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Trey Steimel, Arkansas State Representative On the 5th week of the Regular Session, the House passed legislation addressing substance abuse, teen pregnancy, public assistance, and transportation. The House passed HB1144. This bill creates the Arkansas Family Treatment Specialty Court Act. The bill states that there is a critical need for judicial intervention and support for effective treatment programs to reduce the number of family separations due to substance use disorders and mental…

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Trey Steimel, Arkansas State Representative In the 4th week of the 2023 Regular Session, the House passed bills impacting taxes, health-care, education, and criminal justice. Tax related bills that passed the House this week included HB1026and HB1143. HB1026 prohibits local governments from enacting an income tax. HB1143 defines “homestead” for purposes of property tax exemption for disabled veterans, surviving spouses, and minor dependent children of disabled veterans. The House also passed HB1127which…

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By Mel Coleman, CEO of North Arkansas Electric Cooperative Since 1939, North Arkansas Electric Cooperative has provided our members with reliable and affordable electricity. That mission is getting more difficult due to many factors that, sadly, are outside of our distribution co-op’s control. I’m talking about higher fuel costs caused by increased demand for natural gas, which is a publicly traded commodity; coal plant closures due to governmental regulations and litigation from…

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By The Reverend Bob Holland I have a good friend that is seriously ill with late-stage cancer. When he was diag-nosed about 2 years ago, he began to write and send a daily text thread to friends about his treatments, how he is doing, the weather, anything associated with astronomy, and a generous amount of philosophical thoughts. His personality is that of a thinker who appreciates the beauty of simple things. As…

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Trey Steimel, Arkansas State Representative On the third week of the 2023 Regular Session, the House passed legislation that could impact everything from car tags to the start of the school year.AHB1150 which would extend the time period Arkansans have to register a vehicle. This bill would give Arkansans 60 days from the purchase date of the car or if they’ve moved to Arkansas from out of state. Currently, Arkansans have 30…

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