Stories by Rachel Herzog

Pine Bluff's Foster to seek seat in U.S. Senate Jack Foster, a former Pine Bluff council member and a Vietnam veteran, will run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 2022, he announced this week. Foster, 75, said he only had one thing on his mind -- he... April 10, 2021

Transgender name ban advances Arkansas teachers wouldn't be required to address students by a name or pronoun inconsistent with the student's biological sex under proposed legislation that passed Thursday in the House, one of the ... April 9, 2021

Measures on absentee ballots, election violations clear panel Four bills that would tighten restrictions on absentee ballots and adjust the state law around election violation complaints were endorsed by a Senate committee Thursday. Senate Bill 644, by Sen. Kim... April 9, 2021

House advances bill to let schools teach creationism A bill to allow public schools to teach intelligent design as a theory of how the Earth came to be gained the approval of the Arkansas House on Wednesday, despite a 1980s court ruling that bars school... April 8, 2021

Bill on public agencies' footage costs advances A bill that would allow law enforcement agencies to charge records-requesters for costs associated with reviewing and redacting audio and video footage is headed to the Arkansas House. The House Comm... April 8, 2021

Transgender-bill veto overridden; state 1st to ban kids’ gender-affirming care Arkansas became the first state in the nation Tuesday to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors, after a majority of the state Legislature voted to override the governor's veto. The GOP-spo... April 7, 2021

Panel advances bill to let Arkansas teachers talk creationism A House committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would allow teachers to discuss religious beliefs of creationism along with instruction about scientific theories in public schools in Arkansas, over ... April 7, 2021

2 election-change bills get go-ahead from Senate panel Two bills that would increase the authority of the state election board and of county election boards advanced from the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs on Tuesday. Senate ... April 7, 2021

STATE CAPITOL NEWS IN BRIEF: Bill favored to bar abortion providers | Public-inhalation pot bill advances | Campaign-cash use on child care OK'd Bill favored to bar abortion providers A bill that would prohibit public schools from entering into transactions with abortion providers was recommended to the Arkansas House by a committee's divide... April 7, 2021

House, Senate override governor's veto of transgender-treatment bill The Arkansas Legislature has overturned Gov. Asa Hutchinson's veto of a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, with a majority of both chambers voting to override in largely party-line vo... April 6, 2021

Ban on kids' transgender care vetoed Arkansas' governor on Monday announced his veto of a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youths, prompting proponents of the legislation to urge both chambers to override his dec... April 6, 2021

STATE CAPITOL NEWS IN BRIEF: Union legislation headed to governor | Senators back rise in teacher salaries | Bill to void U.S. gun laws leaves House Union legislation headed to governor The Arkansas Senate on Monday voted to send Gov. Asa Hutchinson legislation that would bar many public employees, including teachers, from participating in collec... April 6, 2021

Governor vetoes transgender bill, calls measure a 'product of the cultural war' Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday afternoon he vetoed a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Hutchinson, a Republican, said he believed House Bill 1570 interfered with ... April 5, 2021

Bills to modify state's laws pertaining to elections pass Two bills that would tighten restrictions around absentee ballots and increase the power of the state Board of Election Commissioners to investigate complaints won the approval of the Arkansas House o... April 2, 2021

STATE CAPITOL BRIEFS: Driverless-vehicle bill gets Senate OK | Telemedicine bill recalled by Senate | Firearms-exemption measure advances Driverless-vehicle bill gets Senate OK Legislation that would make permanent a driverless-vehicle pilot program created in 2019 zipped through the Arkansas Senate on Thursday afternoon. The Senate ... April 2, 2021

House committee favors 2 measures on elections A House committee on Wednesday advanced bills that would tighten restrictions around absentee ballots and increase the authority of state and county boards of elections. House Bill 1715 by Rep. Mark ... April 1, 2021

STATE CAPITOL NEWS IN BRIEF: Virus-liability shield headed to governor | Senate unanimous on scholarship bill | Infrastructure-harm penalties advanced Virus-liability shield headed to governor The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would shield businesses from certain lawsuits over exposure to the coronavirus. House Bill 1487, by Rep. Justin... April 1, 2021

Committee moves voting-site bill to full Senate A bill that would prevent people from lingering near polling places is headed to the Arkansas Senate. Senate Bill 486, by Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, would bar people from entering or remaining in an ... March 31, 2021

Task force doesn’t back Senate bill on coroners’ reports A bill that would limit the public's access to county coroners' reports failed to gain the endorsement of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Task Force on Monday. Proponents of Senate Bill 567 by Se... March 30, 2021

Voucher bill again divisive for GOP For the third consecutive legislative session, a Republican-sponsored bill to fund private school tuition with public dollars failed in a majority-GOP Arkansas Legislature. It’s likely similar legisl... March 29, 2021

Medical provider objection bill inked Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow health care providers to decline to provide services based on their religious or moral beliefs. While proponents of Se... March 27, 2021

Hutchinson signs gender bill Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed into law Thursday a bill that will deter schools from allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls' and women's sports, making Arkansas the second state to adopt su... March 26, 2021

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signs law banning transgender women, girls from female sports teams Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a bill that would ban transgender women athletes from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams, he announced Thursday evening. Similar bills h... March 25, 2021

Transgender bills called bad for state; effect on commerce raised as a fear Passage of a bill that would ban transgender girls and women from participating in sports in accordance with their gender identities, and other bills affecting transgender youths would have devastatin... March 25, 2021

