Download DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Biosciences Institute (ABI) has secured more than a billion dollars in research funding since it was created about 25 years ago, its directors announced at a recent meeting. They emphasized that the billion dollars did not come from a government appropriation or a large grant that designated a […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The state Department of Education has released letter grades for all public schools in Arkansas. They can be found on the Department’s web site. The Internet address for the school report cards is quite lengthy. Perhaps the simplest way to access them is to conduct a search for “Arkansas school […]
Weekly UpdatesPDF of Letter On Friday, September 26, 2025, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Blake Johnson with President Pro Tempore, Senator Bart Hester, with 24 other state senators sent a letter to U.S. Senators urging them to extend funding to prevent a government shutdown.
News ReleasesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Last year about 173,000 Arkansans spent more than 265 million hours taking care of family members or friends who were suffering from Alzheimer’s. They were not paid for those hours. Measured another way, that amount of care would have cost $5.4 billion if government or private insurance had paid for […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Earlier this year the legislature enacted broad measures to improve maternal health care in Arkansas, and progress is already being made. Act 140 of 2025, also known as the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act, makes maternal care more available for women of all ages and socio-economic categories. Act 140 has […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas education officials are promoting more “acceleration’ in schools because they believe students can handle more rigorous content, the Secretary of Education told legislators. Acceleration means teaching middle schoolers more subjects that used to be strictly limited to high schools. It means encouraging high school students to take concurrent college […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, superintendents and school boards will learn to adjust to a new system of property and casualty insurance. It’s called SCIP for short. That stands for the State Captive Insurance Program that was created by legislation enacted earlier this year in Act 779 to create […]
Weekly UpdatesI am saddened to learn of the passing of Senator Stubblefield this morning. He was a man of deep faith in his Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He was a man of integrity and was committed to the protecting rights of the unborn and the protection of the Second Amendment. My thoughts and prayers are with […]
News ReleasesThe members and staff of the Arkansas Senate mourn the passing of Senator Gary Stubblefield, 74, who died on Tuesday, September 2. Senator Stubblefield was elected to the Senate in 2012, after serving two terms in the House of Representatives. He represented Senate District 26. Media – Senator Gary Stubblefield Biography Information
News ReleasesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The inmate population in Arkansas prisons will grow by an estimated two percent a year until 2035, according to an expert’s presentation at a conference of county officials, sheriffs, prison administrators and lawmakers. There is general agreement that Arkansas needs to add prison space in order to relieve overcrowding in […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The director of the state Division of Children and Family Services told lawmakers that much of the agency’s improvements in recent years is due to greater involvement on the part of faith-based groups, churches and private sector organizations. For example, CarePortal is a program that the Arkansas Family Alliance uses […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Earlier this year the legislature approved Act 302 to allow executions by nitrogen hypoxia. The act took effect on August 5, the same day 10 inmates on death row filed suit to challenge its constitutionality. Execution by nitrogen hypoxia occurs when the inmate is forced to breathe nitrogen and therefore […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas colleges and universities will spend about $279 million on athletics during the upcoming school year. State law requires all state-supported institutions of higher education to certify their budgeted revenues and expenditures for athletics. The results are submitted every summer to the state Higher Education Coordinating Board. State law also […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas tourism continued to grow last year, generating $17.4 billion to the state’s economy and supporting almost 72,000 jobs. Every year the state Department of Parks Heritage and Tourism commissions an analysis of the economic impact of tourism. In 2024 about 52 million visitors were welcomed in Arkansas, an increase […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas sales tax holiday this year will be on the first weekend in August, Saturday and Sunday, August 2 and 3. Consumers will not have to pay sales tax on any articles of clothing that cost less than $100. The exempted items include pants, shirts, dresses and shoes. Also […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – About 325,000 Arkansas children have qualified for Summer EBT, which provides them with $120 for food purchases during the months when they do not receive free or reduced priced meals at school. Last summer 293,000 children qualified. The program was new and didn’t start until the middle of the summer. […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – After more than five years of steady progress in expanding research and outreach programs, the leading cancer institute in Arkansas is just about ready to apply for designation as a National Cancer Institute. Leadership at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – More than 4,200 Arkansas teachers will receive merit bonuses averaging $3,325 as part of an incentive program created two years ago to retain the best teachers and recruit them in subject areas that are most in demand. The incentive program is part of the LEARNS Act, a sweeping series of […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC Senator Irvin Pleased with UAMS Choosing Dr. Barnes as Interim Chancellor June 30, 2025 LITTLE ROCK — C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has been named interim chancellor of the university and will begin July 11. […]
News ReleasesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Due to its growing popularity, legislators allocated an additional $90 million to Educational Freedom Accounts. The chief financial officer of the Education Department said that without the additional funds the state would not be able to make first quarter payments before the upcoming school year. The governor proposed and the […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Tuition will increase at almost all Arkansas universities and colleges in the fall. The University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees has approved tuition and fees for the school year that begins in the fall of 2025. The system comprises five four-year universities, several colleges in the medical school, an […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC Arkansas teacher salaries went up 3.2 percent last year, to an average of $54,309. That ranked Arkansas 45th in the country. However, when the cost of living is factored in, salaries in Arkansas ranked 33rd in the country. It costs more to live in California, New York and other states with higher teacher […]
