Two weeks ago, we were all alarmed to learn about a significant crack in a beam that supports the I-40 Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which connects Arkansas and Tennessee. Inspectors found no other problems, and now that the repair has begun,…
The state’s emergency health declaration ends this Sunday, and today I’d like to encourage Arkansans to remember that although the emergency has passed, we are still in a pandemic. We have plenty of reasons to be optimistic, though. Our hospitalizations…
We opened Arkansas’s rental-assistance program this week, and today I’d like to talk about how we will help renters and landlords who are struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic. The Arkansas Department of Human Services will distribute $173…
This is National Nurses Week in Arkansas, and today I’d like to talk about how the pandemic has highlighted the value of our nurses and about the laws the General Assembly passed this year that allow nurses to offer more…
On Wednesday, I traveled to Poinsett County for the dedication of the state’s newest water trail. Today I’d like to share a bit of the story behind the Sunken Lands Water Trail, which was created by the Arkansas Game and…
This week, the 93rd General Assembly concluded its business, and today I’d like to talk about a few of the success stories from the legislative session. First, I appreciate the leadership of Senate Pro Tem Jimmy Hickey of Texarkana and Speaker…
For years, we have struggled to find enough teachers, nurses, and other licensed professionals to fill jobs in Arkansas, and today I’d like to talk about Act 746, a law that will help overcome that challenge by enlarging the field…
This week, I signed legislation that will increase the median salary of schoolteachers by $2,000 over the next two years. The raise is one way to show teachers we value their work, and this legislation was one of my top…
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We all understand that the best way to prevent the abuse of children is to strengthen families. Today I’d like to share the story of state employees whose intervention stabilized a family and allowed…
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. Now we seem to have rounded the bend…