by - May 15, 2013 6:17 pm
Fort Smith city e-mail has statewide impact
What one Fort Smith city employee did on Tuesday (May 14) could soon be a criminal offense according to Arkansas Ethics Commission Director Graham Sloan. At issue is an e-mail…
2013 General Assembly
by - May 14, 2013 11:33 am
Talk Business: Arkansas’ Top 10 legislators
So who stood out in the 89th General Assembly? Before the session, we offered our picks of ones to watch, but there were surprises in our post-session analysis. We give…
by - May 8, 2013 2:37 pm
Legislators pleased with regular session results
Now that the 89th General Assembly has concluded, representatives and senators representing the Fort Smith and northwest Arkansas regions were asked to reflect on the session's successes. Specifically, the members…
by - May 5, 2013 3:49 pm
State Chamber CEO pleased with Legislative Session
Randy Zook, CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, says his groups accomplished nearly every goal in the recently completed legislative session with the…
by - May 1, 2013 8:35 pm
Selig: Working with Feds on private option waiver
On the heels of last week’s legislative session where state lawmakers approved the “private option” health insurance plan, Arkansas Medicaid leaders are already working to move the proposal forward. The…
by - April 29, 2013 3:47 pm
89th Session Wrap, part I
What began as a Session with historical implications ended as a lesson in real world governance and bi-partisanship with major agenda items being completed. The newly minted Republican majorities in…
by - April 29, 2013 2:03 pm
Debate emerges over GOP rule, Pryor re-election
Future elections and a review of political positions are now part of the political conversation following the end of the first session of the 89th Arkansas General Assembly. The chairman…
by - April 24, 2013 5:29 pm
New law could allow open gun carry in Arkansas
Come July 1, remembering your debit card, a holster and a Glock 22 may be standard on a trip to the grocery store – or anywhere else, for that matter…
by - April 23, 2013 2:13 pm
Beebe signs ‘private option’; group to challenge law
Gov. Mike Beebe (D) signed the health insurance expansion measure known as the “private option” into law on Tuesday (April 23), just days after multiple high-stakes votes in the Arkansas…
by - April 22, 2013 4:19 pm
Police officials comment on traffic camera law
For drivers who go through the intersection of College Avenue and Joyce Boulevard in Fayetteville, it's nearly a given that they'll see at least one car run a red light….
by - April 18, 2013 10:10 pm
Arkansas Senate OKs several tax cut bills
The Senate Revenue and Tax Committee moved swiftly Thursday morning on a dozen tax reform measures totaling more than $170 million in breaks for businesses, industry and individuals in Arkansas….
by - April 17, 2013 8:24 pm
Senate approves Medicaid ‘private option’ plan
A day of back-and-forth at the state legislature led to a late afternoon attempt to compromise on the “private option” enabling and funding legislation. After a delay on a planned…
by - April 17, 2013 8:14 pm
Area legislators comment on amendment ideas
Representatives and Senators from the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith regions were recently asked by The City Wire to weigh in on the following three proposed constitutional amendments: Senate Joint…
by - April 15, 2013 3:13 pm
Medicaid ‘private option’ plan funding fails (Updated)
HB 1219, the appropriation bill for the “private option” enabling legislation, failed its first test 69-28 with one abstention. The bill needed 75 votes for passage. House Speaker Davy Carter,…
by - April 11, 2013 4:06 pm
House approves ‘private option,’ funding uncertain
The Arkansas House of Representatives comfortably passed a bill that spells out the framework for a “private option” health insurance plan that would use Medicaid expansion funds to subsidize private…
by - April 11, 2013 9:56 am
State constitutional amendments proposed
A Joint committee of the legislature referred two more proposed constitutional amendments for potential voter consideration and failed a measure previously expected to easily garner committee support. The committee has…
by - April 8, 2013 9:53 pm
Arkansas House convenes for ‘private option’ questions
The Arkansas House of Representatives met for more than two hours in a “committee of the whole” on Monday (April 8) to discuss a Republican plan to reform the state’s…
by - April 8, 2013 3:34 pm
New law shows conflict between cities, counties
Of the many bills to make their way through the Arkansas General Assembly this year, only one likely brought to light the very heated disagreements that cities and counties sometimes…
by - April 8, 2013 2:13 pm
Arkansas House approves Big River Steel project
A companion bill to an already approved Senate measure that would provide a bond issue and the terms of the agreement for the Big River Steel Mill superproject passed the…
by - April 5, 2013 2:48 pm
Arkansas Senate approves ‘private option’ insurance
On a 24-9 vote with two GOP lawmakers not voting, the Arkansas Senate approved SB 1020, The Health Care Independence Act of 2013. All 14 Democrats in the Senate voted…