Talk Politics

Covering Arkansas Politics

Gubernatorial, Congressional candidates debate family separation policy

Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, and Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson spoke Monday (June 18) about the growing controversies over illegal immigration, with Hill saying families should stay together and Hutchinson…

State Drug Director on opioid crisis: ‘What we have been doing … is not working’

State Drug Director Kirk Lane says the state and nation aren’t doing enough to combat the nation’s opioid epidemic, while the U.S. House of Representatives is passing a flurry of…

Fort Smith At-Large Director 5 candidate issues policy priorities ahead of three-way August primary

Samuel Price, a candidate for Fort Smith At-Large Director Position 5, has released his “five pillars and priorities” as part of his campaign for the city post. The upcoming Aug….

Former Sen. Jake Files sentenced to 18 months in prison, judge calls violations ‘egregious’ (Updated)

Editor’s note: Story updated with additions and changes throughout. –––––––––––––––––– Former Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, was sentenced Monday (June 18) to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District…

Entergy Arkansas’ CEO Rick Riley assumes new role; utility giant names Laura Landreaux to lead state operations

Nearly two-and-a-half years after taking the helm as Entergy Arkansas’ top executive, Rick Riley has been promoted to a new position within parent company Entergy Corp. in New Orleans and…

Gov. Hutchinson: ‘Wait’ for criminal justice system to work on nephew’s bribery allegations

Gov. Asa Hutchinson closed out the annual Arkansas Bar Association (ABA) meeting in Hot Springs on Friday (June 15) by urging Arkansans not to rush to judgment concerning the ongoing…

Arkansas Senate unveils new ethics rules amid federal bribery, kickback probes

Arkansas Senate leaders on Thursday (June 14) unveiled a bipartisan draft of new chamber ethics rules that lawmakers hope will help restore public confidence in the legislature amid an ongoing…

Census Bureau extends deadline for U.S. business and economic survey to June 19

The U.S. Census Bureau has extended the deadline for the 2017 economic census, the five-year survey of nearly 3.7 million U.S. businesses and their impact on the nation’s economy. The…

Fort Smith Finance Director explains why old police, fire pension plan insolvency ‘is not an emergency’

Old Local Police and Fire (LOPFI) retirement pension plans that ended in 1983 have a new projected insolvency date of 2026 with an estimated unfunded liability of $18-20 million, according…

Missouri nonprofit cooperating in federal probe, moving beyond ties to indicted lobbyist, Arkansas lawmakers

A Missouri nonprofit that accrued more than $80 million in net income and over $180 million in annual revenues could possibly lose its tax-exempt status and access to government funds…

Notes from the Campaign Trail: Courtney Goodson lines up Arkansas Bar support

In advance of this week’s Arkansas Bar Association annual meeting in Hot Springs, Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson is lining up significant support. Goodson led the ticket in a three-person…

Feds say Sen. Files’ ‘deliberate fashion’ to commit fraud warrants more prison time

Federal prosecutors are asking for up to 24 months of prison time for former Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, more than the 12 to 18 months that may have been…

No evidence of bribery against ‘Senator A,’ Sen. Hutchinson’s attorney says

An attorney for Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson, R-Little Rock, said Monday (June 11) that an ongoing federal multi-million-dollar bribery probe concerning the mysterious “Senator A” does not show any evidence the…

Fort Smith sales tax revenues down more than $500,000 through April

Fort Smith sales tax revenues continue to trail 2017’s numbers as well as budgeted expectations with the city reporting over $500,000 less than expected – $440,588 from the 2% city…

Tax reform leaves nonprofits with ‘tsunami’ of challenges

As U.S. corporations and businesses reap benefits from the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 in December, state and national nonprofits across Arkansas are still trying…

Real politics of a fake sport: The history of ‘Nationality, Race and Gender’ in professional wrestling

When Dr. Edward Salo was growing up he loved to watch professional wrestling. During the 1980s the World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), became the dominant wrestling company….

McGill releases policy pledges for Fort Smith mayoral race

In a press release late Thursday (June 7), Rep. George McGill, D-Fort Smith, announced 11 “Policy Pledges” in his bid to be the next Fort Smith mayor. McGill faces opponents…

Gov. Hutchinson addresses medical marijuana bribery allegations, the identity of ‘Senator A’

In a busy day of news at the State Capitol, Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters late Thursday afternoon (June 7) that allegations concerning possible bribery of two state officials was…

Analyst sees new federal guidance on personal conveyance as a ‘non-event’

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently released guidance on drivers who operate commercial vehicles while off duty, and in an industry note, analyst Brad Delco and associate Scott…

Arkansas Supreme Court hears arguments on state’s stalled medical pot industry

The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday (June 7) heard testimony on the state’s expedited appeal of a Pulaski County Circuit Court decision to block the medical marijuana cultivation licenses handed…