JUVENILE JUSTICE: The House Judiciary Committee approved, by a voice vote, a Do Pass recommendation for SB 294 to establish the Fair Sentencing of Minors Act. It prohibits sentencing youth to life without parole. It also creates a process for re-sentencing the...
Twenty years ago today, on March 10, 1997, then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee signed ARKids First into law. ARKids was Arkansas’s state-funded health insurance program, and bringing it to life was a monumental moment for kids and families in our...
HEALTH: HB1465, a bill to freeze enrollment in the Medicaid expansion program for low-income adults, passed out of the House of Representatives this week. The bill, which prevents any newly eligible people from enrolling in the health coverage program...
Arkansas has long sought a solution to the lack of ARKids First eligibility for children who lawfully migrate here from the Marshall Islands. On Monday, a smart solution emerged in the Arkansas House of Representatives. House Concurrent Resolution 1012...
A bad bill is coming back from the dead, and this time it is even worse. Despite failure in committee, a bill restricting SNAP (HB1035) purchases is returning with an amendment to make it even more harmful. The bill...
In case you missed it, here’s a recap of some of the big things that happened at the Arkansas State Capitol this week: TAX & BUDGET: What’s going on with all of those online sales tax bills? A bill...
Recently, two bills were filed that will impact the fluoridation of local water systems. Under current state law, municipalities with at least 5,000 citizens maintain fluoride levels in drinking water set by the Arkansas Department of Health to combat...
This was a fairly lively week at the State Capitol. In case you missed it, here are some of the highlights and a few things to look out for next week: FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY: On Thursday, Governor Asa Hutchinson...
Today Governor Asa Hutchinson signed into law a bill SB125 (now Act182) that expands access to paid maternity leave for Arkansas state employees. This monumental change puts Arkansas ahead of most other states, especially those in our region, in providing...
A significant victory for anti-hunger advocates (the defeat of HB1035) was tempered by the introduction of a new bill (HB1462), which could be even more damaging to families who rely on food assistance. HB1462 puts families at risk of...