legislature

Tourism in Arkansas is making a big comeback.  While the pandemic severely impacted the industry in 2020, there are signs that tourism is rebounding and doing better than before the health emergency began. The tourism tax collections for March 2021…

In the 10th week of the 2021 Regular Session, the House passed several bills focusing on improved education. Once enacted, these bills would increase funding for our public schools, raise teacher salaries, and require every high school student to complete…

There are 25 proposed constitutional amendments filed in the House and 18 in the Senate. The deadline to file proposed amendments was February 10. Proposals range from creating a citizens commission on minimum wage to tort reform. The House State…

First-term state Sen. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) has hit the ground running during the 2021 regular legislative session, serving as a co-sponsor on nine bills and primary sponsor on two bills. One of the bills – Senate Bill 153 – that…

The 93rd General Assembly convened this week, and today I’d like to talk about the goals that I shared with legislators in my State of the State address. I expect legislation that will boost our economy from tax cuts to reduced…

Public participation is an essential part of our democracy. In preparation for the upcoming session, House and Senate leadership have agreed to a few rules so Arkansans can participate in an environment that is as safe and healthy as possible.…

Arkansas’ legislature is considered a part-time citizen legislature. Most House members have a full-time career in addition to their legislative obligations. Members typically come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and the 93rd General Assembly is no exception. The…

Starting Monday, Nov. 16, Arkansas state legislators began pre-filing bills to be considered in the upcoming regular legislative session. On the first day of pre-filing, two bills and one concurrent resolution were submitted. Sen. Jim Hendren (R) was the primary…

The 2021 Regular Session begins in less than two months. We want to take this week to update you on the ongoing budget hearings in preparation for the session. Pre-session budget hearings have been extended. They began last month and…

The Arkansas General Assembly is expected to begin meeting Thursday, March 26 in special session to address the coronavirus pandemic in Arkansas. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that he is planning to begin the special session on Thursday. However, he noted…