Talk Politics

Covering Arkansas Politics

Those days are gone

In the days when the Arkansas General Assembly met in regular sessions only every other year, I was obligated by the news outlets that employed me to ask local legislators…

Dr. Jay Barth named director of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum

Dr. Jay Barth of Little Rock has been named as the new director of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, effective March 13, 2022, the National Archives and Records…

Walnut Ridge sees solid growth over last half decade

Economic growth in Northeast Arkansas is often tied to the city of Jonesboro, but there is at least one other community in the region that has had significant growth during…

Plan for Fort Smith sales tax advisory committee moves forward

The Fort Smith Board of Directors unofficially agreed on the basics of a sales tax advisory committee during a board study session Tuesday night (March 8) after much discussion and listening…

Ritter Communications awarded $44 million for rural broadband expansion projects

Jonesboro-based Ritter Communications has been awarded eight rural broadband installation grants by the Arkansas Legislative Council totaling about $44 million. These resources, made available through the Arkansas Rural Connect (ARC)…

Arkansas lawmakers close on $6 billion budget, Hester elected Senate leader

The Arkansas Legislature wrapped up its fiscal session business on Tuesday (March 8) by passing a $6 billion budget that will provide more funding for schools, human services and public…

Martin Lilly to seek prosecuting attorney office in Second Judicial District

Craighead County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Martin E. Lilly of Jonesboro, will seek to become the Prosecuting Attorney in the Second Judicial District. The district includes Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi,…

‘We need unity’ noted during discussion at Fort Smith Better Communities event

Consensus among panel speakers at the Better Communities town hall Tuesday (March 8) was that Fort Smith is a good community and making it a great community includes improving cooperation…

Pilot training center in Fort Smith will have ‘enduring mission,’ ‘huge’ economic impact

Documents in the Environmental Impact Statement process for the proposed U.S. Air Force pilot training center in Fort Smith say the mission will extend to 2029, but a state official…

Groups forming on both sides of Pope County casino issue

A committee formed to oppose efforts to remove the Pope County casino from the Arkansas Constitution is starting with $1.1 million cash on hand provided by Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation Businesses,…

Public hearing set about downtown Fort Smith truck traffic

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) will hold a public meeting about improvements to U.S. 64 in Fort Smith from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday (March 10) in the east room…

Grain, fertilizer, fuel prices impacted by Russian war in Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted many economic sectors on a global scale and agriculture will be directly affected on several fronts. Grain markets have become more volatile and high…

Hostess Brands to reopen closed Arkadelphia factory; $120 million investment, 150 jobs

Snack company Hostess Brands, Inc. announced it will convert an idled factory in Arkadelphia into a state-of-the-art bakery. The new location is expected to be operational in the second half…

Jim Hudson named chief of staff for Arkansas Department of Commerce

The Arkansas Department of Commerce has named Jim Hudson as its chief of staff. Hudson replaces Betty Anderson, who served as the department’s first chief of staff since being named…

Arkansas poised to lead on the future of mobility

Electric vehicle adoption is not a question of “If it will occur”, but “How fast it will occur?”, which is becoming blatantly apparent from product buzz on both the public…

U.S. Steel president to keynote economic development luncheon

U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt will headline the Arkansas Economic Development Foundation (AEDF) luncheon on Wednesday, April 6 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. David Burritt…

10 candidates file for open Crawford County positions; no Democrats file for top jobs

With three incumbents not seeking reelection, the top seven elected positions in Crawford County drew a large slate of Republican candidates and no Democrats. The GOP primary will be the…

New hospitality industry leader Katie Beck sees recovery in process

The tourism and hospitality industry has lived through a two-year nightmare as restaurants, hotels and travel businesses suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arkansas’ businesses in this sector were hit hard…

Arkansas’ fiscal year-to-date tax revenue surplus tops $290 million

An improving economy for hotels and restaurants and increased motor vehicle sales helped push Arkansas’ tax revenue up 7.1% in February, with year-to-date (July 2021 to February 2022) revenue up…

Fort Smith board takes partial action on sales tax advisory committee

The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved a resolution Tuesday night (March 1) that commits them to creating a sales tax advisory committee for the city, while not actually creating…