Download DOC LITTLE ROCK – With the year nearing its end, it’s worth reflecting on the major pieces of education legislation that were passed this year. The 95th General Assembly Regular Session kicked off in January and ended the first week of May. The legislature completed the 2025 regular session after approving a balanced budget, […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC State Capitol Week in Review Little Rock – The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is currently working on 230 active projects as of early October 2025, with a projected cost of $2.4 billion. The department has been actively maintaining secondary highways across the state with about 500 miles of road planned to be […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC December 12, 2025 Little Rock – Despite many challenges facing maternal health care, Arkansas has made progress. Arkansas now ranks among the top 10 states with the lowest rates of severe maternal morbidity, proving that focused hospital improvements are saving lives. Earlier this year, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) launched […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – In 2023, the Arkansas Legislative Council set aside $200 million for the construction of a new state-of-the art, Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL). The legislature approved requests totaling $19. 4 million for the architectural designs, purchase of the land and to cover contractor costs. In September 2025, the Legislative Council’s […]
Weekly UpdatesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE Senator Missy Irvin District 24 870-269-2703 missy.irvin@senate.arkansas.gov December 8, 2025 This afternoon, Governor Sarah Sanders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Forestry Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture to make Blanchard Springs Caverns and the surrounding area into a new Arkansas State Park. Senator Irvin’s statement […]
News ReleasesDownload DOC Little Rock – Arkansas’ lithium fields are not anticipated to produce until 2028. Plans are underway to process bromine deposits found in the Smackover Formation in southern Arkansas. Currently, the United States produces about 1 percent of the world’s lithium, which is used in advanced weapons systems, drones and as energy storage for […]
UncategorizedDownload DOC Little Rock – In July, the federal government’s passage of HR1, the Big Beautiful Bill, established the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. The program established $50 billion to be allocated to the States over a ten-year period to alleviate concerns over the cuts to Medicaid in the bill. Half of the funding will […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC Little Rock – A new program to serve more locally produced foods grown by Arkansas farmers is set to begin in select schools this January. The Arkansas Plate Initiative is a state-wide effort to connect Arkansas producers with state schools to provide students with nutritious, locally sourced meals made from Arkansas-grown products. According […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC Little Rock – Student enrollment continues to grow at most colleges and universities throughout the state. Retention and graduation rates are also continuing to rise. The University of Arkansas Systems total Fall 2025 headcount was 71,705 students, an increase of 2,000 students from last fall. Key figures include record enrollments at the University […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – On October 16, 2025, The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) temporarily cut back the daily trout possession limit in the state’s four most significant cold-water fisheries. Production losses were caused by poor water quality, due to low oxygen levels and higher water temperatures at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife […]
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