leslie rutledge
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders reverses predecessor’s position on mask mandates
The Arkansas governor’s office asserts that it is unconstitutional for public entities to require people to wear masks as a COVID-19 prevention measure, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Wednesday, just over a week after taking office. Sanders’ predecessor, fellow Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, signed a 2021 law prohibiting state and local governments, including public school […]
House owned by landlord previously sued by AG no longer risks tenants’ life and safety, lawyer says
The house on West 24th Street in Little Rock where Terry Lauderdale and his two roommates live has had its problems since they moved in almost a year ago, he said. What caused the most distress for the tenants and caught the attention of city code inspectors was exposed electrical wiring. “A puppy bit into […]
Arkansas Attorney General directs $140 million in opioid settlement funds to general revenue fund
This story was updated at 3:01 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, to include additional comments from Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office. Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge wants the Arkansas Legislature to decide how to spend more than $140 million in opioid settlement money awarded to the state. Rutledge is directing the […]
Arkansas AG-elect Tim Griffin restructures office, appoints senior staff
Arkansas Attorney General-elect Tim Griffin will restructure the attorney general’s office staff, eliminating the chief of staff and two deputy chief of staff positions. Griffin in a Friday announcement said the office’s new “unified supervisory structure” would be led by newly named Chief Deputy Attorney General Bob Brooks Jr. Griffin, currently Arkansas’ lieutenant governor, also […]
State settles 2019 lawsuit against Pulaski County landlord over health, safety risks
This brief has been updated at 2:15 p.m. on Dec. 8, 2022, with additional information about the settlement. The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office settled a lawsuit against a Little Rock and North Little Rock landlord in September, prohibiting the individual and his company from leasing units that risk the health and safety of the tenants. […]
Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership offers funding opportunities for mitigation programs
Overdose deaths are increasing in Arkansas and despite efforts to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic, recovery and support services are not always available in the communities that need them most. Exodus.Life executive director Myra Woolfolk hopes to change that with support from the Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership, which is offering $16 million for programs […]
Trial challenging Arkansas ban on gender-affirming care for minors resumes
The trial against Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender youth resumed Monday with the second witness for the defense, led by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office. Monday’s witness was Dr. Stephen Levine, an Ohio-based psychiatrist with a focus on sexual dysfunction and “transsexualism,” as transgender identity was called in the 1970s when his […]
Six GOP-led states win national injunction against Biden student debt relief plan
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Monday issued a nationwide injunction indefinitely blocking the Biden administration’s student debt relief program in response to a challenge by six GOP-led states. The unanimous ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis came after the six states — Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and […]
Little Rock housing complex facing AG lawsuit set to go to city court Monday
Management of a housing complex on Colonel Glenn Road is scheduled for a Little Rock environmental court hearing Monday after multiple delays. Big Country Chateau faces several city code violations for unsafe and unhealthy living conditions, including mold, broken windows and scattered trash. Tenants have said that management often has not responded to maintenance requests […]
Arkansas AG, 17 others ask SEC for more comment time on ESG rules
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge joined her counterparts in 17 other states asking the Securities and Exchange Commission for more public comment time on proposed rules regarding so-called “woke” investment criteria. The new rules would require publicly traded companies to report additional climate-related data, like greenhouse gas emissions insights. They’d also require investors and funds […]
Attorney general candidates spar over abortion, recreational marijuana
During an Arkansas PBS debate Wednesday, Arkansas Attorney General candidates disagreed over Roe v. Wade, which affirmed a constitutional right to abortion in 1973. Democrat Jesse Gibson said the ruling was correct while Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin, a Republican, said the case was not properly decided. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the case in June. […]
Political civility, school choice focus of lieutenant governor debate
All three candidates for Arkansas lieutenant governor agreed there needs to be more civility in politics during a debate hosted by Arkansas PBS Tuesday. As attorney general, Leslie Rutledge said she’s had the opportunity to work with the Legislature on difficult issues and she hopes to bring that civility to the role of lieutenant governor […]