A new state law will soon open the door to almost any career path for some groups of immigrants, marking the latest in a remarkable series of legislative victories for Arkansas’s immigrant community. Act 746, formerly HB 1735, will allow…
This story was first published by Facing South. The Arkansas legislature's first foray into education vouchers was in 2015, when it created the state-funded Succeed Scholarship for children with disabilities. Launched the following year, the program currently gives parents nearly…
Only Arkansas permits criminal consequences for nonpayment of rent — and it has enforced the law during the pandemic. Now, after ProPublica and ANNN investigated the practice, some legislators want to revoke the statute.
Though the number of recorded marijuana offenses in Arkansas declined modestly from 2018 to 2019, arrests remain far higher than they were a decade ago. A bill in the state legislature aims to change that.
With Medicaid work requirements a nonstarter for the Biden administration, Arkansas officials are planning big changes to the Medicaid expansion program. But key details of the proposal remain vague.
Arkansas will not request a continuation of its controversial “work requirements” policy when it applies for federal approval to renew Arkansas Works, the state’s Medicaid expansion program, according to a spokesperson for the state Department of Human Services. But in…
The House Education committee on Thursday defeated a bill that would have created a $3 million statewide voucher program funded with income tax credits. Its sponsor, Rep. Ken Bragg (R-Sheridan), said after the meeting he would not try for a second vote on Senate Bill 539.
The state Senate on Wednesday narrowly passed a bill that would allow certain immigrants residing in Arkansas to attend public colleges and universities at the same cost as other in-state students.
The Arkansas House of Representatives narrowly approved a bill to fund the state's Medicaid program on Tuesday, completing legislative action on the appropriation and handing a victory to Governor Hutchinson.
Two bills sponsored by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-Elm Springs) to undo substantial portions of the minimum wage hikes approved by voters in November were voted down easily Monday in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Lundstrum said after the votes…
Two days after a federal judge halted Arkansas's first-in-the-nation work requirement for certain Medicaid beneficiaries, the state House of Representatives rejected the entire Medicaid budget by a large margin on Friday.
On Thursday, the Arkansas Senate passed a bill that would create a $3 million voucher-like program allowing K-12 students to receive scholarships for use at private schools. Senate Bill 539 was approved by a vote of 21-10, with two senators voting "present" — the equivalent of a "no" — and two not voting. It now heads to a House committee.
The Arkansas Nonprofit News Network is an independent, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to producing journalism that matters to Arkansans. Our work is re-published by partner newsrooms across the state.
