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Proposed ban on teachers using transgender pronouns heads to Arkansas Senate
The Arkansas House approved a bill Monday that would require school employees in Arkansas to address students and other employees by their given names and pronouns. House Bill 1468 would require written permission from a minor’s parent or guardian for school employees to use any “pronoun or title that is inconsistent” with the minor’s biological […]
Arkansas Medicaid recipients seek DHS response to feedback, more time to confirm eligibility
Medicaid recipients who are concerned about losing coverage soon did not let Friday’s pouring rain stop them from gathering in front of the Department of Human Services’ headquarters in downtown Little Rock. Three attendees carried umbrellas with the message “Don’t leave us waiting in the rain” painted on them. The small crowd chanted “What do […]
City court case against Little Rock residences with code violations near completion
The Little Rock environmental court cases against two residences with a history of code violations are still pending after a Thursday hearing. Big Country Chateau on Colonel Glenn Road has new citations against it after a February inspection, while a house on West 24th Street owned by a landlord with a history of legal issues […]
Arkansas legislators file two bills related to abortion during Spring Break
Arkansas legislators filed two bills Wednesday morning pertaining to abortion, which is all but illegal in the state. Arkansas has one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans, Act 180 of 2019, with the sole exception “to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency.” The act went into effect in June 2022, […]
Arkansas seeks federal disaster relief after winter storm earlier this year
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has asked President Joe Biden to issue a disaster declaration for 13 counties that experienced the worst of a four-day winter storm that hit the state in late January and early February. The request for federal public assistance covers 11 counties in southern Arkansas — Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland, Dallas, Desha, […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: The Arkansas Legislature takes a break
The Arkansas House and Senate adjourned on Thursday for a week off, and the Spring Break probably comes at a good time. Each legislative session hits a point — meetings go longer and patience grows shorter. This week, there seemed to be an uptick in bills failing on the floor of both the House and […]
Arkansas Senate approves proposal to increase food stamp asset limit
A proposed increase of Arkansas’ asset ceiling for federal nutrition assistance passed the Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support. Senate Bill 306 initially would have raised the resource limit to $12,500 for Arkansans to qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called food stamps. The bill was amended to lower the proposal to […]
Arkansas House approves bill to hold libraries accountable for ‘obscene’ material
The Arkansas House approved a proposed law on Wednesday that would open the door to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content by school and public libraries, despite bipartisan opposition. Seven Republicans joined the 18 House Democrats in voting against Senate Bill 81, including Rep. DeAnn Vaught (R-Horatio), who called the bill “government overreach.” […]
Bill to create anti-abortion monument at Arkansas Capitol heads to governor’s desk
A bill to create a “monument to the unborn” on the grounds of the Arkansas Capitol is on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ desk after it cleared the state Legislature on Tuesday. Senate Bill 307 passed the Senate on March 1 and the House on Tuesday with support solely from Republicans. All legislative Democrats except one […]
Arkansas governor signs law allowing malpractice suits for transgender minors’ health care
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law Monday that opens the door for medical malpractice lawsuits against doctors who provide gender-affirming care to transgender minors. Senate Bill 199, now Act 274, creates civil liability for a doctor who “performs a gender transition procedure on a minor … if the minor is injured, including without […]
Proposed law restricting school bathroom use will return to Arkansas House
A proposed law that would restrict bathroom use in Arkansas public and charter schools based on students’ gender assigned at birth passed the Senate with a 29-6 party-line vote Monday. House Bill 1156 would apply to multiple-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms, as well as rooms for students on overnight trips. It also requires schools to […]
Arkansas panel approves proposed ban on school employees using transgender individuals’ pronouns
A proposed law that would require school employees in Arkansas to address students and other employees by their given names and pronouns passed the House Education Committee on Thursday and will be heard by the full House. House Bill 1468 is meant to shield teachers and other school employees at all levels of public education […]