Posts tagged “News Release”

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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) […]

SJR10 would allow the General Assembly to call a special session upon the submission of a written proclamation with signatures from at least 2/3 of both the House and Senate membership. SJR14-Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment. It states government may burden a person’s freedom of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden is […]

The House is now in an extended recess for the 2021 Regular Session.While we have completed the vast majority of our work for the year, we will return in the fall to address congressional redistricting.  The Governor has indicated he may call a special session around that time to address additional tax cuts.Legislation passed so […]

Act 250 removes the duty to retreat before using physical or deadly force. Act 681 states that a person who commits a serious felony involving violence is subject to serve at least 80% of his or her sentence if the state proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the person committed the crime under an aggravating […]

Act 67 allows cities, counties, and improvement districts to partner with established providers to expand broadband services for those who currently do not have service or those who are underserved. Act 522-This bill creates the Arkansas Military Affairs Council Act and establishes the Military Affairs Grant Program. The council will work with the Arkansas Economic […]

Act 614 raises the foundation funding amount for public schools from the current $6,899 per student to $7,182 per student for the next school year. It increases the amount for the 2022-2023 school year to $7,349 per student. The bill also outlines enhanced funding amounts for school districts where a large majority of students qualify […]

Legislation passed so far this session reduced taxes by $84 million for the current fiscal year and is projected to cut another $197 million in taxes for Fiscal Year 2022. The vast majority of those tax cuts come from two pieces of legislation drafted to respond quickly to the economic situation created by the health […]