Opinion

January 28, 2022 LITTLE ROCK – Last year Arkansas joined a rental assistance program to help people who have lost jobs or businesses from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. So far, the state Department of Human Services (DHS) made 31,373 payments, totaling $64.6 million.

From July 2020 to July 2021, there were 1,619 reports of newborns born in Arkansas with an illegal substance present in their system. This is a 20% increase from the year before.

While young people sporting the National FFA Organization’s trademark blue corduroy jackets are a familiar sight across Arkansas, they are not typically seen on Capitol Hill. Recently, they were spotted in the halls of Congress as FFA’s national officers visited lawmakers.

As Governor, I’m a member of the National Governors Association, which was founded in 1908 to promote bipartisanship. In politics, we call that “reaching across the aisle.” I became chair of the National Governors Association last summer, and in that role, I have seen more clearly than ever that if we are going to overcome big challenges, we must set aside our differences to get things done.

Little Rock– The state Division of Children and Family Services intends to try out a new method of intervention, by assigning cases to a team of workers instead of to an individual. The Division is part of the state Department of Human Services (DHS).

As a member of the Joint Budget Committee, we have spent the last two weeks reviewing agency budget proposals in preparation for the 2022 Fiscal Session. This week, the hearings focused on requests for public safety and for the Department of Human Services.

President Biden marked one year in office on January 20. So far, his agenda hasn’t lived up to his own lofty rhetoric and unbridled confidence when he was asking voters to send him to the White House.

Today I’d like to talk about two doctors and the mask-making company they started in Mountain Home. Dr.

A November 2021 Gallup poll identified inflation as one of the top five most important issues for Americans. This is no surprise considering the price increases we’re facing for everyday essentials. Each month, our dollars stretch less and too many are forced to make difficult decisions about their budgets.

Little Rock- Throughout the pandemic, testing for the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been a vital tool for controlling the spread of the disease and ensuring that Arkansans can safely continue with their daily lives. The State of Arkansas has recently obtained 1.5 million rapid at-home COVID-19 tests that are available to Arkansans free of charge. For a list of locations where the at-home tests are available, visit the Health Department’s website.