Jessica Goodwin Read more
This time last year, I knew COVID-19 was a serious threat, but I was confident if we pulled together as a state and nation, then we could over time defeat the virus.
The legislature has approved a broad reform of the laws governing water providers, a measure that sponsors have been working on for the past four years.
The legislature voted to extend the 2021 session until April 30, and then to recess for an extended period rather than to adjourn.
This week I signed Senate Bill 107, which requires high school students to take at least one computer science course in order to graduate.
The Senate has approved legislation to grant to certified nurse practitioners full and independent practice authority.
Arkansas is springing to life. The White Trout-lily is in full bloom in the woods. Spring ephemerals such as Pale Corydalis, Spring Beauty, Toothwort, Bloodroot, and Violets are coloring the forest floor. The return of Arkansas’s natural beauty is a relief and a reminder that the pandemic of…
The historic flood of 2019 exposed the weakness of Arkansas’s levee system, an issue that required immediate and focused attention, so I created the Arkansas Levee Task Force.
The Senate passed a new version of the Medicaid expansion program, which is one of the most important bills of this year’s session because of the number of people it benefits and the amount of money that it generates in Arkansas.
In a news conference last week, I announced that I was renewing the state of emergency through March 31. I also announced that we would be keeping the mask mandate through March 31, as well.
Both chambers of the legislature have approved a bill that prohibits abortions, except if necessary to save the mother’s life in a medical emergency.
The legislature has approved a broad tax relief measure for businesses that were affected by the pandemic.
Today I’d like to talk about the federal Payroll Protection Plan or PPP, which has kept many Arkansas companies alive during the pandemic.
From the workers clearing our roads to the utility employees doing their best to keep houses warm, we want to extend our deepest appreciation to our essential workers this week.
We still have eight days left in February, and already this is the third snowiest month in Little Rock since we started keeping records in the 1800s. And it is one of the most severe snowstorms statewide as well.
Businesses would not be penalized by state regulators for violating Covid-19 restrictions because of the behavior of their customers, under legislation passed by the Arkansas Senate.
A company that produces wood pellets for grilling has announced it will open a plant in Hope this year, and today I’d like to talk about the wood-pellet industry in Arkansas and what it means for this state.
The Senate has voted to exempt last year’s unemployment benefits from state income taxes, to help people who lost their jobs because of the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the past six years, much has changed in the way we treat young people in state custody, and today I’d like to talk about the ways we have reformed juvenile justice.
We are in our second month of inoculating Arkansans against COVID-19, and today I’d like to talk about the progress we are making.
The Senate passed legislation known as the “Stand Your Ground” bill, which would allow someone to use deadly force to defend themselves against an aggressor.
The 93rd General Assembly convened with a traditional day of swearing in ceremonies for new members, followed by the governor’s speech in a joint session of the legislature. Then lawmakers immediately got down to business.
The inauguration of President Joe Biden was like no other in our history. I have had the privilege of attending five inaugurations before President Biden’s this week, and the atmosphere this year was understandably more somber than the others.
The 93rd General Assembly convened last week, and I’d like to talk about the goals that I shared with legislators in my State of the State address.
When the Arkansas legislature convened the 2021 regular session, the first major challenge on the agenda was ensuring that the public can still safely participate in the democratic process.
We’re almost a month into our COVID-19 immunization program, and today I’d like to emphasize the importance of Arkansans taking one of the two approved vaccines so that we can stop the coronavirus and get back to our lives.
When the legislature convened in regular session at noon on Monday, Jan. 11, the individuals in the Senate were to bring a wide variety of real-world experience to the task.
Duck hunting is one of the great cultural traditions of Arkansas, and it also pumps a lot of money into our economy.
While we prepare to enter a new year and begin the 2021 Regular Session, we want to take a moment to review what has been taking place at the State Capitol in 2020. Some of the work accomplished in 2020 lays the foundation for future legislation.
A task force on law enforcement recommended that police officers get more training, more pay and more opportunities for advanced education.
The Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas submitted its report to me last week, and I’d like to talk about some of the action items the members recommended.
The United States Supreme Court upheld an Arkansas law regulating pharmacy benefit managers, which negotiate agreements between health insurance companies and drug stores.
Sherian Kwanisai stepped into Arkansas history last week as the first person in the state to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and today I’d like to talk about the significance of this in our nine-month battle against the coronavirus.
On Thursday, the advisory committee of the Federal Drug Administration said “yes” to the emergency use authorization of the first coronavirus vaccine in the United States, and today I’d like to talk about what that means for Arkansas.
One of the most important duties for legislators is to set spending levels for state agencies.
Arkansas college students who receive lottery scholarships had until the first of October to document successful completion of summer coursework, in order to maintain their eligibility this fall.
Today I’d like to talk about the Natural State’s spirit of giving, which I’ve witnessed consistently through the years. When a friend or neighbor is in need, Arkansans show up in a hurry with pickaxes and open wallets.
Last week was Thanksgiving week, and Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year. I do like the reminder that we as individuals and as a state and nation should pause and give thanks. I grew up in a small country church in which we always sang the old hymn, “Count your blessings,…
Over the past two years, few areas in state government have changed as much as the Division of Youth Services.
This year for the first time, enrollment in computer science courses topped 10,000, the sixth straight year enrollment has increased, and today I’d like to talk about what’s happening and what’s down the road.
Arkansas schools this fall have seen a drop in enrollment of about 6,428 students.
This is National Apprenticeship Week, and today I’d like to discuss the progress we’ve made in expanding registered apprenticeship programs throughout Arkansas.
The governor presented a balanced budget proposal to the legislature for next fiscal year. It would authorize about $5.8 billion next year in spending from the state’s general revenue fund, about three percent more than this year.
November is National Adoption Month in Arkansas, and Nov. 21 is National Adoption Day. Today I’d like to share the story of an amazing employee of the Division of Children and Family Services, which is a part of our state Department of Human Services, or DHS.
The state is helping people who have trouble paying their rent because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The blazing foliage of fall is reason enough to travel the Natural State this weekend, but there’s more to autumn in Arkansas than the brightly colored leaves. Today I’d like to mention a few spots worth a visit this time of year in addition to the trails of leaves.
At the beginning of this year, there were more than 2,000 licensed child care programs in Arkansas. They had slots for 194,000 children.
The Legislative Council approved spending $48.5 million in federal relief money to fund a grant program that will help tourism-related businesses adversely affected by the pandemic.
Recent events around the nation have led to discussions about law-enforcement practices. Today I’d like to talk about the progress Arkansas has made with crisis intervention training for police officers and the Crisis Stabilization Units that offer an alternative to jail for people who are s…
The legislature has begun budget hearings in preparation for the regular session that begins in January.
Monday was the first day for early voting, and today I’d like to talk about what will be on the ballot.
