Video / Podcasts

Executive roundtable: Labor issues, infrastructure key to 2022 success

The state of the state’s economy has been contradictory and in flux for nearly two years. In many ways, it has been impaired and derailed; on some fronts, business has…

Budget co-chair looks to reduce spending growth, foresees special session on health insurance

Joint Budget Committee co-chair Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, wants to see a reduction in spending growth in state government, and he is expecting a special session after the fiscal session…

Governor: $3 billion steel plant will help Arkansas attract auto manufacturer

The announcement by U.S. Steel that it will build a $3 billion plant in Osceola will make Mississippi County the nation’s leading steel-producing county and sets the stage for Arkansas…

Governor budgeting more money to law enforcement, developmentally disabled; discusses Omicron, political future

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he plans to advocate for more funding for law enforcement, the developmentally disabled, and financial reserves when he reveals his balanced budget proposal to the Arkansas…

Red Cross leader says monetary, blood donations most needed for NEA

An army of volunteers from the American Red Cross has been on the ground in Northeast Arkansas in the aftermath of the Dec. 10th deadly tornadoes that devastated the region….

AFMC CEO: Vaccinations still key to containing coronavirus

Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care CEO Ray Hanley continues to plug vaccinations as the best solution to containing COVID-19, but as new variants mutate, he expects strains of the coronavirus…

Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams discusses expansion plans

Southern Bancorp is expanding on a number of fronts. The Arkadelphia-based Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) is about to receive a major equity investment from a new federal fund, has…

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,…

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…

Gov. Hutchinson officially calls special session to cut taxes for Tuesday, Dec. 7

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday (Dec. 3) called a special session for Arkansas legislators to consider a major tax cut bill, and he has added seven other bills to the…

New Crystal Bridges board chair Olivia Walton is on a mission to expand the definition of art

Olivia Walton, the new board chair for the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, is full of hints of what’s to come. Named in mid-November to the post, she takes…

Conservation is the name of the game for G&FC director Austin Booth

Since being selected to serve as the 19th director of the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission earlier this year, Austin Booth has been wrestling with the agency’s biggest challenge: its…

Hendren plans to run again for State Senate, says election results indicate middle ground desired

State Sen. Jim Hendren, I-Gravette, who left the Republican Party of Arkansas and formed the bipartisan, centrist group Common Ground Arkansas, said last week’s election results were a referendum supporting…

New Outdoor Recreation director will start with research

Katherine Andrews was named last week as the new state director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation, a title she will assume at the end of the month. The new…

State’s Commerce chief using supply chain issues to market Arkansas

Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston sees an opportunity in the bottleneck choking global trade. Preston said the state’s geographic location, transportation advantages, and economic leadership chemistry has positioned Arkansas…

Arkansas GOP chair hopes special session will focus on tax reform, defends Congressional redistricting maps

The Republican Party of Arkansas chairwoman said she thinks the new Congressional maps will pass legal scrutiny despite the controversy over dividing Pulaski County into three different districts. Jonelle Fulmer,…

House Revenue & Tax chair debriefs tax reform discussions

Rep. Joe Jett, R-Success, said trigger mechanisms for tax relief are the biggest hurdle to overcome in finding a road map for cuts that could lead to a special session….

UA economist discusses tax reform in making Arkansas more competitive

University of Arkansas Walton College economist Mervin Jebaraj thinks there could be higher priorities for Arkansas’ effort to become more economically competitive than lowering the state’s top income tax rate….

New Democratic Party chair says GOP redistricting maps help his cause

New Democratic Party of Arkansas chairman Grant Tennille said he believes Republicans are out-of-step with the majority of Arkansans and he expects electoral, financial and messaging success from the GOP’s…