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Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas governor says she’ll call special session to cut taxes, fund Game and Fish
This story was updated at 9:39 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday she’ll call a special session next week to cut income and property taxes and fund the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Sanders plans to cut income taxes by nearly $500 million and property taxes by about $50 […] The post Arkansas governor says she’ll call special session to cut taxes, fund Game and Fish appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Biden touts gun safety record to advocates, as son found guilty on felony charges
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Tuesday touted his administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence as the second anniversary of bipartisan gun safety legislation he signed into law approaches. “Never give up on hope,” Biden said during an annual conference hosted by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. The speech came hours after the […] The post Biden touts gun safety record to advocates, as son found guilty on felony charges appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
U.S. Senate Republicans outline their farm bill framework
WASHINGTON — Republicans on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on Tuesday released their framework for a new five-year farm bill that will set the policy and funding levels for key food, agriculture and conservation programs. The top Republican on the committee, Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, laid out GOP priorities with reporters […] The post U.S. Senate Republicans outline their farm bill framework appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Arkansas will receive more than $12.7M in Johnson & Johnson deceptive marketing settlement
Arkansas will receive more than $12.7 million of a $700 million nationwide settlement with Johnson & Johnson over the company’s alleged deceptive marketing of baby powder and other products that contained traces of asbestos, Attorney General Tim Griffin announced in a Tuesday news release. The company “deceptively promoted and misled consumers about the safety and […] The post Arkansas will receive more than $12.7M in Johnson & Johnson deceptive marketing settlement appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Commission recommends space for Arkansas Capitol’s upcoming ‘monument to the unborn’
The Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission agreed Tuesday to recommend that the Secretary of State approve its proposed location for a “monument to the unborn” on the Capitol complex. Act 310 of 2023 authorizes the Secretary of State to decide where to place “a suitable monument commemorating unborn children aborted during the era of […] The post Commission recommends space for Arkansas Capitol’s upcoming ‘monument to the unborn’ appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Arkansas eligible for $20 million in federal flood funds following May severe storms
Arkansas was one of three states added to receive federal funds to reduce flood risks this week, FEMA announced Tuesday. Possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Arkansas is eligible for up to $20 million. Eighteen other states and one Tribal Nation were selected to receive funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Swift Current Program […] The post Arkansas eligible for $20 million in federal flood funds following May severe storms appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Arkansas officials fear conservation district budget cuts, loss of accompanying federal funds
Maintaining natural resources at the local level is paramount to the mission of the conservation district located in every Arkansas county, and some involved officials are concerned the state’s highest-ranking leaders no longer see the value in these groups. Debbie Moreland, program coordinator for the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, said she’s worried state officials […] The post Arkansas officials fear conservation district budget cuts, loss of accompanying federal funds appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
White nationalist, anti-LGBTQ activity on the rise, annual hate report shows
WASHINGTON — Emboldened by the mainstreaming of hard-right politics ahead of a presidential election cycle, white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups increased to record levels in the United States last year, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest annual report on hate and extremism released last week. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which has published […] The post White nationalist, anti-LGBTQ activity on the rise, annual hate report shows appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Trump floats plan to end taxes on tips, though experts raise doubts
WASHINGTON — Economists across the ideological spectrum raised doubts about the cost and workability of former President Donald Trump’s proposal over the weekend to exempt tips from federal taxes if he wins in November. During a campaign rally Sunday in Las Vegas, where hundreds of thousands work in the hospitality industry, Trump promised service workers […] The post Trump floats plan to end taxes on tips, though experts raise doubts appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Trump says he’ll work ‘side by side’ with group that wants abortion ‘eradicated’
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump said Monday that if reelected he plans to work “side by side” with a newly formed religious organization that says abortion is the “greatest atrocity facing” the United States and should be “eradicated entirely.” During two-minute recorded remarks played at The Danbury Institute’s inaugural Life & Liberty Forum in […] The post Trump says he’ll work ‘side by side’ with group that wants abortion ‘eradicated’ appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Lawsuit challenges constitutionality of Arkansas school voucher program
A lawsuit filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court late Friday challenges the constitutionality of Arkansas’ new school voucher program and asks a judge to block its enforcement. Created through the LEARNS Act, a 2023 law that made wide-ranging changes to the state’s education system, the Educational Freedom Account Program provides state funds for allowable educational […] The post Lawsuit challenges constitutionality of Arkansas school voucher program appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
