On Monday, April 13 when the Arkansas Travelers host the Frisco RoughRiders at 11:00 a.m. in a special Anti-Tobacco School Day, local businesspeople are also invited to Dickey-Stephens Park for some mid-day baseball.

Read the full story

Senate Bill 799, the bill to allow for the children of undocumented aliens who graduate from an Arkansas high school to attend Arkansas colleges and universities at an in-state rate, failed on the floor of the Senate with 13 yes votes. The bill needed 18 yeas to clear the Senate. Immediately after the [...]

Read the full story

I’ll be on KZNG News Talk 1340 in Hot Springs Tuesday morning from 7:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. talking communications in the world of Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Neal Gladner has some thoughts on the topic over at his blog. On Wednesday I’m joining Lance Turner of Arkansas Business and Lance Turner’s Blog on The Morning [...]

Read the full story

The bill to grant the in-state tuition discount to college students who are not documented residents of the United States failed Monday in a 13 to 21 vote in the Senate, with one not voting. Sponsor Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, did succeed in getting the vote tally expunged, which means she will be allowed [...]

Read the full story

Senate Bill 799 by Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, just sailed out of the Senate Education Committee with no debate. The bill would grant in-state tuition at state-run colleges and universities for students who live in Arkansas but aren’t documented as legally living in the United States. Usually these are students who grew up here [...]

Read the full story

$118.2 million: That’s how much net available revenue will drop from the previous year for the current state fiscal year, which ends June 30, the state finance director just announced. This figure includes a revised, lower increase in revenues from the tobacco tax, which was raised earlier this year. The governor will recommend maintain existing [...]

Read the full story

Yet another attempt to pass a mandatory helmet law for motorcycle riders bit the dust this morning. House Bill 1481 lost in a clear voice vote in the House Transportation Committee this morning after more than a hour’s debate.

Read the full story

Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, is supposed to run her scholarship bill for college students who are not documented legal residents this afternoon. The Senate Education Committee will meet upon adjournment of the Senate today.

Read the full story

We’re in the last three weeks of the session, which looks on target to end April 10. Cautious lawmakers are getting their bills through the process to make sure they aren’t caught short if the session ends April 3, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. Most of the big bills for Northwest Arkansas are [...]

Read the full story

This session started with three-quarter majorities on raising the tobacco tax. Then Wednesday each chamber passed the agreed-upon lottery bill by unanimous vote of all members present. Forget the Internet and blogging. What’s killing newspapers in Arkansas is all this peace, love and harmony at the Legislature. Where’s a good fight over general improvement money when [...]

Read the full story