Stories by Seth Blomeley

  • Officials waving off state cars

    State Treasurer Martha Shoffner, who once defended her right to drive a tax-free state-funded vehicle for personal use, no longer drives a state car. “She’s wa…

  • Elliott faults agency, data on minority-group pacts

    A state senator told the Joint Budget Committee on Wednesday that she’s bothered that the Department of Finance and Administration hasn’t kept tabs on contract…

  • State burden in pay quirk: $23.5 million

    The Legislature must come up with $23.5 million to pay state employees’ a 27th pay period next year — up from the usual 26 — the state Department of Finance an…

  • 3 tax cuts clear Senate committee

    Gov. Mike Beebe’s proposal to further cut the sales tax on groceries took its first step in the Legislature on Monday when it cleared the Senate Revenue and Ta…

  • Tax-cut bills clear panel

    A state legislative committee recommended three tax-cut bills Tuesday that the state estimates would lower its revenue $50 million a year, with supporters sayi…

  • Benefit bill taps teachers

    A state legislative committee approved a move Monday to require teachers and other public-education employees to pay the actual cost of state retirement benefi…

  • State failing black history, lawmaker says

    A state legislator on Monday accused state historic preservation officials of failing to be strong advocates on behalf of black causes and questioned why the s…

  • Custody measure clears panel

    A bill aimed at giving noncustodial parents more information about their children’s activities cleared a House committee Wednesday.

  • House panel supports bill tweaking lottery law

    A bill making numerous changes to the state’s lottery law was recommended Wednesday by a House committee, leaving in place the $5,000 and $2,500 scholarship am…

  • House panel approves tax-deadline extension

    A bill to extend by a few days the deadline for paying property taxes became on Tuesday the first bill this session that has cleared the House Revenue and Taxa…

  • Session tempo viewed as fine

    Not much has happened through four weeks of the 88th General Assembly and that doesn’t bother Gov. Mike Beebe.

  • Panel: Dating no exemption for laws on gifts

    Arkansas laws requiring public officials to report gifts they’ve received contain no exemption for gifts from boyfriends or girlfriends, the head of the state …

  • Bill on school start dates advances

    The House Education Committee recommended a bill Tuesday to give school districts flexibility on the dates classes start.

  • Judge’s forms show $99,539 from suitor

    Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Courtney Henry reported nearly $100,000 worth of gifts from a Texarkana lawyer in 2010 on her statement of financial i…

  • Pace at Capitol slower than ’09

    The 88th General Assembly starts its fourth week today, and folks at the state Capitol describe its pace as leisurely compared with previous sessions.

  • Two aim to trim legislative task forces

    The leaders of the state House of Representatives and the Senate have each filed resolutions aimed at cutting down the number of task forces set up by the Legi…

  • Panel delays vote on illegal-alien tuition

    A state legislative bill similar to a federal law that restricts illegal aliens from receiving in-state tuition rates was tabled Thursday after lawmakers compl…

  • Improved car count near, lawmakers told

    The state’s top fiscal officer told lawmakers Wednesday that his agency should have a more up-to-date online inventory of state vehicles completed in coming mo…

  • 2009 mold act in cross hairs

    An Arkansas legislator wants to repeal a state moldinspection program that’s less than 2 years old.

  • Treatment of UAPB sets off caucus sparks

    State Rep. John Walker, a longtime civil-rights lawyer, told fellow black legislators Monday that they needed to be strong advocates for helping the University…

  • Atop donor list: Stephens scion

    Arkansas’ top political donors include trial lawyers, heirs of family fortunes, an oil distributor and a chicken company owner who died this month.

  • House panel deletes raises for judges, prosecutors

    The Legislature’s budget committee on Wednesday rejected cost-of-living raises for prosecutors and judges, reflecting the mood among some legislators to cut sp…

  • Beebe names 2 to fill highway panel slots

    Gov. Mike Beebe tapped two men with engineering backgrounds Friday to fill vacancies on the Arkansas Highway Commission, a constitutionally independent agency …

  • Democrat says he’ll quit helm of party

    The chairman of the state Democratic Party said Friday that he’s stepping down next month, and Gov. Mike Beebe later recommended a replacement.

  • House-panel chief trims phoning ban

    State Rep. Clark Hall said Thursday that he’s reversing his position and will allow use of cell phones by the public in the State Agencies and Governmental Aff…

  • Bill leaves out lawmaker raises

    State constitutional officers and legislators won’t be getting any raises next year under an appropriation bill that cleared a top committee Wednesday.

  • House-panel order quiets cell phones

    One House committee chairman banned cell-phone use of any kind by anybody Wednesday in meetings of his committee.

  • Beebe starts 2nd term, sets session goals

    Gov. Mike Beebe took the oath of office Tuesday for his second four-year term and called for the Legislature to cut the grocery tax, change funding for college…

  • Insiders: New Legislature unpredictable

    The 88th General Assembly convenes Monday at noon to tackle about 2,000 bills involving a $24 billion state budget, prison overcrowding, possible tax cuts and …

  • Funding roads key for leader of House

    Rep. Robert Moore, the incoming leader of the Arkansas House of Representatives, said he wants the Legislature to come up with more revenue for highways.

  • Arkansas revenue up in December

    Arkansas’ revenue was up in December but short of expectations, state officials said Tuesday.

  • In House, Moore is called steady hand

    Robert Moore flew Army planes in Vietnam, dresses like a cowboy, created his own backyard honky-tonk, and once swam across the Mississippi River just to say he…

  • Bookout set to fill big shoes in Senate

    Paul Bookout was born more than 200 miles away in El Dorado, but he has no recollection of growing up anywhere but Jonesboro. He also doesn’t know anything abo…

  • House leaders ax commutes in state autos

    Top officials at the Arkansas House of Representatives no longer commute in state vehicles, House Chief of Staff Bill Stovall said Tuesday.

  • 3 agencies’ cars spur dispute

    More than 100 state employees have surrendered the state vehicles they formerly used, but Gov. Mike Beebe isn’t satisfied, particularly with three state agenci…

Upcoming Events