State law outlines what is supposed to happen to money the state receives from court decisions and settlements. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office often decides where the money will be spent. Since January 2015, Rutledge has given money to the following state agencies and institutions:
• $14.4 million to the state treasury for public safety and law enforcement programs.
• $2.6 million to the state Central Services Fund.
• $2.5 million to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research & Extension.
• $2.5 million to the Crime Victims Reparation Fund to help victims of sexual assault.
• $2 million to the state Department of Career Education for education and training grants.
• $1.1 million to the state Central Services Fund to pay for office rent.
• $1 million to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen Law School for its Business Innovation Legal Clinic.
• $1 million to the Arkansas State Police to help upgrade the Arkansas Wireless Information Network.
• $850,000 to the Department of Education for panic buttons in public schools.
• $600,000 to the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute for the Safe Schools initiative and Missing Persons program.
• $500,000 to the Arkansas Department of Rural Services for local volunteer fire departments.
• $500,000 to the Arkansas Department of Health for the prescription drug monitoring program.
• $200,000 to the Arkansas State Medical Board to pay attorneys' fees in a lawsuit that led a federal judge to overturn the state law that would ban most abortions after the 12 weeks of gestation.
• $170,000 to Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs to help open regional offices.
• $100,000 to the University of Arkansas Terrorism Research Center for a Web portal to help investigators access a database containing names and cybercrime information.
• $55,000 to Arkansas Community Correction for tactical equipment.
Source: Attorney general’s quarterly reports to the Legislative Council
SundayMonday on 05/21/2017