The Arkansas Municipal League will hold its 88th convention Wednesday through Friday in Little Rock.
According to the agenda, topics to be presented during the convention include:
• An update on the state's opioid litigation and settlements, and how some states have allocated opioid settlement funds. The panel features Jerome Tapley, principal co-chair; Cory Watson Attorneys; Kirk Lane, Arkansas Drug Director; and John L. Wilkerson, general counsel, Arkansas Municipal League.
• A session on strategies for decreasing crime, including how partnerships among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies can help. The panelists are Jonathan Ross, U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Arkansas; J.R. Wilson, police chief and assistant city manager, city of Hope; and Keith Chrestman, prosecuting attorney for the Second Judicial District in northeast Arkansas.
• A preview of legislative issues likely to appear before the upcoming 94th General Assembly. Scheduled presenters are Wilkerson, the Arkansas Municipal League's general counsel; Jack Critcher, legislative liaison for the Arkansas Municipal League; Phillip Patterson, city administrator for the city of Siloam Springs; and Cave City Mayor Jonas Anderson.
Sessions on Legislative Audit best practices protecting municipalities' IT infrastructure from cyber threats are also scheduled.
The League's Policies and Goals statement for the coming year will be adopted, 2022-2023 slate of officers will be announced and three hours of Continuing Legal Education certificate credit will be offered.
An agenda is available at https://bit.ly/3MIvRk0.
The convention will be held at the Little Rock Marriott and Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock.