Author: Talk Business

Talk Business

Sparks Health Lays Off 50 In Fort Smith

Sparks Health System in Fort Smith announced Thursday (Mar. 30) a restructuring plan that will see the elimination of 50 non-medical jobs.

How About An Insurance Department Compromise?

The scuttlebutt this morning is that lawmakers have been negotiating all night on a resolution to their stalemate on the Insurance Department budget, which has been tripped up by a minority of House members opposed to $1 million in funding for federal health care reform.

Health Insurance Exchange Stalling Final Budget

It feels like the movie Groundhog Day.

Golden Living Adds 200 Jobs In Fort Smith

Golden Living is adding 200 new jobs at its Fort Smith administrative center – the former headquarters – bringing total employment in the region to approximately 875 people.

Acxiom Ceo Resigns; Major Write-downs Anticipated

Acxiom Corp. CEO John Meyer has resigned effective March 28, 2011, the company said.

House Democrats Alter Redistricting Plan

After days of negotiations and partisan criticism, Rep. Clark Hall (D-Marvell) and Rep. Eddie Cheatham (D-Crossett) reworked a Congressional District map with an amendment to a new shell bill.

Senate Panel Takes Up Congressional Redistricting (updated)

State Senators took up a Congressional redistricting plan posed as an alternative to the House-led "Fayetteville to the Fourth" map.

Insurance Department Funding Bill Fails Again (updated)

A funding bill for the Arkansas Insurance Department was debated for a second day in the House of Representatives, but it met the same fate as a day earlier.

Insurance Dept. Funding Defeat Threatens More Than Health Care Reform

Political wrangling over health care reform could throw a monkey wrench in legislators’ plans to go home on Friday or it could shut down a state agency aimed at protecting insurance consumers.

High-stakes Wal-mart Case Before U.s. Supreme Court

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the much-anticipated potential class-action sexual discrimination lawsuit, Dukes v. Wal-Mart.

Powell To Leave Usa Truck Board

Van Buren-based USA Truck, Inc. announced today Robert M. Powell will retire from his position as Chairman of the Board and as a member of the Board of Directors effective May 4, 2011, the day of the annual meeting of stockholders.

Ashdown Paper Mill To Lay Off 110

Domtar Corp. announced that it will permanently shut down one of four paper machines at its Ashdown pulp and paper mill no later than July 1, 2011. The move will result in permanent layoffs of 110 workers.

Tax Cut Bills Now Law Of The Land

Six bills that were part of a tax cut-budget compromise between Gov. Mike Beebe and House and Senate leaders have all been signed into law.

Alternative Redistricting Plans Surface

An opponent of the "Fayetteville to the Fourth" Congressional redistricting plan is promoting an alternative map that divides several counties, but keeps major cities in existing districts. Also, State Senators prepared to make a move to push their versions of Congressional redistricting through a Senate panel.

Tolbert: Overwhelming Opposition To ‘fayetteville To The Fourth’

The Tolbert Report confirms the obvious: Fayetteville residents are indeed unhappy with a potential move from the Third to the Fourth Congressional District.

Tolbert: Pro-life Groups Struggle To Pass Legislation

Jason Tolbert of the Tolbert Report writes in his weekly Stephens Media column on the fate of at least 7 pro-life bills that have yet to gain any traction in this year’s Arkansas Legislature.

Tolbert noted:

With the significant gains Republicans experienced in the 2010 elections, many expected pro-life bills would have a much easier time passing the Legislature this year. However, the opposite seems to have happened.

With only a few days remaining in the regular session, pro-life groups have yet to pass a single bill.

Tolbert lists several reasons for why he thinks the pro-life legislation hasn’t had greater success. He cites factors such as a pro-Democrat House Public Health Committee, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel’s office issuing opinions on the constitutionality of the bills, and Republican sponsors of the bills versus Democrats.

"In this session, the partisan divide has been greater on almost every issue, including the right to life," Tolbert concludes. You can read more at this link.

Broadband Leader Says ‘relevancy’ Is Key

Sam Walls, President of Connect Arkansas, says "relevancy" is the key to getting more Arkansans interested in broadband Internet.

Boozman Weighs In On Congressional Redistricting

U.S. Senator John Boozman (R) says Fayetteville should remain in the Third Congressional District, his former House seat.

Kuar: State Budget Legislation Unveiled

Arkansas’ $4.6 billion balanced budget has been agreed upon by legislative leaders and the Governor after a weekend of negotiations.

Bill To Regulate Federal Health Care Reform Passes Committee 11-7

The only new wrinkle in the debate over state regulation of federal health care reform were the 11 yes votes in the room.

Sides for and against the new federal law overseeing health care implementation raised the same arguments they’ve been raising for months. Supporters want the state to control its implementation of federal health care, while opponents argued that Arkansas regulators can wait until the federal courts decide the issue’s constitutionality.

HB 2138 was voted out of a packed House Insurance and Commerce committee room on a party line vote of 11-7. Two representatives who did not vote on Friday cast votes for the bill today: Rep. Keith Ingram (D-West Memphis) and Rep. Bobby Pierce (D-Sheridan). The bill must now pass the full House and State Senate.

"This bill is in the best interest of Arkansans," said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Fred Allen (D-Little Rock).

Former State Rep. Dan Greenberg argued that the committee was rushing to pass "a radical transformation" of the health care system. "It’s going to transform the doctor-patient relationship," Greenberg said.

He also suggested that lawmakers only have to "show progress" on the issue by January 2013. "All that’s required is that we have to be on track," Greenberg said.

Ray Handley, President of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and a former Hewlett Packard executive who helped build health insurance exchanges in other states, said that the insurance exchanges that HB 2138 would begin planning for will help consumers.

"The best analogy I’ve seen – they are for insurance what Travelocity is for plane tickets," Handley said. "If done right, this will let the consumer log on [and] shop for comparisons."

Glen Gallas, a small businessman from Hot Springs, TEA Party activist and former GOP Congressional candidate, said that he had a "definite and vested interest" in the issue.

"I think as legislators it’s fundamentally wrong to pass a law that doesn’t have details worked out," Gallas said. "We remember what happened to a sitting senator who voted against the citizens and voted against the will of the people on health care."

Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford said, "All of this political drama is about the federal bill that doesn’t have anything to do with this. What we have to do to take care of our people is that we have to demonstrate that we can do the planning process."

Rep. Allen spoke to Talk Business after the meeting about his plans for moving the bill forward in this video.

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