Arkansas legislators approved a plan to add $300 a week to unemployment benefits, to extend the extra benefits available during the coronavirus pandemic.
Senate News
Historically challenging school year begins
Arkansas teachers and students are beginning the most challenging school year in living memory.
Transportation Department Upgrading Its Website
The Transportation Department is upgrading its web site to make it easier for Arkansas drivers to follow the progress of highway construction projects.
Forestry Continues to Be a Pillar of Arkansas Economy
More than 28,000 Arkansas residents work in the forest products industry, cutting trees, producing paper and pulp, manufacturing furniture and shipping wood products across the world.
State Expanding Broadband Access
The state Education Department will spend $10 million to expand Internet access in every school district in Arkansas.
Education Pays Dividends Over the Course of a Career
The average debt that a student incurs to earn a bachelor’s degree in Arkansas is almost $2,000 less than the national average. Over the course of a 30-year career, a person with a bachelor’s degree will earn an estimated $1.25 million, compared to $550,000 that a college dropout will earn over the same period.
Sales Tax Holiday to Occur on Weekend of August 1 and August 2
Arkansas will hold its annual sales tax holiday on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2.
Arkansas Responds to Crisis in Foster Care System
The number of Arkansas children in foster care continued to go down last year, after reaching an all-time high in 2016 and prompting dramatic measures from elected officials to improve the state’s child welfare system.