Category Archives: State government

If you can’t beat them, go around them?

Elections, State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

It’s hard for many groups to get much done via representative democracy in Arkansas these days, so this election season – and maybe in future ones – they are trying the direct democracy route.

As you may have noticed, there are more proposed ballot initiatives this year than voters can shake a stick at. 

Meanwhile, there are few competitive candidate races. The presidential race is a foreground conclusion at this point. The only statewide race will be a special election for state treasurer, which Republican Secretary of State John Thurston almost certainly will win. Republicans will likely maintain their control of more than 80% of the Legislature. Continue reading If you can’t beat them, go around them? →

A quiet fiscal session coming?

Legislature, State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

When legislators gather at the Arkansas State Capitol starting April 10 for their every-two-year fiscal session, they’ll be considering the governor’s budget, her plan for increasing state employee salaries, and the state’s growing collection of noisy crypto mines.

But in contrast to those crypto mines, the session itself could be relatively quiet.

Voters created the biennial fiscal session through a constitutional amendment in 2008. It occurs in even-numbered years between the longer regular sessions. Those occur in odd-numbered years.  

Fiscal sessions are supposed to focus on budget matters. Legislators can consider other issues with a two-thirds vote by both the House and Senate, but they generally try to save those discussions for the regular session. The fiscal sessions can last no more than 30 days. Lawmakers can extend them once by no more than 15 days with a three-fourths vote by both chambers. Continue reading A quiet fiscal session coming? →

Dennis Milligan has $400 million. Some might be yours.

State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2024 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

It’s not every day that a man tells you he has $400 million to get rid of, and he needs your help to do it. That happened to me at the State Capitol Feb. 21.

The man was Dennis Milligan, the Arkansas state auditor. The $400 million is the total value of all the unclaimed properties the state is trying to return to its rightful owners through “The Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt.” 

One in four Arkansans have property in the state’s possession. The auditor’s office has more than a million properties to dispense. The properties come from a variety of sources – an inheritance, a deserted bank account, a safety deposit box that somebody forgot about, etc. If a final paycheck never made it to somebody, banks are obligated to turn the money over to the auditor’s office. 

One woman got $1.4 million

“I gave a lady $1.4 million in Hot Springs the other day that her dad had left her through stocks that she didn’t even know about,” he said. “And that’s not the norm, but there’s plenty of $80, $150, $200. And again, it comes from old utility deposits. I’ve got Rolex watches. I’ve got war medals in our vault that again were taken out of safety deposit boxes and ultimately ended up in my hands.” Continue reading Dennis Milligan has $400 million. Some might be yours. →

Looks like LEARNS, everything else can be an emergency

State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2023 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

We can assume two things following the recent Arkansas Supreme Court ruling on the LEARNS Act lawsuit. 

First, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ education reform legislation will be the law of the land sooner rather than later. 

Second, the Legislature will continue voting on emergency clauses simultaneously with bills – even though the state Constitution requires two votes “upon separate roll call.”

We may need a constitutional amendment so clear no one can argue it. One might be cooking. We’ll get to that shortly.

For background, the Supreme Court’s 5-2 ruling June 15 lifted a temporary restraining order issued by Circuit Court Judge Herbert Wright. Some Marvell-Elaine School District residents had sued the state after it entered into a “transformation contract” with a charter school organization to manage the district under the LEARNS Act. Continue reading Looks like LEARNS, everything else can be an emergency →