Stories by Rachel Herzog

State issues coronavirus guidelines for schools New covid-19 guidelines call for Arkansas schools to maintain as many virus precautions as possible -- including mask use in classrooms where children are under age 12 or where vaccination status of s... July 28, 2021

Governor plans to talk mask law with legislators With Arkansas' coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continuing to surge, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that he plans to talk with legislative leaders today about the law that will prohibit public ... July 27, 2021

New laws in state hold restrictions, loosen some reins New laws restricting abortion, banning covid-19 mandates and limiting transgender participation in school sports are set to go into effect in Arkansas on Wednesday. This week, pandemic-inspired allow... July 25, 2021

Election board cites three county panelists LITTLE ROCK -- Arkansas' election commissioners on Thursday formally accepted findings holding current and former members of the Pulaski County Election Commission legally responsible for several elec... July 24, 2021

2nd District House race gets 1st Democrat hopeful Rural community organizer Nick Cartwright is seeking the Democratic nomination for Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District in 2022, he announced Thursday. Cartwright, 27, is a former member of the Rose ... July 23, 2021

Election board cites 3 Pulaski County panelists Arkansas' election commissioners on Thursday formally accepted findings holding current and former members of the Pulaski County Election Commission legally responsible for several election law violat... July 23, 2021

Rural organizer Nick Cartwright announces bid for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District Rural community organizer Nick Cartwright is seeking the Democratic nomination for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District, he announced Thursday. Cartwright, 27, is a former member of the Rose Bud City... July 22, 2021

State to issue pot dispensaries last 2 licenses State regulators Wednesday decided they will issue the two remaining medical marijuana dispensary licenses allowed under Arkansas' constitutional amendment, ultimately raising the state's total number... July 22, 2021

Arkansas Tech sorry for fund bypass; student payments broke law, lawmaker tells university The counsel for Arkansas Tech University on Monday apologized to state lawmakers for the school bypassing the state Department of Finance and Administration before paying $1.1 million in emergency fin... July 20, 2021

Tax credit to benefit 93% of Arkansas children Ninety-three percent of Arkansas children are eligible to be beneficiaries of an expanded child tax credit that went into effect Thursday. As a provision of the American Rescue Plan Act that Congress... July 16, 2021

Elections board eases sanctions tied to Pulaski County inquiry Arkansas' elections oversight board opted Wednesday to lessen sanctions issued for the current and previous chairs of the Pulaski County Election Commission over complaints made about the November ele... July 15, 2021

8 meetings on redistricting in works The Arkansas Board of Apportionment will hold eight public meetings on legislative redistricting throughout the state over the next several weeks. The board -- comprised of the governor, attorney gen... July 15, 2021

8 public meetings on Arkansas redistricting announced The Arkansas Board of Apportionment will hold eight public meetings on redistricting throughout the state over the next two months. The Board of Apportionment — made up of the governor, attorney gene... July 12, 2021

Delivery of liquor to Arkansas homes all set up A rule change spurred by the pandemic allowing Arkansas restaurants, liquor stores and breweries to deliver alcoholic beverages to customers will become state law at the end of this month. Act 158, w... July 4, 2021

Arkansas gender law hurts economy, brief says Arkansas' law banning gender-transition treatment for young people would adversely affect businesses by harming employees and impairing companies' ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce, a ... July 3, 2021

Businesses, industry groups formally oppose state's ban on gender transition steps for minors Arkansas’ law banning gender transition treatment for youth would adversely affect businesses in the state by harming employees and impairing their ability to attract and retain a diverse workforce, a... July 2, 2021

Election-law violation in Pulaski County accepted Arkansas' election commissioners Thursday formally accepted the findings of fact and conclusions of law that came out of a hearing over whether the Pulaski County clerk's office violated state law whe... July 2, 2021

Appeals Court's Hixson announces reelection bid Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Kenneth Hixson, who will have served 10 years on the bench at the end of his current term, announced his reelection bid Wednesday. Hixson, 65, was first elected in 201... July 1, 2021

Pulaski County's election error broke law, board finds The Pulaski County clerk's office violated state election law when an error by a deputy clerk resulted in the wrong precinct being assigned to several voters, the state Board of Election Commissioners... June 24, 2021

Little Rock medical-cannabis outlet approved to move a few miles State regulators on Tuesday approved a Little Rock medical-marijuana dispensary's move a few miles west. Good Day Farm LLC will move from 900 S. Rodney Parham Road to 11600 Chenal Parkway. Co-owner ... June 23, 2021

State announces series of moves on recreation, conservation Arkansas officials on Monday announced the purchase of about 450 acres of land in Pulaski County for conservation and recreational use, as well as an agreement to put the Lake Sylvia Recreation Area a... June 22, 2021

Saline County district judge Casady enters race for Arkansas Court of Appeals seat Saline County District Judge Stephanie Casady is running for a seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, she announced Monday. Casady, 46, is running to succeed Judge Larry Vaught, who plans to retire f... June 22, 2021

Rx pot sales top 50,000 pounds; spending in Arkansas reaches $338.5M Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas hit 50,000 pounds this week, just over two years since the state’s first dispensary opened its doors. Kaliegh Solloway, a packaging specialist at Suite 443 in Hot ... June 19, 2021

High court lets lawsuit over LRSD restrictions go ahead A lawsuit over restrictions that the state has imposed on the Little Rock School District can move forward in circuit court, the Arkansas Supreme Court said in an opinion issued Thursday that also nar... June 18, 2021

Little Rock Costco store OK'd for liquor permit after state reverses denial State regulators on Wednesday granted a liquor permit transfer to Costco Wholesale, meaning the membership retailer is on track to sell spirits from a store attached to its under-construction Little R... June 17, 2021

