Stories by Neal Earley

Arkansas House approves bill on pronoun use by teachers The Arkansas House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would require written permission from a parent before a public school employee may address students by their preferred pronoun or name... March 28, 2023

Bill seeks to amend Arkansas Freedom of Information Act to exempt broad classes of government documents LITTLE ROCK -- A bill filed Monday would amend the state's Freedom of Information Act to exempt broad classes of government documents from disclosure.House Bill 1726 would exempt communications be... March 28, 2023

Bill barring school officials from addressing students by a pronoun inconsistent with student’s biological sex on its to Senate LITTLE ROCK -- The Arkansas House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would require written permission from a parent before a public school employee may address students by their preferred ... March 28, 2023

House approves measure requiring parents to OK students being called by preferred pronoun, name The Arkansas House of Representatives approved a bill Monday that would require written permission from a parent before a public school employee may address students by their preferred pronoun or name... March 27, 2023

Bill to bar UAMS deals with athletes An Arkansas lawmaker has filed a bill to prohibit state-funded medical schools from entering into paid sponsorship deals with student athletes.The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ricky Hill, R-Cabot, said ... March 25, 2023

Bill to overhaul school funding filed at state Capitol A bill filed Friday would change the way Arkansas funds public schools, creating a new formula for how districts receive money from the state.The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Cozart, R-Hot Springs, w... March 25, 2023

Arkansas House bill seeks $205 increase in funding per student A public school funding bill filed late Thursday calls for a per student increase for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years.But it is less than what lawmakers recommended in the fall.Overall, fun... March 24, 2023

Bill would expand exception to Arkansas’ abortion ban A bill filed Wednesday would broaden the exception to Arkansas' abortion ban, allowing the procedure when necessary to protect the health of the mother.Rep. Denise Garner, D-Fayetteville, filed Ho... March 23, 2023

State legislative committee approves bill to create a needs-based scholarship program A joint committee of state senators and representatives approved a bill last week to create a needs-based scholarship program.The bill was approved Wednesday and would amend the Arkansas Academic Chal... March 20, 2023

Arkansas bill calls for studying prospects of allowing high school athletes to receive compensation for likeness An Arkansas lawmaker filed a bill Friday to study the prospects of allowing high school athletes the right to receive compensation for their likeness.Rep. R.J. Hawk, R-Bryant, filed House Bill 1679 to... March 18, 2023

Arkansas bill would allow some high school athletes to benefit from name, image, likeness Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd filed a bill Thursday to expand the state's law that allows college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness to include some high school stude... March 17, 2023

House Education Committee OKs measure barring requirement for employees of public schools, universities to participate in implicit bias training The House Education Committee signed off Thursday on a bill barring public schools and universities from requiring their employees to participate in implicit bias training.Implicit bias training are p... March 17, 2023

Arkansas state Capitol news in brief: Bill to raise resource limit on SNAP benefits passes Senate Bill raises limit on resources for SNAPThe Arkansas Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would require the state Department of Human Services to request a broad-based categorical eligibility waiver... March 17, 2023

Arkansas House bill would allow name, image, likeness law to benefit some high school athletes Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd filed a bill Thursday to expand the state’s law that allows college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness to include some high school stu... March 16, 2023

Senate committee OKs bill making it illegal to destroy signatures on ballot petitions The Senate Judiciary Committee weighed into a contentious bout of Arkansas casino politics Wednesday, advancing a bill that would make it a crime to destroy signatures on a ballot petition.The bill co... March 16, 2023

Bill that would change Freedom of Information Act’s open meetings requirement fails in committee A bill that would change Arkansas' Freedom of Information Act to make it easier for local elected officials to meet outside of the public view was rejected in a voice vote by the House Committee o... March 16, 2023

Senate committee OKs bill making it a crime to destroy ballot petition signatures The Senate Judiciary advanced a bill Wednesday to make it a crime to destroy signatures on a ballot petition.Senate Bill 377 would make it a misdemeanor to destroy a signature, other than your own, on... March 15, 2023

State House committee OKs bill requiring school officials to address students by pronouns consistent with biological sex A House committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would require written permission from parents before school employees could address students by their preferred pronoun or name.House 1468, which passed ... March 15, 2023

State House OKs monument plans The Arkansas House of Representatives approved a bill Tuesday to create a monument to unborn children aborted during the era of Roe v. Wade on the State Capitol grounds.Senate Bill 307 would create a ... March 15, 2023

Bill to end affirmative action programs in state, local governments in Arkansas tabled The bill to end affirmative action programs in state and local governments in Arkansas was tabled in a House committee Monday.Senate Bill 71, which cleared the Senate by one vote last week, would bar ... March 15, 2023

House committee OKs bill requiring school officials to address students by pronouns consistent with biological sex A House committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would require written permission from parents before school employees could address students by their preferred pronoun or name.House 1468, which passed ... March 14, 2023

Arkansas House committee OKs bill placing more regulations on counties that opt to hand-count ballots LITTLE ROCK -- A bill to place more regulations on Arkansas counties that choose hand-count ballots instead of using vote-tabulation machines passed a House committee Monday.Senate Bill 250, sponsored... March 14, 2023

Pair of cybersecurity bills advance out of Arkansas House committee LITTLE ROCK -- A House committee advanced a pair of bills to enhance cybersecurity for state and local government agencies.House Bill 1555 comes in response to ransomware attacks across the state, and... March 14, 2023

Bill prohibiting school staff from addressing students by preferred pronoun or name goes to committee A bill that would prohibit school staff from addressing students by their preferred pronoun or name was re-referred to committee Monday.House Bill 1468, by Rep. Wayne Long, R-Bradford, would require w... March 13, 2023