Veto-override bid falls short in House vote The Arkansas House of Representatives on Tuesday declined to override Gov. Asa Hutchinson's veto of a bill that would have required the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division and the state Departme... March 24, 2021

Student athlete measure gains panel's support A bill that would allow student athletes at colleges and universities in Arkansas to profit from their names, images and likenesses was recommended to the Arkansas House by its education committee Tue... March 24, 2021

STATE CAPITOL BRIEFS: Committee rejects train-length limits | School-restraints prohibition favored | Voucher-program measure advances Committee rejects train-length limits The House Public Transportation Committee on Tuesday rejected a bill that would cap the length of trains in Arkansas at 8,500 feet and that was opposed by train... March 24, 2021

House effort falls short to override governor's veto of covid-fines bill An effort to override Gov. Asa Hutchinson's veto of a bill that would require the state to return fines levied on businesses for public health violations failed in the Arkansas House on Tuesday, hours... March 23, 2021

Gender bill sent to governor A state bill that would deter schools from allowing transgender girls and women to play on the sports team that aligns with their gender identity is headed to the governor with the House's approval Mo... March 23, 2021

Arkansas House sends transgender-athlete restriction to governor A bill that would deter schools from allowing transgender girls and women to play on the sports team that aligns with their gender identity is headed to Arkansas’ governor. Senate Bill 354 by Sen. Mi... March 22, 2021

Records measure endorsed by Arkansas group Legislation to strengthen a provision of the state open records law requiring public entities to release data in its native format gained the endorsement of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act tas... March 22, 2021

Transgender-athlete ban sent for state House vote A bill that would deter schools from allowing transgender girls and women from participating on school sports teams corresponding with their gender identity was advanced by the House Education Committ... March 19, 2021

Private-school tuition bill fails to clear state House A proposal to fund private school tuition for qualifying students with up to $4 million in state income tax dollars failed in the Arkansas House with bipartisan opposition Wednesday, after barely maki... March 18, 2021

School choice voucher bill fails in Arkansas House A proposal to fund private school tuition for qualifying students with up to $4 million in state income tax dollars failed in the Arkansas House with bipartisan opposition on Wednesday, after barely m... March 17, 2021

Vouchers for needy students advance A proposal to fund private school vouchers for students in need with up to $4 million in state income tax dollars narrowly advanced from a House committee on Tuesday. The committee's 11-9 vote to end... March 17, 2021

House OKs bill on medical providers' conscience A bill that would allow health care workers, hospitals and insurance providers to decline to provide services that violate their conscience has passed in both chambers of the Arkansas Legislature. Se... March 16, 2021

Call for tribe recognition fails to clear House panel An effort to have the state study establishing a relationship between the U.S. government and a coalition of American Indian groups known as the Cherokee Nation West failed to advance from an Arkansas... March 16, 2021

Arkansas House passes medical providers' conscience bill A bill to allow healthcare workers, hospitals and insurance providers to decline to provide services that violate their conscience has passed in both chambers of the Arkansas Legislature. Senate Bill... March 15, 2021

House committee advances 2 education bills Two bills that advocates say would expand educational opportunity for immigrants and Hispanic people in Arkansas were advanced by a state House committee on Thursday. House Bill 1594 by Rep. DeAnn Va... March 12, 2021

House panel advances care-provider opt-out A bill that would allow medical practitioners, hospitals and insurance providers to decline services that violate their consciences Thursday gained the approval of the House Public Health, Welfare and... March 12, 2021

Committee backs bill on emergencies A Senate bill aiming to increase the Arkansas Legislature's involvement in executive declarations of public-health emergencies and state public-health directives was endorsed Thursday by a House commi... March 12, 2021

Transgender-restriction bills move ahead in state A bill aimed at deterring Arkansas' schools from allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls' and women's sports won the approval of the Arkansas Senate on Wednesday. On the other side of t... March 11, 2021

Arkansas House votes to ban gender transition steps for youths The Arkansas House on Wednesday approved a ban on gender transition procedures, including surgery and hormone therapy, for minors in the state, over opponents who said it was discriminatory and danger... March 10, 2021

Panel backs ban on gender transition steps for youths A bill that would prohibit administering gender transition treatment, including surgery and hormone therapy, to minors in Arkansas gained the support of a House committee on Tuesday. Sponsor Robin Lu... March 10, 2021

Bill aiming to restrict transgender athletes in Arkansas passes Senate Education Committee A bill that would bar transgender athletes from participating in in Arkansas schools passed the state's Senate Education Committee on Monday. girls' and women's sports Senate Bill 354 by Sen. Miss... March 10, 2021

Transgender-athlete legislation advances A bill that would deter Arkansas schools from allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls' and women's sports cleared the state Senate Education Committee on Monday. Senate Bill 354 by Sen.... March 9, 2021

Task force favors bill on closed economic development talks An amendment narrowing the scope of a bill that would allow local governments to discuss economic development projects in closed meetings gained the favor of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act Ta... March 6, 2021

Attorney general espouses social-media-firms bill Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is pushing for legislation that seeks to limit social media companies' ability to block users and posts from their platforms, a bill some experts said will be... March 5, 2021

House OKs abortion ban; undecided on signing it into law, governor says The Arkansas House of Representatives voted Wednesday to send a bill to Gov. Asa Hutchinson that would ban nearly all abortions in the state. Hutchinson told reporters Wednesday that he had not yet m... March 4, 2021

Arkansas House votes to send near-total abortion ban to governor The Arkansas House voted Wednesday to send a near-total abortion ban to Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The legislation prohibits all abortions except those performed to protect the life and health of the mothe... March 3, 2021