The Arkansas House of Representatives is mourning the sudden loss of our colleague and friend, Representative Stan Berry, a man whose life was defined not by titles but by service, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the people of Arkansas. Representative Berry was serving his seventh term in the House, representing District 44, which includes [...]
Members of the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Hospital, Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee recently reviewed a report examining how Arkansas can better connect workforce development programs with social services that support families on their path to employment. The findings highlight a clear opportunity. Arkansas employers continue searching for workers while many Arkansans are looking for [...]
Arkansas is moving forward with a major investment in rural healthcare through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). In December, the state was awarded $208,779,396 for Fiscal Year 2026 as part of a nationwide, multi-year effort through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to strengthen healthcare access in rural communities. Over the next five [...]
The Arkansas House and Senate Insurance and Commerce Committees recently met to examine a growing threat impacting families across our state: financial fraud. The data presented to lawmakers was sobering. Seventy-three percent of adults have experienced an online scam or cyberattack. In 2024 alone, 4,238 fraud incidents were reported in Arkansas, totaling $51.8 million in [...]
The Senate Committee on Children and Youth and the House Committee on Aging, Children & Youth, and Legislative Affairs convened on Wednesday to examine issues affecting Arkansas children and families, with much of the discussion focused on how Act 189 of 2019 is reshaping the state’s juvenile justice system. For years, Arkansas experienced high levels [...]
This week, the House and Senate Education Committees took a wide-angle look at Arkansas education, examining issues ranging from early childhood access to the state’s constitutional funding obligations. Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and Deputy Commissioner Stacy Smith opened with an update on early childhood education, focusing on how Arkansas funds and delivers early [...]
Members of the Game and Fish/State Police Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council met this week to receive updates spanning wildlife management, public safety, and law enforcement coordination, offering a wide-ranging look at issues affecting Arkansas outdoors and communities. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Doug Schoenrock briefed legislators on an unusually dry waterfowl season. [...]
Members of the House and Senate Education Committees reviewed updates to the Arkansas ACCESS Act this week, underscoring its focus on strengthening the path students take from the classroom into college, careers, or service. ACCESS builds on the LEARNS Act with a common goal. By the time students graduate, they should be enrolled, employed, or [...]
As the new year approaches, Arkansans will soon see a number of laws passed by the House of Representatives and the General Assembly take effect. While the majority of legislation approved during the 2025 Regular Session became law 90 days after adjournment, many measures included a delayed effective date of January 1, 2026 to give [...]
The Arkansas Legislative Council and ALC subcommittees spent much of the week examining state finances and providing agency oversight. Members began with an update on state revenue, learning that year-to-date gross general revenue collections stand at approximately $3.31 billion. That total is about $58.9 million, or 1.8 percent, higher than collections at the same point [...]