Trent Garner
Tax Fighters Take Aim at Arkansas Income Levy
If Arkansas politicians succeed in a push to abolish the state personal income tax, partly to avoid losing ultra-wealthy residents, the state must reckon with what it will give up: $3 billion a year in revenue. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Hutchinson: Biden Vaccine Mandate Not Right Approach
Gov. Asa Hutchinson says President Joe Biden's mandate that many private businesses require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is the wrong approach for boosting vaccination rates. read more >
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UA Board Votes to Require Masks on Campuses
The University of Arkansas' governing board votes to require masks on its campuses, as dozens of school districts imposed their own mandates. read more >
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Judge Blocks State From Enforcing Mask Mandate Ban
An Arkansas judge has temporarily blocked the state from enforcing a law that prevents schools and other governmental agencies from requiring masks. read more >
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Schools Sue, Mayor Defies Arkansas Mask Mandate Ban
Arkansas’ ban on mask mandates faced new legal challenges and defiance from the mayor of the state capital as Republican lawmakers rejected efforts to roll back the prohibition. read more >
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Asa Hutchinson Ponders Future in GOP Turned Trumpian
At a time when red state governors like Ron DeSantis in Florida and Kristi Noem of South Dakota are carrying forward Donald Trump's rhetoric and policies, Gov. Asa Hutchinson is doing the opposite. read more >
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Governor Says He’ll Sign Bill That Aims to Nullify Gun Laws
Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he'll sign a bill that would bar state and local law officers from helping enforce new and future federal gun restrictions. read more >
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Arkansas Lawmakers Back Bans on Mask, Vaccine Requirements
Arkansas lawmakers give initial approval to measures prohibiting requiring proof of coronavirus vaccination to access services and governments imposing mask mandates similar to one recently lifted by the state. read more >
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Arkansas Lawmakers Won’t Meet This Year on Virus Declaration
Arkansas lawmakers will not meet this month to vote on whether to support the state's coronavirus emergency declaration, House and Senate leaders said Tuesday, rejecting a request from Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. read more >
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Update: Governor Extends School Closures to End of Academic Year
Gov. Asa Hutchinson extends the closing of Arkansas schools through the end of the school year. read more >
Arkansas Cities Seek to Create ‘Entertainment Districts’
A number of Arkansas cities — including El Dorado, Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Texarkana — are either considering or are taking steps toward creating “entertainment districts” that would allow the open carry of alcohol. read more >
by Jan Cottingham -
Arkansas Senate Approves Tobacco Tax Increases for Tax Cuts
The Arkansas Senate has narrowly approved a $100 million plan to raise taxes on tobacco and e-cigarettes to pay for a package of tax cuts for low- and middle-income residents. read more >
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Solar Energy Bill Clears Senate, Heads to House Committee
Arkansas senators Wednesday passed by a 28-2 vote Senate Bill 145, a key legislative priority for Arkansas’ solar power industry. read more >
Arkansas Lawmakers Eye More Abortion Restrictions Next Year
Arkansas' predominantly Republican Legislature is preparing to take up new abortion restrictions when lawmakers convene next month, even as the state's past efforts to restrict the procedure remain caught up in legal fights. read more >
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Arkansas GOP Talks School Safety, But Not Guns (Andrew DeMillo Analysis)
Arkansas' Republican governor and lawmakers have made it clear they want school security on the agenda when they return to the Capitol for next year's session. But, unlike Republican counterparts in other states and even the president, they're declaring the issue of gun control off-limits. read more >
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State Police Working on Training for Gun Law Expansion
An Arkansas law dramatically expanding where concealed handguns are allowed will take effect this week, but the training needed to carry those guns to college campuses, bars, government buildings and other new locations may not be available until early next year. read more >
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Arkansas Senate Exempts College Sporting Events from Concealed Carry Law
The state Senate votes to exempt college sporting events from a new law expanding where concealed handguns are allowed, addressing concerns that the gun rights measure would lead to armed spectators at stadiums and arenas. read more >
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Arkansas Lawmakers Eye More Changes to Campus Guns Bill
Arkansas lawmakers said Monday they're negotiating more changes to a bill allowing concealed handguns on college campuses after it faced resistance from the National Rifle Association over its age and training restrictions. read more >
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Arkansas Senate Panel Backs Bill Requiring Colleges to Allow Guns
An Arkansas Senate panel on Wednesday advanced legislation requiring colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus, rejecting a proposal to make employees who want to be armed undergo additional training. read more >
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