News Releases

Senate Information Office: 501-682-5954

LITTLE ROCK – Health Department officials will join members of the legislative Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor for a press conference about the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, at 1 p.m. Monday, March 9, in the Old Supreme Court Room of the state Capitol.

Senator Missy Irvin of Mountain View is chair of the Senate Committee on Public Health, and Representative Jack Ladyman of Jonesboro of the House committee will be available, as will Dr. Nathaniel Smith, the state Secretary of Health.

They will outline the steps that state government is taking to keep the public updated and how to find the most recent information. Also, they will outline what protocol businesses should follow when staff need time off from work.

Vaping would be restricted just as smoking cigarettes is restricted, it would be taxed like tobacco products and its marketing to minors would be prohibited under legislation drafted by Senator Jim Hendren of Gravette, the President Pro Tempore of the Arkansas Senate.

The Arkansas state Senate won the 2019 Efficiency Award, one of the Digital Government Transformation Awards presented by the Information Network of Arkansas and state leaders who are working to make government more transparent.

Transparency in government is a growth industry, if you analyze the number of people who watched the Arkansas Senate during the 2019 legislative session.