Briefs
Arkansas licensing board for home inspectors will be combined with two others under bill
A state Senate panel on Tuesday approved a bill that consolidates three real estate-related professional licensing boards into one despite strident objections from members of one of the boards. Senate Bill 354 would abolish the Arkansas Abstracters’ Board, Home Inspector Registration Board and the Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board and replace them with a single […]
Arkansas Senate approves bill restricting transgender adults’ bathroom use
The Arkansas Senate approved a proposed law Tuesday that would criminalize entering and remaining in bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match a person’s gender assigned at birth if there are children present. Senate Bill 270 would add the proposed Class C misdemeanor offense to existing state law regarding sexual indecency with a child. […]
Arkansas House votes to increase homestead tax credit by $50
The Arkansas House of Representatives on Monday unanimously supported increasing the state’s homestead property tax credit from $375 to $425 a year. The credit reduces a homeowner’s property tax liability on their primary residence. The sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Lanny Fite (R-Benton), said that increasing sales tax collections means the state can afford to […]
Bill that initially targeted drag shows becomes Arkansas law
A bill that originally would have restricted where drag performances can be held in Arkansas but now does not mention the word “drag” at all became law Friday. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed 15 bills on Friday, including Senate Bill 43, which was heavily amended earlier this month in order to survive potential legal challenges. […]
Support systems for pregnant and parenting high schoolers become Arkansas law
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law Friday that would create support systems in public and charter schools for pregnant and parenting teenagers. The Support for Pregnant and Parenting Students Act, or House Bill 1161, passed both chambers of the Legislature without a single “no” vote. It was sent to Sanders’ desk on Wednesday. […]
Public housing work requirement clears Arkansas Legislature
The Arkansas Legislature sent a proposed law that would require able-bodied adults to work or volunteer part-time to receive federal housing assistance to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ desk for approval Thursday. The House voted along party lines to pass the amended House Bill 1196, with 80 Republicans voting yes, 15 Democrats voting no, and two […]
Bipartisan group predicts U.S. debt default as soon as summer, depending on tax receipts
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan think tank expects that the United States will default on its debt in the summer or early fall, if Congress doesn’t take action to address the debt limit before then. The timeline is similar to one the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released last week, saying lawmakers have until sometime between July […]
Arkansas Senate committee votes to forbid absentee ballot drop boxes
A group of Arkansas senators recommended Thursday that the full Senate pass a ban on ballot drop boxes — a process that isn’t happening in Arkansas. Bill sponsor Sen. Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs) said Senate Bill 258 would prevent the use absentee ballot drop boxes, which he called a “beacon of mistrust,” from coming to […]
Bill requiring paid maternity leave from employers that cover abortion costs heads to Senate
The Arkansas House on Monday approved legislation requiring companies that cover expenses for employees who seek out-of-state abortions to also provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. Eleven states have passed paid family leave laws, according to the Center for American Progress. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, some national […]
Rural emergency hospital proposal passes Arkansas Senate unanimously
A proposed state law that could bolster federal funding for rural hospitals as an incentive to specialize in emergency and outpatient care passed the Arkansas Senate and was sent to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ desk Thursday. House Bill 1127 received “yes” votes from all 34 senators, with one senator absent. The bill passed the House […]
Arkansas committee OKs required paid maternity leave from employers that cover abortion costs
A proposed Arkansas law would require companies that pay for employees to receive abortions in other states to also provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. The bill passed the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee unanimously on Thursday and will go to the House floor for a vote. Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville) said […]
Arkansas governor creates group focused on workforce development
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders established the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet and the Chief Workforce Officer through executive order Thursday. Mike Rogers, senior director of Maintenance and Refrigeration for Tyson Foods, will serve as CWO. Rogers has taught agriculture and industrial maintenance at Siloam Springs High School for 20 years and was the Energy Manager for the […]