Board upholds charges on pot outlet State regulators upheld three charges against one of Arkansas' most successful medical-marijuana dispensaries on Wednesday while increasing the fine the agency recommended by $1,000. Green Springs Me... June 17, 2021

Governor race gets another hopeful; Pine Bluff native seeks Democratic nod PINE BLUFF -- Chris Jones, the former executive director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, will seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022, he announced Tuesday. Jones, a 44-year-old ... June 16, 2021

Pine Bluff native Chris Jones announces bid for governor Chris Jones, the former head of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, will seek the Democratic nomination for governor of Arkansas, he announced Tuesday. Jones, a 44-year-old physicist, minister and ... June 15, 2021

Artists chosen to craft U.S. Capitol statues of Arkansas icons Daisy Gatson Bates, Johnny Cash A Little Rock artist and a sculptor from Idaho have been selected to create new statues to represent Arkansas in the U.S. Capitol. Benjamin Victor of Boise, Idaho, was chosen to sculpt a likeness of ... June 15, 2021

Natalie James to vie for U.S. Senate Natalie James, a Little Rock small-business owner and community organizer, will seek the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2022, she announced Monday. James, 37, was inspired to seek office by... June 15, 2021

Justices decline to hear appeal in attorney general's drug suit The Arkansas Supreme Court said Thursday that it lacks jurisdiction to consider an appeal in the state attorney general's suit against two drug manufacturers. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge sued ph... June 11, 2021

Artists from five states pitch vision for Capitol statues of Daisy Gatson Bates, Johnny Cash Five artists on Wednesday presented their visions for likenesses of two Arkansas icons that, if selected, they will sculpt for display in the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission and... June 10, 2021

Soil found to 'slump' near Heritage Division building in Little Rock A slow-moving landslide has been discovered near the state Division of Heritage headquarters, Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Stacy Hurst told employees Monday. Hurst said the "slump" north of ... June 9, 2021

Dickey, former chief justice, appointed to oversee state redistricting The Arkansas Board of Apportionment on Monday hired former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Betty Dickey as the panel's redistricting coordinator. The board redraws legislative district boundaries e... June 8, 2021

Abramson seeks reelection to state appeals court An Arkansas Court of Appeals judge with a decade of experience on the bench is running for reelection, he announced Friday. Judge Raymond Abramson was first appointed to the court by then-Gov. Mike B... June 8, 2021

Array of new Arkansas laws focus on abortion Even as Republicans passed bills to ban nearly all abortions in Arkansas in the first half of the 2021 legislative session, at least 10 other laws that add restrictions around the procedure and facili... June 6, 2021

Little Rock schools ruling appealed Attorneys for the state and for a group of parents and educators made their arguments to the state Supreme Court on Wednesday over whether Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key and the state Boar... June 4, 2021

High court backs judge's sanction The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday endorsed the state judicial discipline panel's decision to suspend a Pulaski County circuit judge over complaints about his courtroom conduct. The Arkansas Judi... June 4, 2021

Aims on infrastructure touted; Cotton, Boozman await details from GOP’s proposal Arkansas' two U.S. senators tentatively expressed support for a Republican-backed alternative to the White House's infrastructure spending proposal Tuesday. The latest version of President Joe Biden'... June 2, 2021

Three members added to marijuana panel Three new members have been appointed to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission over the past few months. They replace former panel members Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, Travis Story, and Justin Smith,... May 30, 2021

Entering attorney general race, Little Rock lawyer Gibson announces Little Rock attorney Jesse Gibson will seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general of Arkansas, he announced Tuesday. Gibson is the fourth candidate, and the second Democrat, to join the race... May 26, 2021

Thyer plans bid to succeed judge on appeals court A circuit judge from Jonesboro announced Tuesday that she will run for a seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals set to be vacated by a judge's retirement. Craighead County Circuit Judge Cindy Thyer, 5... May 26, 2021

Exhibit spotlights missing Arkansans A weeklong exhibit in the Arkansas Capitol by Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office is highlighting missing people in hopes of raising awareness and solving the cases. The display in the second-f... May 26, 2021

Little Rock attorney files for court race A Little Rock attorney will run for the state appeals court seat set to be vacated by the judge for whom she works as a law clerk, she announced Monday. Wendy Wood, 51, is running to replace Arkansas... May 25, 2021

3 members added to marijuana panel as new terms start Three new members have been appointed to the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission over the past few months. They replace former panel members Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillman, Travis Story, and Justin Smith, ... May 24, 2021

Law firm PAC takes its lumps over ethics claim in '20 race A law firm's political action committee agreed to pay a $100 fine and receive a public letter of caution in a settlement of a complaint filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission over a contribution ma... May 22, 2021

I-40 bridge-fix time frame uncertain, leaders say In a day of news conferences and legislative briefings Tuesday in states on either end of a damaged and idle Mississippi River bridge, the key question remained: How long will it be before traffic flo... May 19, 2021

Two committees favor proposals to use U.S. aid Two committees on Tuesday endorsed proposed uses of federal pandemic-related aid in two areas -- one to help homeowners and the other to boost state government cybersecurity. A legislative panel endo... May 19, 2021

2 gubernatorial candidates support income tax removal Republican gubernatorial candidates Leslie Rutledge and Sarah Huckabee Sanders said they favor eliminating Arkansas' income tax. Rutledge, of Maumelle, announced Monday that she signed the "Taxpayer ... May 18, 2021

Bid to test rape-case evidence rejected The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss a petition seeking scientific testing of evidence in a 2005 criminal case in which a man was convicted of breaking int... May 14, 2021