Talk Politics

Covering Arkansas Politics

Personal income, savings on the rise in 2021

It’s been a year since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world and there are signs that the turbulent economy, a side impact of the virus, might be on an upswing….

Fort Smith officials discuss riverfront development, suggest renovation at Kelley Park

Replacing the Riverfront Amphitheater at Harry E. Kelley Park with a bigger venue could help draw more people to Fort Smith and to the city’s river, Fort Smith City Director…

Governor signs strict anti-abortion law, touts ARHOME legislation

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Tuesday (March 9) a bill that prohibits abortions except in cases involving the health of the mother. The pro-life measure does not have an allowance for…

Former State Senator Gene Roebuck of Jonesboro has died

One of Northeast Arkansas’ most well-known former state senators has died. Gene Roebuck, 85, of Jonesboro passed away Monday (March 8) at NEA Medical Center. The cause of death was…

Bill limiting transgender athletes passes committee; local school control bill fails

A bill that would restrict biological males identifying as females from playing school sports in Arkansas passed the Senate Education Committee on Monday (March 8), while a bill that would…

Arkansas House committee hears four proposed constitutional amendments

One of the first constitutional amendments placed under consideration Monday (March 8) in the Arkansas House would give the legislature the power to determine the conditions under which the state…

National Guard to assist with backlog of pandemic unemployment assistance

The Arkansas National Guard is being called upon to help process Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims. On Monday (March 8), the director of the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Dr. Charisse…

Arkansas officials expand vaccine eligibility, create appointment system

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday (March 8) the state would broaden its vaccine distribution to include another 180,000 people in the 1b category, and he said a toll-free number would…

Travel industry hopes pent-up demand leads to strong 2021

The impacts of the lingering COVD-19 pandemic can be seen in virtually every area of the U.S. economy, but perhaps the effects are no more visible than in the travel…

Arkansas Plant Board proposes to extend dicamba use

Pigweeds are becoming more resistant to herbicides and the Arkansas Plant Board has taken what could become a controversial step to tackle the problem. APS has extended the use date…

Blue Cross officials: Initiative hopes to overcome vaccine hesitancy

A coalition of healthcare and business organizations are prepared to take vaccine distribution in Arkansas to new levels. “Vaccinate the Natural State,” an initiative led by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue…

New McLarty venture involves public entity, eye on making deals

It’s been one month since the primary deal closed, and now, Franklin McLarty is ready to make more deals happen. His newest venture was designed to do just that. The…

Common Ground or No Man’s Land?

It has been a while since an announcement by Osceola’s Chuck Banks, a longtime Democrat, that he was switching to the Republican Party was a pretty big news item in…

Trump endorses Tim Griffin in AG bid

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Lt. Governor Tim Griffin in his bid for Arkansas Attorney General. Trump issued the following statement on Friday (March 5), saying Griffin was his…

Speaker of the House: Hate crime legislation remains in limbo

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Arkansas’ version of a Stand Your Ground bill into law this week, but when he did so he encouraged the Arkansas Legislature to pass a hate…

A yarn too good to believe: 20-somethings create American textile company in Jonesboro

Paulie “Litt” Litowsky was chatting with a friend in New York City about high-end clothing and the quality of yarn required to make such garments. The friend told Litowsky, a…

Arkansas Community Foundation tops $500 million in assets

The Arkansas Community Foundation has reached $500 million in assets it said earlier this week. The statewide nonprofit is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. With $500 million under management,…

Gov. Hutchinson signs Stand Your Ground and Voter ID bills into law

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a “Stand Your Ground” bill into law Wednesday (March 3) despite his belief that it’s not necessary, but he hopes the Legislature also will pass a…

Jonesboro Unlimited reports jobs growth in 2020; new vice president for economic development hired

At least 842 direct new jobs were added to Jonesboro’s economy in 2020, according to Jonesboro Unlimited, a non-profit organization that promotes economic development in Northeast Arkansas. To date, almost…

City Directors respond to high rate of vaccine rejection among Fort Smith firefighters

There is not much the City of Fort Smith can do about the relatively small number of first responders choosing to get the COVID-19 vaccine other than provide them with…