Senate News

The Division of Workforce Services will close nine offices around the state as of a restructuring of offices that administer welfare programs.

As soon as the 2023 legislative session adjourned, the Senate and House Committees on Education began work on school funding in preparation for the 2025 session. Every two years the committees issue an adequacy report that sets a level of state funding of public schools that will comply with the state Constitution and state Supreme Court orders in school funding cases.

The Arkansas Medicaid program is re-examining the cases of hundreds of thousands of recipients to determine whether or not they remain eligible for services. By the end of April 72,802 cases were closed.

The major provisions of the new Protect Arkansas Act are well known, but they are only a few of the many measures passed during the 2023 regular session.

The scheduled finish of the 2023 regular session of the legislature is May 1, when lawmakers adjourn sine die. However, during the interim legislators will have plenty of influence over the daily operations of state government. The Legislative Council meets regularly to closely monitor state agency policies.

During the 2023 session the legislature enacted a series of bills designed to protect children from exposure to sexually inappropriate literature, live performances and Internet sites.

During the 2023 regular session the Arkansas legislature not only continued to lower state income taxes, but also reduced homeowners’ property taxes. Act 315 lowers property taxes by increasing the homestead property tax credit from $375 to $425 a year. It is effective beginning with assessment year 2023

The Legislature easily passed legislation to save Arkansas families about $100 million a year in lower income taxes. The bill also lowers corporate income taxes and will save Arkansas businesses about $24 million a year.

The Senate has approved legislation that lengthens prison sentences for violent offenders and requires prison inmates to work harder to qualify for parole.

In every regular session the legislature can refer up to three proposed constitutional amendments to voters. The measures referred during the 2023 session will be on Arkansas general election ballots of November, 2024. If a majority of voters approve, the amendments will become part of the state Constitution.