legislation
Rep. Ray escalates the assault on the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act
The attack on your right to know the hows and whys of government decisions in Arkansas grows more intense in the 94th General Assembly. Legislation filed Monday by Republican Rep. David Ray of Maumelle bulldozes the public records portion of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act of 1967. House Bill 1726 hides the following documents […]
Dozens of contested Arkansas school board races set for May 9
Several Arkansans are vying for a seat on their local school board in May, but legislation being considered by the Arkansas General Assembly could change how these elections are conducted in the future. Senate Bill 206, which was amended and re-referred to the Senate Education Committee in February, would allow school board elections to be […]
Public housing work requirement bill wins Senate approval
The Arkansas Senate approved legislation Monday that would require able-bodied adults to work, volunteer or train in order to receive public housing assistance. Senators voted 28-5 to send House Bill 1196 back to the House for final consideration. The legislation would require any public housing agency in the state to require able-bodied recipients of housing […]
U.S. likely to default on debt between July and September unless Congress acts, CBO says
WASHINGTON — Congress has until at least July to broker a bipartisan debt agreement if lawmakers want to avoid a first-ever default, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The nonpartisan scorekeeper, which typically details how much legislation would cost, released a report Wednesday saying that U.S. lawmakers and the Biden administration have until sometime between […]
U.S. Senate Democrats unveil legislation to ban high-capacity gun magazines
WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, along with 27 of his U.S. Senate colleagues, introduced legislation Tuesday to ban high-capacity magazines, which can be used on the type of semi-automatic firearm that is typically used in most mass shootings. “High-capacity magazines were designed for one purpose and one purpose only — high-capacity killing […]
More states are doing what they can to cap insulin cost
In her early 20s, Karisa Hunt learned the hard lesson of what happens when someone rations life-preserving medication. Hunt was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a 4 year old and has been on insulin since then to help control her blood sugar levels. But while in college and feeling guilty for saddling her parents […]
El Dorado’s Shepherd elected Arkansas House Speaker for third time
The Arkansas House gaveled into the 2023 legislative session on Monday with the swearing in of its members and the election of House Speaker Matthew Shepherd (R-El Dorado). Shepherd’s election to a third term means he will be the longest serving House speaker in state history. Only one member, Hope Hendren Duke (R-Gravette) voted against […]
Arkansas wildlife will benefit from legislation pending in lame-duck Congress
From the Ozarks to the Delta, Arkansas is home to some of our nation’s most cherished wildlife. But right now, more than 375 species across the state are facing significant challenges, due to increasing habitat loss, new invasive species, and extreme flooding. It’s part of a larger national trend where more than one-third of America’s wildlife are at […]
Talks over protecting Dreamers pick up in Congress, but agreement still elusive
WASHINGTON — In a last-minute push, U.S. senators are working on a bipartisan agreement to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children. But the success of any major immigration deal appears unlikely, as a lame-duck session of Congress dwindles into its last days. Democrats are […]
Democracy “absolutely” will survive, Hillary Clinton says in exchange at Crystal Bridges
Finding a place for trusted, accurate information is one of the biggest problems facing our democracy, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told a sold-out crowd at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville Wednesday evening. It’s “a dagger at the heart of democracy” and there’s no easy answer for how to solve […]
Same-sex marriage protected under bill passed by U.S. Senate with GOP support
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying many of the rights that would disappear if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn those landmark decisions the way it overturned the nationwide right to an abortion this summer. The 61-36 bipartisan vote sends the bill […]
U.S. House to intervene in rail workers strike, heeding Biden call
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday said the House will take up legislation to ratify an agreement between rail workers and operators in order to avert a nationwide rail strike. “This week, the House will take up a bill adopting the Tentative Agreement — with no poison pills or changes to the […]