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Arkansas attorney general files amicus brief in Arizona abortion case
Arkansas is leading a 17-state coalition asking the Arizona Supreme Court to reinstate that state’s near total abortion ban. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the attorneys general of Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia […]
Arkansas high court orders law license reinstated to former governor’s son
In a 4-3 decision, the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday reinstated the law license of William Asa Hutchinson III, who is facing drug and driving while intoxicated charges in Benton County. Hutchinson, the 47-year-old son of former Gov. Asa Hutchinson, was arrested Jan. 13 by a sheriff’s deputy after allegedly driving 71 mph in a […]
Yanking books off library shelves doesn’t really ‘protect children’
The puritanical extremists who’ve taken over the Saline County Republican Party aren’t satisfied with getting the county governing body to terrorize their local library. They’ve now launched an offensive public offensive to “Stop X-Rated books at the Saline County Library” via a billboard next to the Walmart in Benton. The billboard directs readers to a […]
Arkansas governor touts major accomplishments of first 100 days
With her parents and many Arkansas legislative leaders watching Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders reminded her audience that she “came here to shake things up.” With a spring breeze fluttering the flags behind her, Sanders spoke from a lectern set up outside the front doors of the Governor’s Mansion to mark her first 100 […]
Biden OKs request for 100% cost coverage for Arkansas storm cleanup
President Joe Biden on Saturday authorized an increase in the level of federal disaster response funds to 100% of the costs for debris removal and emergency protection stemming from the March 31 tornadoes that hit central Arkansas. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders had requested the increase on Tuesday after touring damaged areas of Pulaski, Lonoke and […]
Anti-transparency measure withers in Arkansas Senate committee
First, the good news: Rep. Mary Bentley’s bill narrowing what counts as a public meeting failed on a voice vote in a Senate committee Tuesday. That effectively kills it for this session. I hope. Thanks to the government transparency debate her legislation sparked, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the ambiguity in the Arkansas […]
Three Arkansas counties hit by tornadoes declared major disaster zones
President Joe Biden on Sunday declared a major disaster exists in Arkansas because of Friday’s tornadoes that struck Pulaski, Lonoke and Cross counties. The declaration makes federal funding available to individuals, businesses and government agencies for recovery and disaster mitigation. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who requested the declaration on Saturday, expressed appreciation in a statement […]
Tornadoes kill at least 5 in Arkansas, damage hundreds of homes and businesses
At least five people died in tornadoes in Arkansas on Friday, but officials reported no fatalities in Little Rock as of Saturday afternoon. The first death was reported in the city of North Little Rock in a tornado that struck a little after 2 p.m.; four were killed in Wynne, about 105 miles northeast of […]
An attempt to weaken Arkansas public records law fails in committee
Citizens prevailed over government secrecy Wednesday night in one of two skirmishes over your right to know. After nearly three hours of testimony, much of it from citizens who identified themselves as Republicans, the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee rejected a proposal that would have “disemboweled” the state’s public records law, as one […]
Rep. Ray escalates the assault on the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act
The attack on your right to know the hows and whys of government decisions in Arkansas grows more intense in the 94th General Assembly. Legislation filed Monday by Republican Rep. David Ray of Maumelle bulldozes the public records portion of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act of 1967. House Bill 1726 hides the following documents […]
Lawmaker to take another swing at your right to know
Rep. Mary Bentley is pushing for county governments, city councils and school boards to be more like the Legislature. The Perryville Republican points to the ease with which she can get together with or call other lawmakers to talk about possible legislation or pending bills. The ability to confer with other lawmakers out of the […]
A win for keeping the public in public meetings in Arkansas
Government transparency supporters in Arkansas won a skirmish Wednesday in a long-running battle over the public’s right to know. An Arkansas House committee, on a split voice vote, rejected proposed legislation that defined a public meeting as a quorum of a city, county or school district governing body or other state boards or commissions. House […]