The 94th General Assembly will convene for a special session on Monday, September 11 at 11 a.m. In the call for the session, the Governor outlines several proposals to be introduced including tax cuts, amending the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, and legislation addressing vaccine mandates. The tax cut proposal to be introduced would reduce…
All posts tagged weekly
Weekly column from the Arkansas House of Representatives for 1-20-23
House members will enter the third week of the 2023 Regular Session on Monday. In the second week, several bills passed the House and are now making their way to the Senate. On Wednesday, the House passed HB1018. This bill will allow members of municipal fire department bomb squads to carry weapons while responding to…
School Safety Commission delivers report to Governor Hutchinson
The Governor is calling the General Assembly into an Extraordinary Session next week to address the use of surplus funds to provide tax relief and funding for school safety measures. The Arkansas School Safety Commission was reinstated in the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Members of the original commission created in March 2018…
Back to school sales tax holiday coming August 6
It is estimated that the average family will spend more than $600 per child on back-to-school shopping this year. This time of year can bring a financial burden to many families across Arkansas. That is why we want to remind you about the upcoming Arkansas Sales Tax holiday. This year, the event will begin at…
School safety a topic of discussion for Arkansas House and Senate Education Committees
This week, officials from the Arkansas Center for School Safety (ACSS) provided members of the House and Senate Education Committees with an update on school safety measures taken in recent years. In 2018, the Governor created the Safe Schools Commission to assess the state of school security in Arkansas. That commission gave the General Assembly…
Deadline upcoming to apply for Academic Challenge Scholarship
Since 2010, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery has helped raise more than $1.1 billion to fund more than 675,000 scholarships for students attending 51 Arkansas colleges and universities. This week we want to remind you about the fast approaching deadline to apply for the next round of scholarships. July 1 is the deadline to apply for…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 5-27-22
Arkansas is home to so many families of brave men and women who deserve our recognition this Memorial Day. More than 2,183 Arkansans lost their lives fighting in World War 1. During World War II, an estimated 194,645 Arkansans served the nation in the various branches of the U.S. armed forces, and more than 3,500 were…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 5-20-22
The House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs Committee met jointly with the Senate Children and Youth Committee this week to hear from groups actively working to combat human trafficking. The Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) testified that there were 13 arrests for human trafficking charges in Arkansas in 2021. In 2022, there…
May 15-21 is National Police Week
From patrolling morning rush hour to responding to a domestic call late at night, we ask a great deal from our men and women in law enforcement. We cannot thank them enough for their selfless service. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring May 15-May 21 as National Police Week. Sunday, May 15 is designated as…
May is National Foster Care Month
All children deserve to grow up in a loving and stable home. Unfortunately, many children in Arkansas are lacking that stability. Currently, there are more than 4,600 children in foster care in Arkansas. There are fewer than 1,700 foster families statewide. May is National Foster Care Month. Children in foster care do better in homes…
Teacher appreciation week on the horizon
Teachers are the heart of our educational system. They inspire hope and instill a life-long love of learning. The week of May 2 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s a perfect time to show our appreciation to the 41,000 teachers in our state who lend their passion and skills to educate our students. The commitment…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 4-15-22
The month of April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. It is a time to raise awareness and inspire collective action so that every child can lead their best life. In the 2021 Regular Session, the General Assembly passed Act 920 which created the Blue Ribbon Task Force to End Child Abuse. Child Abuse Hotline…
Important deadline for May 24 primary vote coming up
An important deadline is approaching if you plan on voting in the May 24 Preferential Primary Election and Nonpartisan General Election. If you have not already registered to vote, you have until April 25 to file your voter registration application with your county clerk. If you submit your application close to an election registration deadline,…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 4-1-22
LITTLE ROCK – On Monday of this week, the House and Senate Judiciary Committees met jointly with the Charitable, Penal, and Correctional Institutions subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council. Members reviewed reports from the Department of Corrections concerning the current prison population and recidivism rates. Currently, the recidivism rate for the entire department is 46.1%.…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 3-25-22
LITTLE ROCK – Whether it was due to a job loss, reduction in income or increased costs in healthcare, many homeowners fell behind in mortgage payments and utilities during the pandemic. If you or someone you know is behind on payments, we want to direct your attention to a resource that could help. Recently, the…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 3-18-22
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas is a better place today than yesterday because of our teachers.We cannot thank them enough for their work and the difference they make in our children’s lives. If you’ve ever thought about making a difference in the classroom, now is the perfect time to act.The Arkansas Department of Education and Forward…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 3-11-22
LITTLE ROCK – From one-time bonuses to increased funding for safety equipment, the 93rd General Assembly made support for law enforcement a top priority in this fiscal session. Act 224 provides a one-time stipend of $5,000 to full-time certified city and county law enforcement officers as well as probation and parole officers.It also provides for…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 3-4-22
LITTLE ROCK – The Revenue Stabilization Act (RSA) is typically one of the last items passed every session. It categorizes and prioritizes state spending. Members are now reviewing the proposed Revenue Stabilization amendment schedule reflecting the allocation of general revenue funds for Fiscal Year 2023. The proposed amendment outlines $6.02 billion in spending. That is less…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 2-25-22
Little Rock – The House will begin the 3rd week of the 2022 Fiscal Session on Monday. The second week was an abbreviated one due to the federal holiday and winter weather across the state. In addition to several appropriation bills, the House also passed the following pieces of legislation this week: SB87-This bill establishes…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 2-18-22
The 93rd General Assembly is now entering the second week of the 2022 Fiscal Session. The session began with an address by Governor Asa Hutchinson in which he outlined his budget priorities for the next fiscal year. In addition to increases in funding for education and healthcare, the Governor is requesting funding for the Crime…
Weekly Column from the Arkansas House of Representatives 2-11-22
On Monday, the 93rd General Assembly will convene at the State Capitol to address the budget for Fiscal Year 2023. Fiscal Sessions began after Arkansas voters approved what would become Amendment 86 in 2008. This will be the 7th Fiscal Session held in state history. Governor Asa Hutchinson is expected to address the General Assembly shortly after we…