Features

The state will commit $17 million to extending a runway at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith. The Air Force announced it would locate a new training center for pilots who fly F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon jets. Arkansas won out over proposals from military bases in Texas, Indiana, Colorado and Michigan...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ largest public works project – the 445-mile McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) – was completed 50 years ago this month. It’s important to understand how that visionary endeavor reshaped the region, creating a navigable waterway to serve the needs of the central United States and generating welcome economic benefits and job growth...

This week, we would like to remind families of an upcoming scholarship deadline. July 1 is the deadline to apply for the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. The scholarship provides tuition assistance to traditional and non-traditional students attending universities and two-year colleges – both public and private – in the state...

With all the bad publicity against the police service these days, I would like to thank them one and all here in Arkansas. I’m an 84-year-old disabled grandma, who was on her way to see her heart doctor in Mountain View, an unfamiliar place, for a check up after surgery, the first after COVID-19...

As the summer season heats up, Americans all across the country are heading outdoors, trying to get back to the lives we had before the pandemic. Unfortunately, millions of American’s are being hit with sticker shock when they go to put gas in their cars, food on their table, medicine in their cabinet or clothes on their back. ...

Last Friday afternoon, as Americans were preparing to commemorate Memorial Day weekend, Joe Biden released his long-awaited budget. This is the latest a president has ever submitted a budget in the modern-budget era. Typically, when something is released the Friday afternoon before a three-day weekend, it’s because whoever is releasing it is not proud of whatever it is. In the case of Joe Biden’s budget, I think it’s obvious why they were not proud and to trying to avoid scrutiny...

Tourism in Arkansas is making a big comeback.  While the pandemic severely impacted the industry in 2020, there are signs that tourism is rebounding and doing better than before the health emergency began. The tourism tax collections for March 2021 exceeded collections from March 2019 by 14.6%...

The state is on pace to have a record surplus of more than $1 billion, which is a strong indicator that the Arkansas economy is recovering from the negative effects of the pandemic. The monthly revenue report for May shows that all categories of state taxes improved significantly over the same period last year...

Arkansas, like other states, is rebounding from the pandemic in a stronger position than we might have expected around this time last year. Recently, Governor Hutchinson announced the state had the largest budget surplus in our history at $980 million. Additionally, unemployment in the Natural State is now at 4.4 percent, down from 10 percent in May 2020 and almost two percent below the current national average. Last month the governor announced Arkansas will opt out of the federal supplemental unemployment assistance program. The move, which becomes effective later in June, is designed to encourage more Arkansans to rejoin the workforce now that we are getting back to normal through widespread access to the COVID-19 vaccines and better understanding of the transmission of the virus. I applaud the governor for taking this step to help spur economic recovery. As I talk with business owners around the state, it is clear that labor is in short supply. Common sense tells us that an enhanced $300 per week federal unemployment supplement, on top of existing benefits, is contributing to this shortage of workers. When the governor made the decision to end Arkansas’s participation in the supplemental payment, there were more than 40,000 open jobs across the state of Arkansas. According to the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, when combining the federal unemployment stipend with the maximum state benefit, weekly unemployment insurance payments in our state can be as much as $751 per week – or about $19 an hour. You don’t have to look far to see the effects of that reality in our communities. Many businesses, including local restaurants and retailers, are being hit hardest when it comes to the difficulties that come with being short-staffed – limiting hours of operation, capacity and services. Even those able to offer higher wages and other competitive benefits are having trouble filling open positions. Paying people not to work, especially now that we can safely and confidently return to activities that were risky at the height of the pandemic, is clearly an obstacle that the private sector can’t compete against. Even the Biden administration has tacitly acknowledged the connection between continued enhanced unemployment benefits and labor shortages. The president recently directed the Department of Labor to work with states to reinstate requirements that those receiving unemployment benefits show they are actively seeking work and must accept a suitable offer of employment. Employers are desperate for more help. They are telling anyone who will listen about how this crisis is affecting their ability to stay open and provide the services their customers rely on. It is incumbent on policymakers at every level to help create an environment where work is encouraged and rewarded. Temporary relief was necessary to help Arkansans and all Americans directly impacted by the pandemic, but thankfully we are rapidly closing the door on that chapter. The “help wanted” signs we see hanging in the windows of our favorite local shops and restaurants are as clear a sign as any that we’ve got to do everything we can to mobilize and empower workers to get back into the job market. In Arkansas, we are on that path now and must keep at it.

If there’s one thing that should unify this country, it’s support for our allies who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to confront terrorists who seek destruction over prosperity. Over the past few weeks, our closest ally in the Middle East – Israel – has been bombarded by nearly 3,500 rockets launched into their country by Hamas, a known terrorist group supported by Iran. ...

Israel has endured increased terrorism and aggression from Hamas militants in recent days, including rockets fired at Israeli cities that have killed and wounded innocent civilians. This outbreak of violence began in early May and has quickly escalated into a conflict that has captured the attention of the world. Now, a ceasefire is in place and we pray for lasting peace...