Lawsuit filed challenging new law raising number of counties needed to place constitutional amendment on ballot The League of Women Voters of Arkansas and state Sen. Bryan King filed a lawsuit Friday challenging a newly passed state law that increases the number of counties needed to get an initiated act or con... March 11, 2023

Sanders supports legislation to require social media companies to verify users’ ages Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced support Thursday for new legislation to require that social media companies verify users' age before giving them access to their site.Under Senate Bill 396, d... March 10, 2023

House panel advances bill restricting use of students’ preferred pronoun A House Education committee recommended a bill Thursday that would prohibit school staff from addressing students by a pronoun inconsistent with "student's biological sex," unless they h... March 10, 2023

Sanders signs Arkansas LEARNS, her education overhaul, into law Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed her education bill into law Wednesday afternoon, calling it "the largest overhaul of the state's education system in Arkansas history."During a ceremon... March 9, 2023

Senate committee approves amendment to bathroom bill A Senate committee again approved a bill to restrict transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice at a public school.House Bill 1156 came before the committee again after the bill's ... March 9, 2023

Bill allowing abortions in the case of lethal fetal abnormalities fails to clear Arkansas House committee An Arkansas House of Representatives committee declined to advance a bill Tuesday that would add an exception to the state's abortion ban for lethal fetal abnormalities.Currently the ban only has ... March 8, 2023

Senate approves Sanders' Arkansas LEARNS Act; education bill on its way to governor's desk The Arkansas Senate approved Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education overhaul Tuesday, sending the bill to the governor’s desk for her signature.The Senate voted 26-8 to approve the bill, a... March 7, 2023

House votes down bill to add exceptions to Arkansas' abortion ban An Arkansas House of Representatives committee voted down a bill Tuesday that would add exceptions to the state’s abortion ban for lethal fetal abnormalities.Currently Arkansas’ ban on abo... March 7, 2023

Sanders' amended education bill heads back to full Senate for approval The Senate Education Committee on Monday approved Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education overhaul in the penultimate move before it is approved by the Legislature.The committee’s vote send... March 6, 2023

Covid seen as driving more states to vouchers Arkansas is set to join the ranks of West Virginia, Arizona, Utah and Iowa as states that have recently passed universal voucher measures, with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education proposal movi... March 5, 2023

House passes amended Arkansas LEARNS bill, sends it back to the Senate Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul passed the Arkansas House of Representatives on Thursday, sending the bill to the Senate for a concurring vote.Senate Bill 294, also known as the LE... March 3, 2023

Arkansas House passes Sanders' education bill Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders education overhaul passed the Arkansas House of Representatives on Thursday, sending the bill to the Senate for a concurring vote.Senate Bill 294, also known as the LEARNS ... March 2, 2023

Sanders’ education bill clears committee, heads to vote before full House The House Education Committee moved forward Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul Wednesday, sending the bill to the House of Representatives.The committee approved the bill on a voice v... March 2, 2023

Arkansas State Capitol news in brief: Senate panel advances bill to reduce time allowed on unemployment Jobless benefits, tax bill advancesA bill aimed at reducing the amount of time a person may receive unemployment insurance from four months to three cleared an Arkansas Senate committee Wednesday.The ... March 2, 2023

Sanders' education bill on its way to vote before full state House The House Education Committee forwarded Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education overhaul Wednesday, sending the bill to the House of Representatives floor for a vote.The committee approved the bi... March 1, 2023

Public weighs in on Arkansas LEARNS Members of the public had their second chance weigh in on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul during a marathon meeting Tuesday as the bill continues to make its way through the state ... March 1, 2023

State House panel reconvenes, continues discussion of Sanders' education bill The State House Education Committee reconvened Tuesday afternoon to hear testimony from the public on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education overhaul plan, with more than 90 people signed up to ... February 28, 2023

Advocacy leaders call for more time before House vote on Sanders’ education bill More public debate regarding Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' proposed omnibus education bill is needed before it goes to a vote before the House of Representatives, leaders representing four state ad... February 28, 2023

Sanders’ education overhaul seen as headed toward passage as some call for tweaks Lawmakers from both parties agree that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul package is likely to pass. But what exactly the bill looks like when it gets to her desk is still something t... February 26, 2023

Sanders’ education bill clears Arkansas Senate, heads to House The Arkansas Senate approved Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul Thursday, clearing the way for the House to take up the bill next week.After about 90 minutes of debate, Senate members... February 24, 2023

Sanders' education bill clears Senate, heads to House The Arkansas Senate approved Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education overhaul Thursday, clearing the way for the House to take up the bill next week.After about 90 minutes of debate, the GOP-cont... February 23, 2023

Sanders’ education bill goes before Arkansas Senate committee on Wednesday Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday urged supporters to lobby lawmakers to back her education overhaul bill.Speaking at an event for home school parents and students at the Capitol, Sander... February 22, 2023

Lobby state lawmakers to back LEARNS Act, Sanders urges supporters Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders urged supporters to lobby lawmakers to back her education overhaul Tuesday.Speaking at an event for home school parents and students at the Capitol, Sanders said h... February 21, 2023

Education bill calls for $50K starting salary for Arkansas teachers, voucher program Lawmakers unveiled plans for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul in a bill filed late Monday afternoon, which includes a $14,000 increase in the starting salary for teachers and vouche... February 21, 2023

Arkansas governor backs bill that would charge drug dealers with murder for lethal overdoses Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that she will back a bill to take on the fentanyl crisis by holding dealers responsible for overdose deaths tied to their drugs, and announced the appo... February 18, 2023