plan would increase pay for all state […]