Category Archives: Legislature

King’s challenger another Ballinger

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vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas primaries, Goodson, photo IDThe March 3 primaries feature two state Senate primaries where Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders supports a challenger opposing a sitting Republican senator. 

Both senators voted against her administration’s proposed Franklin County prison in the last legislative session.

The two are Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, of District 28, and Sen. Ronald Caldwell, R-Wynne, of District 10. King faces Bobby Ballinger, while Caldwell faces Trey Bohannan.

The support of Ballinger over King is not surprising. King is a bluntly speaking and cussedly independent senator who often clashes with Republican Party leadership – particularly Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, the Senate president pro tempore. 

Caldwell is not an obvious thorn in the leadership’s side. But he did vote against funding the prison, which failed to make it out of the Senate last year after five votes but remains on the table.

We’ll focus on the District 28 race. It’s the third time King has faced a Ballinger. King defeated Ballinger’s dad, former state Sen. Bob Ballinger, to claim the seat in 2022. The elder Ballinger had ousted King from his state Senate seat in 2018. Continue reading →

Legislators adjourn sine die

By Steve Brawner , © 2025 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The 2025 Arkansas General Assembly returned from its recess at 10 a.m. May 5 to adjourn “sine die.” Pronounced “sigh-nee die,” that’s Latin for “without a day” planned to return.

Lawmakers had not been in Little Rock since April 16. As is typical, they had planned to return for one day in case they needed to tie up loose ends. 

There were very few. Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge banged her gavel and declared the Senate adjourned at 10:18. Speaker of the House Brian Evans, R-Cabot, did the same in the House at 10:26.

The session was noteworthy both for what legislators passed and for the one major piece they left undone. 

Lawmakers proposed 2,652 bills, of which Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law 1,026. Continue reading →

A quiet fiscal session coming?

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 →

Many of Senate’s biggest names not returning

By Steve Brawner

© 2023 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

When the Arkansas Legislature convenes for its regular session next week, some of its most recognizable – and colorful – senators of the past few years will be gone.

Among the 13 who are leaving is Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, whose legacy includes the state’s ban on abortion except when the mother’s life is in danger. More than any other senator, Rapert was responsible for the state’s pro-life laws, and none were more consequential than that one. He also sponsored the law creating the Ten Commandments monument on the State Capitol grounds. 

Rapert is leaving the Senate after losing his bid to become lieutenant governor to Lt. Gov.-elect Leslie Rutledge, but he certainly made his mark during his 12 years there. Continue reading →

Should the law make hospitals allow visitors during COVID?

By Steve Brawner, © 2021 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Should hospitals allow patient visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic? Should the government require them to do so?

For some Arkansas state legislators, the answer to both is “yes.”

House Bill 1061 by Rep. Julie Mayberry, R-Hensley, would create the No Patient Left Alone Act requiring medical providers to let at least one person be present with patients each day at reasonable times.

Mayberry introduced the bill because many hospitals are severely limiting patient visitors during the pandemic. It has 11 co-sponsors in the House and six in the Senate.

Here’s the thing about being a journalist sometimes: You talk to a smart, persuasive person offering one side of the argument and decide they make sense. Then you talk to a smart, persuasive person on the other side. And then you rub your forehead and mutter, “I’m so confused.” Often, both sides have good arguments. Continue reading →