by - March 25, 2015 1:30 pm
Key Hired As Education Commissioner, Starts ‘Right Now’
The State Board of Education unanimously approved former Sen. Johnny Key to be the state’s new education commissioner today.
Talk Politics
by - March 25, 2015 9:56 am
Martin Luther King, Jr.-Robert E. Lee Bill Fails Again
On a fourth attempt, a bill seeking to get rid of a dual state holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Confederate general Robert E. Lee did not muster…
by - March 25, 2015 8:40 am
Senate Tax Chair: No More Cuts This Session (UPDATED)
The Legislature will not replace any additional tax cuts this session aside from restoring cuts to the capital gains tax, the chairman of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee predicted…
by - March 25, 2015 7:10 am
Hutchinson: State May Need Plan If EPA Adopts ‘Dirty Air’ Rules In June
While Gov. Asa Hutchinson has made it clear that he opposes President Obama’s new carbon emission rules that would shelve much of the state’s coal-fired power generation, he said Tuesday…
by - March 25, 2015 6:02 am
Uncertain Federal Funding Delays 56 Arkansas Highway Projects
Uncertainty over federal funding has caused the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department (AHTD) to withdraw 56 construction projects set for an April 21 bid cycle. The estimated value of projects…
by - March 25, 2015 6:01 am
Health Beat: Arkansas Medicaid Officials Travel To White House
Editor’s note: Each Wednesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Health Beat,” a round-up of health-related topics in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here. ARKANSAS MEDICAID…
by - March 24, 2015 7:12 pm
EPA Water Rule ‘Huge Power Grab,’ Says Boozman
A proposed federal environmental rule will have an adverse impact on the state’s economy and specifically agriculture, the state’s attorney general told a Senate committee Tuesday. A conservation group disagreed…
by - March 24, 2015 6:54 pm
Senate Approves Workforce Bill, House Moves Criminal Justice Legislation
Lawmakers passed bills on Tuesday dealing with workforce training and criminal justice; meanwhile, several committees approved legislation that could create an even busier Wednesday at the state Capitol. The Senate…
by - March 24, 2015 11:11 am
Low Income Tax Credit Bill Fails In Committee, But Capital Gains Bill Amended
A bill that would seek to give tax credits to people making under $21,000 a year failed to garner support from a key House committee Tuesday. The House Revenue &…
by - March 24, 2015 9:31 am
Jessica DeLoach Sabin: Ted Cruz And The Truth
During an address at Liberty University on Monday, Senator Ted Cruz announced his official bid for the presidency, making him the first major candidate to do so for 2016. As…
by - March 24, 2015 6:12 am
Campus Talk: Johnny Key Confirmation Only Item On Education Board Agenda
Editor’s note: Each Tuesday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Campus Talk,” a recap and deep-dive into education topics in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here….
by - March 23, 2015 6:17 pm
Rural SW Arkansas Telecom Receives $25 million USDA Loan For Broadband
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $25 million loan to a Texarkana telecom to upgrade a fiber network in Southwest Arkansas as part of President Obama’s initiative to…
by - March 23, 2015 5:59 pm
Capitol Notebook: Elections, Tax Bills Line Agenda
It was a hodge-podge of activity Monday as legislators started what could likely be the last full week of the 2015 legislative session. A capital gains tax cut bill was…
by - March 23, 2015 2:11 pm
Rep. Warwick Sabin: In Support Of The Working Families Opportunities Act
Editor’s note: Rep. Warwick Sabin, D–Little Rock, the author of this guest commentary, is the lead sponsor on House Bill 1344, which is on the agenda for the House Committee…
by - March 23, 2015 9:20 am
Wired Magazine Features Arkansas’ Computer Coding Effort
Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s signature campaign platform policy to push for computer coding in high schools is garnering national attention from the high-tech magazine, Wired. State legislators passed a law, as…
by - March 23, 2015 7:42 am
John Burris: State Budget Changing Slowly And In A Good Way
Change is hard to see while it’s happening. I don’t know how my hairline got so high and thin. I just know I looked up one day, and there it…
by - March 23, 2015 5:48 am
Money Talk: CFPB Seeks Public Comment On Credit Card Market
Editor’s note: Each Monday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Money Talk,” a wrap-up of banking and financial news in our email newsletter, which you can sign up to receive daily for free here….
by - March 22, 2015 12:27 pm
Talk Business & Politics Podcast 3.22.15
On this Sunday’s edition of Talk Business & Politics: Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge joins us to discuss the death penalty. Lethal injections are deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court…
by - March 22, 2015 8:02 am
AG Leslie Rutledge: 8 Death Row Cases Ready To Move To Execution Phase
With the Arkansas Supreme Court ruling this past week declaring the state’s lethal injection procedures as constitutional, executions in Arkansas are set to move forward after a decade of being on hold.
by - March 22, 2015 7:22 am
‘Late Nights’ Ahead For State Legislature As Session Begins Wind Down
House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, told House members to expect a “lot of late nights” this upcoming week as lawmakers push bills through a crowded, very fluid agenda. Both Gillam…