ARPA
Lawmakers okay reallocation of $34 million for LEARNS Act initiatives
An Arkansas Legislative Council committee on Tuesday approved the reallocation of $34.7 million in federal recovery funding to support provisions of the LEARNS Act, a new law that changes multiple aspects of the state’s education system, including teacher pay, graduation requirements and literacy standards. Members of the ALC’s Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review subcommittee advanced […]
States criticized for spending federal relief funds on tax cuts, prisons
As states plan how they’ll spend the $25 billion remaining in federal COVID relief funds, some also are facing criticism and renewed scrutiny over how they allocated money already received from the American Rescue Plan Act. Of the $198 billion authorized by Congress in 2021, $173 billion already has been appropriated by states, the District […]
Executive order further delays ARPA funds distribution
An executive order from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders prompted the withdrawal Wednesday of more than a dozen requests for federal pandemic relief funds that had been pending for months on a legislative panel’s agenda. The order issued Tuesday by Sanders abolished the ARPA Steering Committee and the Governor’s Infrastructure Planning Advisory Committee. The steering committee’s […]
Lawmakers approve $20 million for Arkansas court management system upgrade
A legislative subcommittee on Tuesday approved $113.9 million in federal COVID relief funds to upgrade the state’s court management system and support broadband projects. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts will use $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars to accelerate development of a new system to replace its outdated one over the […]
Arkansas panel OKs $34.8 million in federal relief funds, but again delays other requests
An Arkansas Legislative Council subcommittee on Tuesday approved requests for $34.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding while again delaying action on more than a dozen proposals that have been held since September. During a Sept. 13 meeting, Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review subcommittee members expressed frustration that there wasn’t a plan for prioritizing […]