High death rates, unchanging poverty level puts Arkansas among worst states for child well-being
The experience of growing up in Arkansas has worsened in most areas of child well-being according to the latest Annie E. Casey Foundation report. The group’s latest KIDS COUNT Data Book, released Monday, shows 2022 was the deadliest year on record for child deaths in Arkansas. Child poverty and low educational performance persisted. The report […] The post High death rates, unchanging poverty level puts Arkansas among worst states for child well-being appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Election workers worry that federal threats task force isn’t enough to keep them safe
Aiming to send a message, the Biden administration recently spotlighted its indictments and convictions in cases involving threats to election officials or workers. But with no letup in reports of attacks, some elections professionals say federal law enforcement still isn’t doing enough to deter bad actors and ensure that those on the front lines of […] The post Election workers worry that federal threats task force isn’t enough to keep them safe appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
New curriculum sparks Texas-sized controversy over Christianity in the classroom
This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. The day before he unveiled a massive new elementary school reading program laden with Bible stories, Texas education Commissioner Mike Morath sat down with a Democratic lawmaker at the state capitol. Rep. James Talarico had concerns. The third-term legislator from […] The post New curriculum sparks Texas-sized controversy over Christianity in the classroom appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
On the U.S.-Mexico border, hopes and fears after Biden’s order limiting asylum
EL PASO, Texas — Seventeen-year-old Karina Parababire gently rocked her three-month-old daughter as they waited in a migrant shelter before a Friday night bus ride to Chicago. “I want my daughter to have everything that I didn’t have,” Parababire, who traveled up the extremely dangerous route of the Darien Gap while pregnant, said in Spanish. […] The post On the U.S.-Mexico border, hopes and fears after Biden’s order limiting asylum appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Arkansans urge state finance department not to reverse gender-neutral driver’s license policy
Nearly a dozen Arkansans, many of whom are transgender or nonbinary, asked the state Department of Finance and Administration not to reverse the state’s gender-neutral driver’s license policy at a public hearing Friday. The department in March rescinded a policy that had been in place since 2010 allowing driver’s license holders to change their gender […] The post Arkansans urge state finance department not to reverse gender-neutral driver’s license policy appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Prosecuting attorney declines to pursue charges over Arkansas governor’s purchase of $19K lectern
A prosecuting attorney on Friday declined to pursue further action regarding potential violations of state law tied to the purchase of a $19,000 lectern by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office. Members of the governor’s staff used a state-issued credit card to buy the lectern and carrying case in June 2023 from a Virginia-based company with […] The post Prosecuting attorney declines to pursue charges over Arkansas governor’s purchase of $19K lectern appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
‘Democracy begins with each of us,’ Biden says at site of D-Day invasion in Normandy
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, speaking from the site of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France, said Friday that those who support democracy must remember what World War II soldiers sacrificed and live up to those ideals. Biden’s remarks came during commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day and sought to tie the threats to […] The post ‘Democracy begins with each of us,’ Biden says at site of D-Day invasion in Normandy appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Publication of abortion amendment canvasser list is intimidation, ballot question committee says
Supporters of a proposed Arkansas constitutional amendment that would allow a limited right to abortion denounced a conservative advocacy group’s publication of a list of paid canvassers, calling the move an intimidation tactic. The right-wing Family Council posted Thursday on its website a list of 79 people that the Arkansans for Limited Government ballot question […] The post Publication of abortion amendment canvasser list is intimidation, ballot question committee says appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Prodded by fed up parents, some in Congress try to curb kids’ use of social media
WASHINGTON — Attempts to get kids off of their phones are ramping up in Congress, despite intense lobbying by social media giants and pushback by those worried about violations of First Amendment speech rights. Lawmakers are seeking to set a minimum age to access social media and put more of the onus on social media […] The post Prodded by fed up parents, some in Congress try to curb kids’ use of social media appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
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Arkansas Advocate intends to show how state government affects the lives of everyday Arkansans so they can make informed decisions about themselves, their families and their communities. We strive to amplify the voices of all Arkansans. We focus especially on the relationship between people, power and policy. As an independent, nonpartisan news organization, Arkansas Advocate will keep an eye on the levers of power and those who manipulate them, and hold public officials accountable regardless of party or ideology. We believe news is a vital community service and ethical journalism a cornerstone of democracy, making us key players in fulfilling Arkansas’ state motto, Regnat Populus: “the people rule.” Arkansas Advocate proudly publishes the work of independent journalists. If you have a great idea and a passion for ethical, truthful storytelling, we’d love to hear from you. The Advocate also provides a forum for guest commentary on issues of interest to Arkansans. We separate opinion from our news reporting and clearly label each. Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Advocate retains full editorial independence.
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