Republican Sen. John Boozman’s campaign said Wednesday it’s raised more than $1.1 million over the past three months for his reelection bid. The campaign for the two-term senator from Arkansas said it has more than $2.7 million cash on hand. Friday is the deadline for campaigns to file their quarterly reports with the Federal Election Commission. Boozman, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010, faces several challengers in next year’s Republican primary. They include Jake Bequette, a former NFL and Arkansas Razorbacks player, and Jan Morgan, a Hot Springs gun range owner. Natalie James an ..read more

Activists are seeking to overturn Arkansas’ newly-drawn congressional district map through a procedure known as a popular veto. Arkansans for a Unified Natural State says it is beginning the process of collecting signatures to prevent the new map from going into effect. Organizer Kwami Abdul-Bey says once the state legislature formally adjourns, the group will have 90 days to collect 54,000 signatures from at least 15 Arkansas counties to overturn the legislation. “Other rights, even the most basic, are illusionary if the right to vote is undermined," Abdul-Bey said. "We believe that the way t ..read more

New Democratic Party of Arkansas Chair Grant Tennille says he believes Republicans are out-of-step with the majority of Arkansans and he expects electoral, financial and messaging success from the GOP’s recent political moves in the state legislature. Tennille, a guest on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, was elected chairman of the party a week ago. He said this past week has seen a resurgence in fundraising, opportunity for legislative gains, and encouragement from the party faithful across the state. “I think that because of the rise of President Trump and his followers ..read more

The Arkansas Legislature has given final approval to a re-drawn map of the state’s four U.S. congressional districts that splits Pulaski County among three districts. The proposed map now awaits a signature from Gov. Asa Hutchinson. With little debate, members of the state House and Senate passed identical versions of the map on Thursday. House Bill 1982, sponsored by Rep. Nelda Speaks, R-Mountain Home, passed the Senate by a vote of 21 to 12. Shortly afterward, the House approved Senate Bill 743, sponsored by Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock, on a vote of 53 to 35. The proposal would tr ..read more

In an extended legislative session intended to focus on re-drawing Arkansas’ four U.S. Congressional districts, lawmakers have instead set their sights on COVID-19 vaccines. Members of the Arkansas House and Senate have debated numerous proposals aimed at rolling back parts of President Joe Biden’s new vaccine mandates for private businesses. The slate of Republican-backed bills have had varying degrees of success ..read more

The Arkansas Senate has advanced a measure that would require an exemption process for workers who face a COVID-19 vaccine mandate from their employers. The vote Monday came during a special session that was called to redraw the state’s congressional maps. The measure from Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, says any employer that mandates the vaccine must also offer an exemption process that includes testing or proof of antibodies. If enacted, the requirement would end July 31, 2023, unless it is extended by lawmakers. Republican lawmakers have filed numerous bills targeting vaccine mandates for the s ..read more

Grant Tennille, the former economic development chief under Gov. Mike Beebe who helped bring Big River Steel to Arkansas, was elected chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas and said he will use his “tons of relationships” to build the party in a solidly red state. Tennille defeated Jim Wallace of Eureka Springs at the Democrats’ State Committee meeting held Saturday. The previous chair, Michael John Gray, had left to become the executive director of Liberty and Justice for Arkansas, a group whose purpose is to “combat Trumpism” and “defeat Sarah Huckabee Sanders,” a Republican candidate for ..read more

Arkansas school districts might soon have to change how they elect their boards because of newly released data from the 2020 U.S. Census. The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Research and Extension held a virtual panel meeting Wednesday featuring guests who discussed the impact redistricting has on local communities and how the census data is a catalyst for these changes. One of the featured panelists, Washington County Election Commission Director Jennifer Price, said election commissions across the state are about a month or two behind schedule due to the late release of ..read more

Arkansas lawmakers considered competing redistricting proposals that would divide the state’s most populous county between congressional seats on Wednesday. The House and Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committees did not advance any proposals for redrawing districts as the Legislature reconvened to redraw the state’s four U.S. House boundaries. Both panels showed support for plans that would divide Pulaski County. One bill pending before the House committee would split the county, which includes the Little Rock area, between the 1st and 2nd congressional districts. Another befo ..read more

Voters have strong opinions when asked about an Arkansas version of a recently enacted Texas law aimed at restricting abortions. The Texas law was allowed to go into effect by the U.S. Supreme Court while litigation over its constitutionality works its way through the federal courts. According to new results from the latest Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College Poll of 916 likely Arkansas voters, the results are closely divided but attitudes are anything but lukewarm. Survey respondents were asked: Q. Texas passed a law that prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and empowers p ..read more