News
Panel approves bill barring mandatory implicit bias training in schools
The House Education committee on Thursday advanced a proposal to prohibit public schools and state-supported higher education institutions from requiring employees to participate in implicit bias training. The State Board of Education also could not require the training for obtaining or renewing an educator license or for professional development. Sponsored by Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R-Centerton), […]
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.” […]
Vote on short-term rental bill delayed until after Spring Break
An Arkansas lawmaker pulled down a bill to deregulate short-term rental properties to amend it after hours of discussion and testimony on the proposal Wednesday. Senate Bill 197 would prohibit local municipalities from enacting ordinances to prohibit or limit the use of property as a short-term rental. The legislation defines short-term rental as a single-family […]
Arkansas House committee votes down bill to loosen public meetings law
EDITORS’ NOTE: Advocate Editor Sonny Albarado testified against House Bill 1610 during the March 15, 2023, meeting of the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs in his capacity as a member of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Coalition. A panel of state representatives rebuffed an attempt on Wednesday to allow members of local […]
U.S. Senate leader calls for safety audit into all major railroads after Ohio derailment
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Wednesday for the federal authority responsible for determining the causes of transportation casualties to investigate the safety culture at all major North American freight railroads. Following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment that caused a toxic chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, Schumer, a New York Democrat, said […]
South Dakota congressman advocates expansion of work requirements for federal food aid
WASHINGTON — Republican South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson introduced a bill Tuesday aimed at expanding work requirements for federal nutrition aid, reigniting a perennial conflict over how Congress navigates both the farm bill and federal spending. “Work is the best pathway out of poverty,” Johnson, who in his home state has talked about growing up […]
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 […]
Noncitizens allowed to vote in some local elections, spurring backlash from GOP
A few cities and towns around the U.S. are letting noncitizens vote in local elections, and more could follow. In response, Republicans see a chance to turn opposition to noncitizen voting into a national rallying cry. On March 14, Washington, D.C., became the latest city to approve noncitizen voting, when a bill allowing the District’s […]
Applications now available for LEARNS Act workgroups
The Arkansas Department of Education issued a Commissioner’s Memo on Tuesday inviting Arkansans to participate in the implementation of the LEARNS Act. Through volunteer workgroups, participants will contribute to the development of rules and policies for the expansive education bill that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law last week. The LEARNS Act takes unprecedented […]
Idaho Legislature’s attorneys file appeal over right to intervene in federal abortion case
Attorneys hired to represent the Idaho Legislature in a federal case over Idaho’s abortion ban have appealed their right to intervene in the case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, according to records. The lawsuit, filed in August by the U.S. Department of Justice against the state of Idaho, argues the state’s near-total ban […]
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 […]