During the 2023 session the legislature enacted a series of bills designed to protect children from exposure to sexually inappropriate literature, live performances and Internet sites.
We all know recycling is a commonsense way to be responsible stewards of our environment – but recycling also strengthens our economy and creates hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs nationwide. This is something I believe everyone can agree is truly a “win-win.”
Anytime I write about the criminal justice system and those sentenced to jail or prison for their crimes, I want to make sure I get all the details correct. That’s for two reasons: to be fair to the defendant and to be fair to the victims and/or the general public.
Look around Arkansans – your state has changed a lot in the past 100 days. Since I took office in January, my administration has launched sweeping overhauls of our schools, public safety, tax system, and more.
Last week during the Huntsville School Board’s work session about implementation of the LEARNS act, board member Steve Brannan asked Superintendent Jonathan Warren if any lawsuits concerning the act, which takes effect July 1, will occur.
I can’t imagine how hard the adrenaline was pumping in Luke Eaton last week.
The legislature passed legislation to save Arkansas families about $100 million a year in lower income taxes. The bill also lowers corporate income taxes and will save Arkansas businesses about $24 million a year.
We can all be glad the exhausting, tumultuous, sometimes divisive legislative session adjourned last week. One bright spot was major changes planned for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) didn’t materialize.
Sometimes I truly hate writing some of the articles I do. Such was the case last week with the tragic and untimely death of area first-responder Kevin Patrick.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that lengthens prison sentences for violent offenders and requires prison inmates to work harder to qualify for parole.
Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, all age 9. Mike Hill, 61, Cynthia Peak, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60. All six died last week when a former student opened fire in The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn.
As I often travel between home and Washington, D.C., I’m constantly reminded how blessed we are to live in The Natural State. With its beautiful rivers, majestic mountains and incredible wildlife, Arkansas has long celebrated and utilized these resources in a variety of ways. The abundance of natural treasures is one of the many reasons people are drawn to the state for recreation opportunities.
In every regular session the legislature can refer up to three proposed constitutional amendments to voters.
Two things are scheduled to happen on Saturday. Let’s hope the weather cooperates so both events can have good results.
The legislature has advanced a long list of bills to prevent voter fraud and protect the integrity of elections.
An interesting discussion took place Monday night at the Madison County Quorum Court meeting.
The Arkansas House last week approved a proposed law that could make school and public librarians open to criminal liability for the distribution of “obscene” content. Seven Republicans joined 18 House Democrats in voting against Senate Bill 81, which I wrote about in last week’s edition of The Record. If the bill becomes law, local quorum courts could actually be the ones to decide what materials appear in libraries. Rep. DeAnn Vaught, a Republican from Horatio, voted against the bill, calling it “government overreach.”
The 118th Congress has already provided multiple opportunities to roll back proposed or recently enacted rules, regulations and legislation that is bad for Arkansas and our country.
Now that the legislature has given final approval to the education bill proposed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, I can say that she successfully completed one the most politically courageous moves I have ever witnessed.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed her signature education package into law last Wednesday, just two weeks after the bill was filed. The Arkansas Senate the day before approved Senate Bill 294, also called the LEARNS Act, on a vote of 26-8, after it was amended in the House of Representatives.