Opinion

Our neighborhoods are more than just places where we live. They are the very essence of our communities, reflecting our values, aspirations, and pride.

Restoring Voting Rights for Felons in Arkansas: A Path to Redemption In Arkansas, more than 5,000 citizens are locked out of their most fundamental democratic right—the right to vote—due to past felony convictions. This deliberate process of locking them out, not only silences their voices but undermines the values of rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

LITTLE ROCK – A legislative committee has signed off on stronger penalties against pharmacy benefit managers that fail to reimburse local drug stores according to rates established in state law. The Senate and House Committees on Insurance and Commerce reviewed and accepted new rules proposed by the Arkansas Insurance Department.

Despite overwhelming bipartisan support for putting in place commonsense gun safety measures, Republican lawmakers in Arkansas have in recent years driven our state in the opposite direction. Arkansans aren’t required to obtain a license to carry a firearm, either openly or concealed, and there are few places where firearms are still prohibited.

This week, the House Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs Committee reviewed a vital report from the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) regarding family preservation services. The data presented painted a hopeful picture of progress in our efforts to support Arkansas families and protect our children.

No, we are not whale hunting this week. But we are here to discuss something that is just as big - Inflation. Yeah, it is down now from what it was a couple or three years ago. But it is still too high. Almost every day you can watch your news program, and some talking head will give his or her perspective on the subject. You will hear everything from price gouging to overpaid CEOs and a few subjects in between. However, very few mention the 700 pound gorilla in the room. That hairy critter is energy and it, in my humble opinion, after years of reflection on the subject, is the chief officer in the inflation problem.

Forty Years of Claytonism. Welcome to Clayton County is a limited weekly column exploring the life of General Powell Clayton, the original namesake of our county, our early history, and why we are not called Clayton County today.

Arkansas elected officials and prominent citizens like to talk proudly of their Christian faith. The real question is “are we living up to the faith we profess”? Especially when we consider Matthew 25: 44-45, which says, “Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” When I wrote my previous piece on food insecurity in Arkansas (literally just two months ago), I knew we were facing a serious problem. We were ranked the second worst food-insecure states in the nation, with one in four children going to bed hungry each night. But the most recent data from the USDA has delivered a harsh reality: things have gotten worse. Arkansas now has the highest rate of food insecurity in the country, with nearly 19% of households struggling to put food on the table. This is well above the national average of 13.5%, and the numbers have continued to climb since 2022.

It’s still more than four months away, but lawmakers are gearing up for the 2025 Regular Session. That session—the second under Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders—is set to begin at noon Monday, January 13.

LITTLE ROCK – The state has begun a new campaign to make people aware of the variety of Medicaid services for which they may be eligible, especially if someone in their family has a disability. The intent is to help people with disabilities live more independently by getting services in their own home or in their local community, rather than in an institutional setting such as a longterm care facility or a hospital.