Pre-fiscal budget hearings began this week with the Governor outlining his balanced budget proposal calling for a 3.3% increase in spending. We will be reviewing the proposal while we continue to hear requests from state agencies and commissions in the days ahead. As we prepare for the 2022 Fiscal Session, we want to remind you…
January is known as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. It is a time for us to educate ourselves about human trafficking and learn to spot the signs of trafficking. Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons or modern-day slavery, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services or…
Legislation providing the largest state income tax reduction in state history has now been signed into law. Act 1 and Act 2 are identical pieces of legislation passed by the 93rd General Assembly in the special session held this week. These acts will reduce the top income tax rate for individuals from 5.9% to 4.9%…
The General Assembly is scheduled to convene for an Extraordinary Session on Tuesday, December 7. The Arkansas Constitution says Extraordinary Sessions, often referred to as special sessions, can only be called by the Governor. The Governor announced this week he is calling the session to address tax cuts and several miscellaneous items of legislation. The…
In Arkansas, small businesses make up the majority of the business landscape, at 99.3% of all businesses in the state. This equates to 258,552 businesses. Small businesses can be found in every corner of our state. Small Business Saturday is the day after Black Friday. It is a day to celebrate and support small businesses…
Right now, there are about 349 children and teens in Arkansas whose parents’ parental rights have been terminated and are currently seeking a forever family. November is National Adoption Month. It is a time to encourage others to learn about adoption and recognize the many children who are still waiting. Recently, the Division of Children…
According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 363,781 people in Arkansas, or 14.8% of the adult population, have diabetes. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and the number one cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness. In the last 20 years, the number of adults nationwide diagnosed…
