jeff wardlaw
Rural Arkansans face long ambulance wait times, nationwide study says
All 75 counties in Arkansas have at least one ambulance desert, meaning it takes paramedics longer than 25 minutes to drive to some residents’ homes, according to a nationwide study published in May. Several factors, particularly limited public and private revenue in sparsely populated areas, drive this scarcity of potentially life-saving health services, according to […]
Arkansas lawmakers approve emergency rules for new school voucher program
The Arkansas Legislative Council’s Executive subcommittee on Thursday reviewed and approved proposed emergency rules governing the state’s new education voucher program. The Senate and House Interim Committees on Education recommended them for review and approval on Monday. The Legislative Council will consider final approval on Friday. A provision of the LEARNS Act, the Educational Freedom […]
Southeast Arkansas hospital awarded $5M in American Rescue Plan Act relief funds
Arkansas lawmakers awarded nearly $5 million in federal funds on Tuesday to a rural Southeast Arkansas hospital that will start merging with the Baptist Health system on July 1. Drew Memorial Health System will receive $4,926,897 from the pot of money, originally more than $1.5 billion, allocated to Arkansas from the American Rescue Plan Act […]
Arkansas panel votes to ban state investments with managers who consider ESG factors
Arkansas lawmakers voted on Wednesday to divest state holdings from financial services providers that do not invest in energy or firearms companies. Approval from the House State Agencies and Government Affairs Committee was House Bill 1307‘s first step to becoming law. It now goes before the full House for consideration. The bill directs the state […]