Opinion

Today, I would like to talk about the national increase in violent crime, and what we are doing to combat that here in Arkansas. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world felt like it came to a halt while we dealt with the issues of public health.

Little Rock – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today toured the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock and announced a $250,000 allocation for essential transportation related to opioid deaths across Arkansas. According to the Arkansas State Crime Lab, there were at least 493 drug overdose deaths in 2021; 281 of those were caused by fentanyl and 43 autopsies are still pending. In 2020, there were 329 drug overdose related deaths with 148 caused by fentanyl and in 2019 there were 263 drug overdose related deaths with 80 caused by fentanyl. The allocation will help the State Crime Lab transport victims of opioid overdose to the crime lab for an autopsy and determine the exact cause of death.

Little Rock – The Arkansas Financial Education Commission, created by Act 1025 of 2021 and chaired by Treasurer of State Dennis Milligan, kicks off its first partnership to promote financial awareness among Arkansans next week. The collaboration in partnership with the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) will host a series of financial education webinars geared toward educating the public on basic financial matters.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R- AR) announced he will vote against the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. He released the following statement:

We are delighted to welcome our 14th association and 16th state to be represented in the Column Partner Program — the Arkansas Press Association. The Column team will be working with the APA on a redesign of their statewide public notice website, making critical improvements to the accessibility of their site as well as adding improved search and alert functionality for the public.

ROGERS — The American Red Cross initiated the distribution of emergency supplies today those areas affected by the severe weather this week. Emergency supplies include items to help clean up after the tornado such as trash bags, work gloves, shovels, rakes, mold prevention and bottled water.

Recently, Ukraine has been arming their citizens with AK-47 rifles and plenty of ammo. Does armed militia ring any bells? At this time, Ukraine families are escaping death by traveling to Poland and other safe zones. The men then tell their wives and children that he must return to Ukraine to defend his country. Needless to say, many will not return.

On Monday of this week, the House and Senate Judiciary Committees met jointly with the Charitable, Penal, and Correctional Institutions subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council. Members reviewed reports from the Department of Corrections concerning the current prison population and recidivism rates.

Little Rock – The recidivism rate for Arkansas prison inmates is 46.1 percent, a rate which the head of state prisons called unacceptable. Prison officials appeared before a joint meeting of legislators to discuss estimates of growth in the state’s inmate population.