This week, we want to direct your attention to a program that could help Arkansans struggling to pay rent and utilities due to the pandemic. The Arkansas Rent Relief Program offers financial help to pay overdue and upcoming rent and utilities for eligible Arkansas renters. ...

The state is now offering help to low-income families who have fallen behind on their rent because of financial problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Arkansas Rental Relief Program is run by the state Human Services Department, which will distribute about $173 million in federal funds to renters and landlords...

By Mike Sullivan USDA NRCS State Conservationist in Arkansas May is American Wetlands Month and this year we want to celebrate all the work private landowners have done to help wetlands thrive. In Arkansas, private landowners have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enroll 258,779 acres in wetland easements. Across the country, over 2.8 million acres have been enrolled protecting plants and providing habitat for wildlife, including endangered or threatened species...

By Mike Sullivan USDA NRCS State Conservationist in Arkansas May is American Wetlands Month and this year we want to celebrate all the work private landowners have done to help wetlands thrive. In Arkansas, private landowners have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to enroll 258,779 acres in wetland easements. Across the country, over 2.8 million acres have been enrolled protecting plants and providing habitat for wildlife, including endangered or threatened species...

This past week I joined a congressional delegation down to the U.S./Mexico border to see what was happening for myself. Let me tell you: there’s a big difference between hearing about the border crisis on the news and seeing it with your own eyes. What has happened should anger everyone, regardless of political belief. Before I went, I thought the Biden administration was pursuing a policy of open borders – but I realized on my trip this administration is acting like there is no border at all...

The General Assembly adjourned its 2021 regular session on Friday, May 14, and it has been my distinct honor to represent the people of the 33rd District in the Missouri Senate this year. By the time the last gavel fell, we had passed 69 separate bills. ...

The General Assembly adjourned its 2021 regular session on Friday, May 14, and it has been my distinct honor to represent the people of the 33rd District in the Missouri Senate this year. By the time the last gavel fell, we had passed 69 separate bills. ...

Now that my first legislative session is over, I want to thank everyone for their encouragement and prayers through these five months. It was not an easy five months, I had to overcome many struggles and hurdles. I now understand (firsthand) why the public holds our political process in such contempt...

For as long as I can remember, as Missourians, one of our biggest fears has been Washington bureaucrats empowered to insert themselves into our way of life. But now, we face a new threat of censorship and control from Big Tech companies. Big Tech CEOs have designated themselves as the judge, jury, and executioners of Free Speech. Any doubts regarding their power were erased this week as the social media giant Facebook decided to uphold its ban on President Donald Trump...

As I prepare this report, the Missouri General Assembly will soon vote on a Fiscal Year 2022 operating budget that totals more than $34 billion. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve truly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the budget process and dig into the numbers in great detail...

Last week, I had the honor of introducing Deputy Hunter Barnes and his family to the Missouri House of Representatives. Hunter was joined by his parents, Doug and Christa, and his son, Greyson. Deputy Barnes works for the Franklin County Sheriff’s department, and was recently awarded the title of “Detention Deputy of the Year”. ...

From when you can drive in the left lane to regulating autonomous cars, the 93rd General Assembly made several changes to laws regarding our roadways. This week, we want to update you on these upcoming changes. Act 1090 states a vehicle shall not be driven upon the left lane of a multilane highway, except as follows: ...

The legislature referred three proposed constitutional amendments to Arkansas voters. In next year’s statewide general election in November, voters will decide whether or not the three amendments are written into the state Constitution. Two of the proposed amendments originated in the Senate; the third originated in the House of Representatives...

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched policy improvements to remove barriers to some telehealth services. The public health emergency has made it clear more must be done to improve and expand access to this manner of health care delivery. We must ensure health care providers and patients have the requisite tools and resources while also modernizing federal policy to support the growing demand for telehealth...

It was a busy week in the Missouri Senate. With less than three weeks remaining in the session, each day was focused on tackling complex issues, while still trying to move as many bills forward as possible. There was also the matter of the state budget, which must be approved by 6 p.m. on Friday, May 7...

This week, the Missouri House of Representatives passed one of my bills, HB 839. HB 839 provides that, in addition to current requirements for licensure, peace officers must submit to being fingerprinted on or before January 1, 2022, for the purposes of a criminal history background check and enrollment in the state and federal Rap Back Program...

On Wednesday, Joe Biden gave a speech in the House chamber laying out his vision for America. The America Joe Biden described is not one I recognize, and if Joe Biden’s vision comes true, the values that have defined America will be forever lost. His address this past week stands in stark contrast to the inaugural address he gave just over 100 days ago, when he called for “unity” and “bipartisanship.” The reality is that this is one of the most partisan Administration’s this country has ever seen.. ...

In 1937, after a series of rulings undercutting his New Deal legislation, President Franklin Roosevelt proposed expanding the Supreme Court to as many as 15 justices. His attempt to use brute political force to seize control of the Supreme Court was – and still is – widely criticized. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself said, “I think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court.” She added: “Nine seems to be a good number. It’s been that way for a long time.”...

Military spouses are the unsung heroes in our communities and the Armed Forces. These men and women who serve alongside their loved ones are asked to move away from family and friends to support our country’s readiness at home, during deployments and in mission transitions. ...

