Talk Politics

Covering Arkansas Politics

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…

Rep. Fran Cavenaugh to seek another term in Arkansas House

State Rep. Fran Cavenaugh, R-Walnut Ridge, announced Monday (Dec. 6) she will seek another term in the Arkansas House of Representatives. She represents House District 30, which now includes portions…

Dr. Marta Loyd to retire from Winthrop Rockefeller Institute at end of March

Dr. Marta Loyd, executive director of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, will retire on March 31, 2022, the nonprofit announced Monday (Dec. 6). A search for a new executive director/CEO has begun….

NWA Democratic legislators endorse Lisa Parks in special Senate primary

Lisa Parks, a Democrat vying for the open State Senate seat in District 7, received the endorsement of all five incumbent Democratic officeholders in the region on Monday (Dec. 6)….

Fort Smith Board approves 2022 general fund budget of $47.584 million

The Fort Smith Board of Directors unanimously approved a base budget for 2022 Thursday night (Dec. 2) that includes 5% reserve balance in each city department as well as a…

Arkansas Farm Bureau elects leadership at convention

Rich Hillman of Carlisle was re-elected as Arkansas Farm Bureau’s president, and Mike Freeze of Little Rock will continue as the agriculture advocacy organization’s vice president. Both were elected Friday…

UAMS Chancellor expects Omicron unknowns to be solved by Christmas

The Omicron variant that has become a major concern for public health officials is undergoing rigorous testing and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson expects to…