Government & Politics
Probe finds cheating in GED program at Arkansas’ youth lockups
Arkansas officials last year noticed a suspicious increase in incarcerated juveniles earning GEDs. A review of classroom surveillance footage during a preliminary GED test at Mansfield Juvenile Treatment Center confirmed their fears. An educator for the contractor that runs Arkansas’ youth lockups provided answers to students, state records show. Sarah Gober, a then-teacher for Rite […]
Arkansas pro-marijuana activists oppose latest recreational effort
The staunchest opposition to this year’s recreational marijuana ballot initiative comes from an unexpected group — Arkansas’ most prominent advocates for cannabis legalization. This band of activists is willing to wait at least another two years to transition the drug’s status in the state from strictly medical to recreational. To them, a vote for the […]
Arkansas income tax rate changes explained
The Arkansas General Assembly last week convened in special session primarily to enact tax relief. The law, which easily passed the House and Senate, was billed by proponents as relief for taxpayers in a time of high inflation. Several also referenced the $1.6 billion surplus the state ended with in fiscal 2022. Opponents argued that […]
Welcome to the Arkansas Advocate, a fresh voice in state news
Thirty-eight years ago, my bride and I drove up from Baton Rouge and into Arkansas in her Datsun B210 hatchback. Looking for adventure, we planned to camp and hike during our honeymoon. We pitched our tent on Mount Nebo on July 4. Over the next few days, we toodled along scenic routes through the Bostons […]
$50M set aside for school security grant program
Arkansas legislators last week set aside $50 million for a school-safety grant program for which the rules have yet to be written. At least one legislator said the size of the grant program could grow during next year’s General Assembly. “I don’t think $50 million is the final price tag,” Rep. Lane Jean, co-chair of […]
Why same-sex marriage has become a less polarizing issue for Congress
While public opinion and different state laws on abortion rights are sharply dividing the country, there’s growing indication that most people agree on another once-controversial topic – protecting same-sex marriage. The U.S. House of Representatives voted on July 19, 2022, to enshrine same-sex marriage into law with a bipartisan vote – all 220 Democratic representatives […]
Arkansas COVID numbers decline, continuing trend
Active coronavirus cases continued to trend downward in Arkansas on Monday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health’s COVID-19 data portal. The department considers “active” cases to be currently infectious. The 860 fewer active cases Monday were a sharp dive after Sunday’s decline of 116 active cases, according to ADH data. Active cases totaled 11,044 […]
Farm bill season arrives: What’s the outlook for 2023?
WASHINGTON — Over the course of the next year, lawmakers on the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees will draft a new federal farm bill that will shape food, farm, conservation and nutrition programs across the country for the next five years. The omnibus law that began 90 years ago as crop supports now has […]
State attorneys general unite against robocalls
Nothing has been able to kill scam robocalls — not federal regulation, not individual state lawsuits, not private software. Each effort has made a dent, but the unwanted calls keep on coming, much to the consternation of Americans on the receiving end. Now, all 50 state attorneys general, Republicans and Democrats, have come together through […]
Arkansas adds 5 new monkeypox cases
Arkansas health officials identified five more cases of monkeypox on Monday, bringing the state’s cumulative case total to 20. A lab identified the first case of the virus, a less-severe cousin of smallpox, in July. As of Friday, the state had 15 cases. Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain and a painful rash that […]
Biden signs landmark bill aiding veterans exposed to burn pits overseas
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed legislation into law Wednesday that will provide health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, achieving a long-term, personal goal. “I was in and out of Iraq over 20 times,” Biden said of prior trips to the war zone he took as both […]