The number of people who live in Arkansas increased by about 95,600 over the past 10 years, a growth rate of 3.3 percent that brought the state’s population to more than three million people.
Senate News
Legislative Council Approves $145 Million in Emergency Funding for Hospitals and Nursing Homes
The Arkansas Legislative Council approved a funding request of more than $245 million to help hospitals and nursing homes recruit and retain staff, and to cope with extraordinary expenses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The money comes from a massive federal act known as the American Rescue Plan.
Legislature Affirms Declaration of Public Health Emergency
Legislators gathered at the Capitol in Little Rock to affirm the governor’s declaration of a public health emergency for 60 days.
Legislation Requires Antidotes to Accompany Opioid Prescriptions
Act 651 of 2021 mandates that when a physician prescribes opioids, the physician must also prescribe naloxone, a drug that can quickly reverse the effects of an overdose.