News

From the time I was a young girl up til now, my father has always shared funny, adventurous, and sometimes sad stories of the Gaines family legacy. Papa starts every story with (before you were a twinkle in my eye). His introduction warmed my heart as I settled on his lap to listen attentively.

Womack (AR-3) this week helped introduce the STOP II, Secure Every School, and Protect our Nation’s Children Act. The legislation builds on the STOP School Violence Act signed into law in 2018 to fund $1 billion for school resource officers, $1 billion for mental health guidance counselors, and $5 billion for hardening schools, active shooter training, and training for law enforcement, school officials, and students to intervene before a student reaches a breaking point. The $7 billion legislation is paid for with already approved, yet unused COVID-19 funds.

This week, officials from the Arkansas Center for School Safety (ACSS) provided members of the House and Senate Education Committees with an update on school safety measures taken in recent years. In 2018, the Governor created the Safe Schools Commission to assess the state of school security in Arkansas.

Little Rock – The Buffalo National River celebrates its 50th anniversary as part of the National Park Service this year. This summer, the Arkansas State Capitol’s first and fourthfloor galleries will feature “The River Remains: 50 Years on the Buffalo National River,” a celebration of the Buffalo River and its distinction of being a “national river”—the first of its kind in the national park system. The exhibit will be opened to the public beginning June 13th.

LITTLE ROCK – The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was especially hard for childcare centers, so the Arkansas Department of Human Services is administering about $286 million to help them cover expenses and remain in business.

Hundreds of high school students explored the halls of the Arkansas Capitol last week during the annual exercise in government known as Girls State and Boys State. The week-long programs, which are sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, offer rising seniors the chance to form a government, run for office, and write and vote on legislation.