The legislature brought the 2021 regular session to a close with a dramatic midnight meeting to approve a Sovereignty Act, which declares new federal laws invalid if they infringe on the right to bear arms. In the waning days of the session the governor vetoed Senate Bill 298, which was the first version of the Sovereignty Act. ...

As CDC guidelines have changed regarding the wearing of masks as a preventive measure; the mask requirement persons accessing City Hall will be optional. However, if you have not been vaccinated for the virus, I would encourage you to wear a mask as a preventive health measure and where required to do so. ...

The House is now in an extended recess for the 2021 Regular Session. While we have completed the vast majority of our work for the year, we will return in the fall to address congressional redistricting.   The Governor has indicated he may call a special session around that time to address additional tax cuts...

Since Joe Biden was sworn in, Washington Democrats have shown they’re willing to change any rule, violate any precedent, or do whatever it takes in order to get their way. Their agenda rewards their friends, donors, and special interest allies, and punishes those who supported Donald Trump. As long as it increases their power and control over working class Americans, they will do it...

From January through the middle of May, I travel each week to the State Capitol in Jefferson City for the legislative session. Committee hearings and floor votes are just part of my responsibilities as a state senator. However, a part of the job I absolutely love is to work directly with the nearly 180,000 constituents that make up the eight counties within the 33rd Senatorial District. ...

This week, the House took action to protect women’s sports. On Wednesday, we approved House Amendment 2 to HB 1141, which would require our schools to limit participation in men’s sports to biological men, and limit participation in women’s sports to biological women. After many hours of floor debate, the amendment was approved. I’m hopeful that the House will pass the underlying bill sometime next week...

Infrastructure is about as ripe an issue as any to actually get something major done in a bipartisan, cooperative way. Congress has a history of successfully working across the aisle to advance policies that improve roads and bridges, invest in water systems and broadband deployment. President Joe Biden should look to the positive example of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee as a starting point for legislation to modernize our infrastructure...

Fiscal issues took center stage during the final week of the legislative session. Lawmakers have been working on a long list of tax cuts, which were finalized in the closing days of the 2021 session. Legislation to expand the sales tax exemption for purchases of used motor vehicles was first introduced in January, but it took until the closing days of the session for everyone to agree on the details...

This week, the Joint Budget Committee advanced two bills outlining the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. The Revenue Stabilization Act prioritizes and categorizes state spending. It is typically one of the last bills passed every session. This year, the RSA is outlined in two identical bills SB702 and HB1949...

It’s been another busy week in the Missouri Legislature, with several late nights spent trying to reach compromises on pending legislation. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve been meeting with state agencies and constituent groups in advance of next week’s budget “mark-up” process. ...

Last week, Dent County lost a great man and public servant. Clifford Jadwin, former Dent County Sheriff, passed away at the age of seventy-three years. Clifford served as Salem’s Chief of Police for seven years, and served as Dent County’s Sheriff for sixteen years. He was a dedicated family man, and his heart belonged to God...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once said that a budget is a statement of your party’s values. What does it say about the Democrat majority that in the 800+ days since they came to power they have yet to pass a real budget? We are nearly three months into this administration. ...

This week, the House passed several bills which will increase various tax credits and exemptions. Those bills include the following: HB1157 would double the income tax deduction for a teacher’s qualified classroom expense from $250 to $500. HB1513 creates an income tax credit for up to $3,500 for retired law enforcement officers who work cold cases for Arkansas State Police...

The legislature has enacted numerous reforms to Arkansas election laws. The Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs reviews all proposed legislation that address elections. So far this session, the committee has received 49 bills specifically affecting polling places, absentee ballots, voter fraud and the handling of elections...

Ensuring students have access to healthy, nutritious meals at school is a constant challenge in ordinary times. In an era of COVID-19, that challenge could easily seem insurmountable. Our school nutrition professionals refused to back down to the pandemic. ...

By the end of the 13th week of the 2021 Regular Session, more than 600 bills were signed into law. This week, the House voted in favor of a bill temporarily changing the deadline for filing and paying state income tax. SB593 extends the deadline this year to May 17, aligning the date with the recent extension issued for filing federal income tax...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sports embodied the optimism we all shared for better days ahead. Now, unfortunately, we are seeing just how eager some are to use them as a tool to advance agendas and narratives that should stay in the realm of politics and as far removed as possible from the places we go to for entertainment, camaraderie and inspiration. ...

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, sports embodied the optimism we all shared for better days ahead. Now, unfortunately, we are seeing just how eager some are to use them as a tool to advance agendas and narratives that should stay in the realm of politics and as far removed as possible from the places we go to for entertainment, camaraderie and inspiration. ...

Arkansas became the first state in the nation to prohibit physicians from performing gender transition procedures on minors, either through surgery or hormone therapy. Sponsors of the bill said that children needed protection from experimentation. They said that minors are too young to make such important decisions as choosing a sex change, which has long-term health effects that can be irreversible...

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and our attention rightly turns to ways we can support children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Each year, over 650,000 children are determined to have experienced abuse or neglect, ushering many of them into the dependency court and foster care system...