Recent stories by Michael R. Wickline
Governor proposes $161M budget increase; $50M set aside for tax cuts
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday proposed a $5.84 billion general revenue budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, an increase of $161 million over the current funded budget of $5.68 billion.
Hutchi...
November 10, 2020
Senate GOP picks Texarkana's Jimmy Hickey as nominee for president pro tempore
Arkansas Senate Republicans on Thursday selected Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, to be their nominee for Senate president pro tempore from 2021-2023.
The Senate on Friday morning is scheduled to sele...
November 5, 2020
Officials questioned on regional jail
LITTLE ROCK — Lawmakers peppered state officials this week with questions about their plans to house up to 500 state inmates at a planned regional jail in southeast Arkansas.
In December, the Legisla...
November 5, 2020
Bid to reform ballot initiative process fails
Arkansans rejected Tuesday a proposed constitutional amendment that would have made it more difficult for citizen groups to qualify ballot measures for general election ballots and increased the votin...
November 3, 2020
State votes to end lifetime legislative term limits
Arkansas voters on Tuesday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that will end lifetime term limits for state lawmakers.
Issue 2, the state's third adjustment to legislative term limits, was r...
November 3, 2020
Arkansans vote to extend half-cent sales tax for roads
Arkansas voters on Tuesday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that will permanently extend the state’s 0.5% sales tax for roads and highways.
Issue 1 will make permanent the state’s 0.5% sa...
November 3, 2020
General-revenue collections up $11.1M for October in Arkansas
State general revenue increased in October by $11.1 million over the same month a year ago to $565.5 million and exceeded the state’s April 2 forecast by $66.9 million.
The state’s sales and use tax ...
November 3, 2020
Officials questioned on regional jail
Lawmakers peppered state officials this week with questions about their plans to house up to 500 state inmates at a planned regional jail in southeast Arkansas.
In December, the Legislative Council s...
October 31, 2020
Arkansas surgeon general tests positive for virus
The state’s surgeon general Greg Bledsoe said Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Bledsoe said in a text message to to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he woke up this mornin...
October 28, 2020
State reports 27 new virus hospitalizations; 2 more lawmakers test positive for covid-19
Arkansas' count of coronavirus cases rose Tuesday by 952, while the number of patients hospitalized in the state with covid-19 rose to a new record for the second day in a row.
The increase comes as ...
October 27, 2020