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Hear a report by KUAR Political Reporter Sarah Kellogg on the opening of the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly.
Arkansas Senate and House reconvened Monday for the 2021 legislative session. In both chambers, issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic were addressed
Credit Michael Hibblen / KUAR News
On the first day of the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly, the House of Representatives voted to seat all 100 of its members and re-elect its speaker. The Senate formally voted for a new president pro tempore, but amid a worsening coronavirus pandemic, the chamber saw heated debate about whether members should be punished for not wearing face masks.
Credit Sarah Kellogg
Ahead of his final session as the head of Arkansas’ executive branch, Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he believes his office is in a good position to achieve many of his goals for the legislature.
Speaking to reporters on Friday along with Arkansas House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, and incoming Senate President Pro Tempore Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, Hutchinson brought up COVID-19 funding and vaccinations, income tax cuts and raising teacher pay as agenda items he expects would be considered by the legislature in the session set to begin on Monday.
When asked which initiatives he thought would be the easiest to pass in cooperation with Arkansas’ lawmakers, Hutchinson mentioned more funding for rural broadband support as well as moving $100 million in surplus funding to the state’s long-term reserve fund.