Weekly UpdatesDOWNLOAD DOC LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas ranks first in the nation in election integrity, according to the most recent study by the Heritage Foundation. Last year Arkansas ranked number eight. At a press conference at the Capitol, the Governor, the Secretary of State and members of the legislature announced the newest ranking. They attributed the […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The state Department of Human Services has contracted with experts at the University of Arkansas to update the current health care system, in order to fill the gaps in coverage for people who face the gravest health risks. The Department has identified three groups who face higher risks for poor […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas legislature and the governor agreed earlier this year that food stamps should not be used to buy candy, soft drinks and junk food. Now it appears that the federal government also agrees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved a waiver that allows Nebraska to impose the first […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Officials who recruit industry to Arkansas are saying that the 2025 legislative may turn out to be the most significant of the past 25 years. The legislature approved a package of laws designed to boost energy production, simplify regulations and create well paid jobs. Act 373, also known as the […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The legislature officially adjourned the 2025 regular session on May 5, and is not scheduled to convene again until the 2026 fiscal session. The legislature will consider spending bills during next year’s fiscal session, which begins at noon on the second Wednesday in April. The legislature changed the starting date […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Medicaid expansion program known as ARHOME must be renewed every five years, and earlier this year the Department of Human Services submitted a renewal application to federal authorities that includes a revised work requirement for recipients. Also this year the legislature approved Act 774 to achieve more than […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The legislature agreed on three proposed amendments to the state Constitution. One measure would expand the economic development authority of local governments. Another proposal would protect the right to keep firearms, ammunition, firearm accessories and components. The third proposed amendment would prohibit people who are not citizens of the United […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The legislature completed the 2025 regular session after approving a balanced budget, increasing public school funding, making higher education more accessible and improving maternal health care. State government spending will be about $6.5 billion next fiscal year. That is a 2.89 percent increase over this year. The increase reflects economic […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas is at the center of a national battle between local pharmacies on the one hand, and on the other hand a giant industry known as Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). It is a battle of economic life and death. Local pharmacies accuse PBMs of anti-competitive practices and multiple violations of […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate voted to create a new and sustainable property insurance plan to help school districts meet the rising cost of property insurance. Senate Bill 481 is the result of two years of work by legislators, school administrators and state officials. Two years ago the governor and legislators agreed to […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – Beginning on May 7, Arkansas residents will need to produce a “Real ID” in order to board a domestic flight, enter a federal building or visit a military base. If you don’t have a Real ID, you must present additional forms of identification along with your driver’s license. On May […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The legislature has approved and sent to the governor a bill that clarifies the meaning of a medical emergency when the life of a pregnant woman and her unborn children are threatened. House Bill 1610 defines a medical emergency as a condition which complicates the medical condition of a pregnant […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate passed legislation with far-reaching changes in how state-supported colleges and universities divide state aid, and how students qualify for scholarships. One of the most noticeable changes will be in how much is awarded the first year to students who qualify for an Academic Challenge Scholarship. Now, students receive […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate has approved a property tax cut that will save Arkansas homeowners $56 million every year. The tax reduction is in Senate Bill 263, which will take effect in 2026. It raises the homestead property tax credit by $100 to $600 a year. The credit is currently $500. About […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate has approved a package of bills with tougher regulations for the signature-gathering process by which citizens can place issues on statewide ballots. In recent years the legislature has passed numerous new laws to prevent voter fraud and protect election integrity. The Secretary of State, the top election official […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate approved legislation to transfer the powers of the state Library Board to the Education Department. The same bill transfers the authority of the Arkansas Educational Television Commission to the Education Department. The measure is Senate Bill 184. It passed in the Senate by a vote of 23-to-8 and […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC February 26, 2025 Senate Information Office: 501-682-5954 The Republican Women’s Legislative Caucus will hold a press conference at 1:00 pm in the Old Supreme Court Room to announce their agenda for the 2025 session. Legislators will provide details about legislation to address these issue: – reforms in the state […]
AnnouncementsDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate approved legislation to improve maternal health care in Arkansas, especially in areas where existing medical services are lacking. Also, a bill to provide a free breakfast every day to all students continued to breeze through the legislature and should soon be sent to the governor for her signature. […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate voted to provide all public school children with a free breakfast, regardless of their income, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Also, the Senate passed legislation to restrict students’ cell phone use during the school day. State budget officials estimate that it will cost $14.7 million a year […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The Senate passed legislation to prohibit discrimination and preferential treatment in state government, public schools and state-supported institutions of higher education. The written intent of Senate Bill 3 is “to prohibit discrimination by public entities on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.” The bill allows people […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC The Arkansas Senate quickly approved legislation to protect the rights of more than 500 victims of child sex abuse who have already won civil cases and are waiting for their settlements to become official. Senators unanimously approved Senate Bill 13 on the same day that attorneys for a former pediatrician, and convicted child […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC January 17, 2025 LITTLE ROCK – The 2025 legislative session got off to a fast start. By the end of the session’s third day more than 200 bills had been introduced. In November the governor presented a balanced budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year. The legislature’s Joint Budget Committee has already begun […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC LITTLE ROCK – The timing could not have been better for the good news Arkansas just received. A $17 million federal grant to improve maternal health care was formally announced a few days before the beginning of the 2025 legislative session. Improving maternal health care is high on the legislature’s list of priorities […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC Anyone who commits a violent felony in 2025 will learn that Arkansas law has become much tougher on serious criminals. They will serve longer prison sentences, and many serious offenders will not be eligible for early release. If they are eligible, they will have to work harder to earn it. If they satisfy […]
Weekly UpdatesDownload DOC The legislature’s list of accomplishments in 2024 was highlighted by a $438 reduction in income taxes for Arkansas families and businesses. Individual income taxes for about 1.1 million Arkansas taxpayers will go down because the legislature lowered the top rate from 4.4 percent to 3.9 percent. The legislature also lowered corporate income taxes […]
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