Jonathan Barnett resigned this morning from his position as chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission, saying he wants to spend more time at the Capitol learning how the state House of Representatives works before being sworn in as a member of that body in January. The Republican from Siloam Springs was elected to the House District [...]

The Pulaski County Election Commission just finished their recount for the House District 38 race, and Democrat John Edwards has been declared the winner over Republican Kelly Eichler. The difference was 77 votes. Eichler asked for the recount after unofficial results on Election Day had her trailing by 74 votes. Election Commission Chairman Kent Walker said [...]

U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor is prodding the Federal Communications Commission to do more to help parents block scenes and language inappropriate for children from TVs and computers. The Pryor-sponsored Child Safe Viewing Act is headed to President Bush’s desk after the Senate gave final congressional approval to the measure. It requires the FCC to continuously review and [...]

Arkansas’ economic development chief says Arkansas is reaching out to China to help meet the state’s global demands for economic development. Maria Haley says a one-person Arkansas office will open in Beijing some time during the first week of December. The director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission says the office will consist of a consultant [...]

Some of the most important maneuvering done at the state Capitol during legislative sessions will be a little easier when the General Assembly convenes in January. With parking at a premium, Arkansas Building Authority director Ann Laidlaw says work to add about 160 new spaces in the Capitol complex should be completed by the end of [...]

Three nurses at the Arkansas State Hospital have been fired and three other employees suspended following an attempted suicide at the facility last month, the state Department of Human Services said today. A female patient at the hospital later died from injuries she sustained in the attempt, DHS said. The agency said the disciplinary action taken Thursday [...]

Barack Obama could have won Arkansas if he had campaigned here, according to U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. “I think if Obama had come here and worked here and allocated some resources to Arkansas, we could have been like North Carolina or Missouri or some of these other states who were very close, and we could [...]

A nonprofit child advocacy group gave a mixed review today to Gov. Mike Beebe’s balanced budget proposal. The $4.5 billion proposed budget for the next fiscal year, unveiled this morning, calls for reducing the state’s sales tax on groceries from 3 cents to 2 cents. Beebe also is proposing setting aside about $146 million from the [...]

Arkansas also has won two 2008 Excellence Awards from the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council, a governmental organization that, according to its Web site, promotes solutions to technological issues impacting the business of government. Arkansas won for protecting Arkansans’ private information through the Payment Processor Security Initiative and for enhancing citizens’ involvement in government through the [...]

Former Arkansas first lady Janet Huckabee attended today’s Veterans Day ceremony at the state Capitol. She said she is working hard to make sure the needs of military men and women returning home from deployment, as well as aging veterans with health concerns, are met. Gov. Mike Beebe recently named Huckabee, who works for the Red [...]