Talk Politics

Covering Arkansas Politics

Economic development group picks leaders for 2022

The membership of Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives (AEDCE) has elected the following people to its board of directors with terms beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Graycen Bigger, Pocahontas Steven…

Judge Magness hears arguments about alleged city of Fort Smith FOIA violations

Though Arkansas Municipal Code allows procedures for removing items from an agenda, Little Rock Attorney and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) expert Robert Steinbuch argued that the way “part” of…

Fulfer, Unger in GOP runoff; Parks wins Democratic nomination in Senate District 7 race

District 7 voters around Springdale advanced Colby Fulfer and Steve Unger into a runoff in the State Senate special election to replace Sen. Lance Eads, R-Springdale, who resigned earlier this…

Jonesboro sets sales tax collections record with one month to go

For the better part of a decade, the city of Jonesboro and its home county, Craighead have consistently set yearly sales and use tax collections records. In 2021, the largest…

More than 5 million pounds of pesticides collected

The Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program collected 85,974 pounds of unwanted pesticides in 13 counties during 2021 collection events. Since 2005, the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has overseen the collection of…

Group organizes to oppose Fort Smith sales tax extension vote

At a press conference by Citizens Against Unfair Taxes Tuesday (Dec. 14), Fort Smith attorney Joey McCutchen urged the Fort Smith Board of Directors to push back the Feb. 8…

Plan unveiled to end lengthy wait time for intellectual disability help

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (Dec. 14) announced a plan to address the lengthy services waiting list for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The controversial list was cited by…

Researchers find ways to better cool chickens and conserve water

Creating a healthy environment for chickens can be a daunting task, but certain conditions are proving more lucrative for poultry farmers. Researchers at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station continued decades…

Arkansas consultant says quantitative and qualitative data important to broadband expansion

Lou McAlister, CEO of Little Rock-based Broadband Development Group, has been tasked by the Arkansas Legislature to help create a master plan for expanding broadband Internet across the state. Already,…

Speaker Shepherd defends tax cuts amid criticism to invest more in education, health care

Speaker of the House Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, believes the tax cut package implemented in this past week’s special session builds on previous efforts to reform the state’s tax code,…

An obligation to speak: Holocaust survivor details concentration camp experience

Steven Fenves was an avid stamp collector. The Jewish boy, living in Yugoslavia during the 1930s, spent hours on his collection of stamps. When his country was invaded at the…

Arkansas Research Alliance adds 8 new members

The Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) announced Thursday (Dec. 9) the induction of eight new members to the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows. This cohort is a combination of two…

Governor signs tax cut bills into law; special session adjourns without additional measures taken up

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the largest tax cut in Arkansas history into law Thursday (Dec. 9) following a three-day special session. The cuts reduce Arkansas’ top income tax rate from…

Duggar found guilty on child porn charges

A federal jury on Thursday (Dec. 9) convicted Joshua James Duggar, 33, for receiving and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He faces up to 20 years…

House, Senate pass income tax cut; special session could end Thursday

The Arkansas House and Senate both passed measures Wednesday (Dec. 8) to reduce Arkansas’ top income tax rate from 5.9% to 5.5% next year and to 4.9% in the next…

Forward Arkansas selects ASU, seven other schools for teacher recruitment program

Arkansas State University is one of eight Arkansas universities participating in a program designed to help transform K-12 teacher recruitment, training and retention, according to Forward Arkansas, a non-profit organization…

Stephannie Baker to lead Emerge Arkansas

Stephannie Lane Baker has been named executive director of Emerge Arkansas, an organization that recruits and trains Democratic women to run for office, the group announced Wednesday (Dec. 8). Baker…

Legislators move tax cut bills quickly to floor; reveal incentive package for $3 billion steel project

Arkansas lawmakers went straight to work on Tuesday (Dec. 7) in their special session to deal with income tax cuts, and State Senators showed little interest in expanding the scope…

As COVID cases rise, Gov. Hutchinson urges Arkansans to get booster shots

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (Dec. 7) used his weekly press briefing to encourage Arkansans to get their vaccine booster shot as soon as possible. The push comes as the…

City of Fort Smith again faces FOIA lawsuit

Another lawsuit alleging violation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was filed against the city of Fort Smith Tuesday (Dec. 7) in Sebastian County Circuit Court. Fort Smith attorney…