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Arkansas Senate

Official Arkansas Senate page on Facebook.

05/29/2026

Today, the Arkansas State Capitol welcomed delegates from Arkansas Boys State. These young men were here to learn through meetings with constitutional officers and mock legislative sessions.

Founded in 1940, Arkansas Boys State is an immersive civics education and leadership summer experience for rising high school seniors.

The students spent the week at the University of Central Arkansas campus in Conway. According to the Arkansas Boys State website, delegates are assigned to a political party, city, and county. Throughout the week, the students administer this mock government: they run for office, draft and pass legislation, solve municipal challenges, and engage with constituents. It is considered one of the largest Boys State programs in the nation. Nationwide, about 25,000 young men participate in Boys State each year.

Almost 600 students arrived at the Capitol on Friday, ready to put what they’d learned into action. On the Senate side, the mock session was gaveled in after a quick visit from United States Senator Tom Cotton.

The group debated and voted on bills ranging from additional taxes on junk food to incentivize healthier eating, mandated reading tests for 8th graders, income tax cuts, and a bill to encourage the construction of mixed-use buildings in communities around the state.

Senators Alan Clark, Steve Crowell, Breanne Davis, Jonathan Dismang, Ben Gilmore, Kim Hammer, Bart Hester, Matt McKee, and Brad C. Simon were on hand to answer questions and advise the boys on the finer points of legislation.

It was a pleasure hosting the Boys Staters, and we look forward to hearing more from these young leaders in the future.

05/28/2026

The halls of the state Capitol rang with youthful enthusiasm as delegates from American Legion Auxiliary Arkansas Girls State took over state government today.

Founded in 1942, Arkansas Girls State is a week-long leadership and civic engagement summer program for high school girls finishing their junior year, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. It educates young women on state government through mock elections, legislative sessions, and more. The program is designed to educate young women on the duties, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship. It is the second-largest Girls State program in the nation.

The students spent the week at Harding University in Searcy, running campaigns and electing officials from the city and county level up to state government. The young legislators discussed and developed mock legislation and arrived in Little Rock this morning to debate and vote on their bills.

Real-life senators Breanne Davis, Jamie Scott, Jim Dotson, and Jonathan Dismang were on hand to offer advice and support to the Girls State senators.

The mock legislative session in the Senate chamber was gaveled in by President Pro Tempore of the Senate Bhavana Gudipati of Bentonville High School. The session featured votes and lively debate on 10 bills that ran the gamut from required community service hours for high school students to environmental standards requirements for data centers.

These young women were very prepared, thoughtful, and impressive. Perhaps some of them will return to the Senate chamber as members one day!

05/27/2026

On Tuesday, the state legislature looked a little younger. And 100% female.

Earlier this year, legislators became aware that up to 150 young women from Arkansas high schools were blocked from participation in the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State due to a changed deadline that fell on spring break. Although the students submitted their application materials on time, many schools failed to send them to the state organization until after the deadline had passed.

The students did everything right, but it appeared that they would not be able to participate in this important program.

In response, members of the Arkansas Senate and House of Representatives launched Arkansas Civic Leadership Institute Day, a hands-on opportunity for these rising high school seniors to engage in the legislative process and hear directly from leaders across all three branches of state government.

The young women spent the morning hearing from constitutional officers and their staffs, then worked in committee meetings to prepare bills. In the Senate, the new senators spent the afternoon debating and voting on bills in a mock legislative session.

Senators Alan Clark, Breanne Davis, Tyler Dees, Kim Hammer, Jamie Scott, Dan Sullivan, and Clarke Tucker were all on hand to offer guidance during the process.

Attendees ended the day in a question-and-answer session with the senators and a closing ceremony in the Capitol rotunda.

Thank you to all the students who spent their first day of summer at the Capitol. We look forward to seeing how you lead and serve your communities in the future!

05/25/2026

We remember. And we are grateful.

05/22/2026

Senator Spotlight:

Senator Jim Petty was elected in 2022 and was sworn in on the opening day of the 94th General Assembly. He represents District 29, which includes Crawford County and parts of Washington County.

Senator Petty is the Senate co-chair of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee and is vice chair of the Senate City, County, and Local Affairs Committee. He is a member of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, the Senate Interim Committee on Children and Youth, the Joint Budget Committee, and the Arkansas Legislative Council.

Senator Petty has sponsored legislation to clarify the retention of a DNA sample for a person arrested for a felony. He also sponsored legislation to create an election integrity review process and to amend the law concerning polling sites and locations of voting centers.

Senator Petty is a small business owner and a CPA. He actively volunteers at the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Senator Petty and his wife, Janet, have been married for over 35 years. They have lived in Van Buren for over 26 years. They have two adult children and one granddaughter. He is an avid runner and has competed in several marathons.

Learn more about Senator Petty: https://senate.arkansas.gov/senators/631/

Find your senator: https://senate.arkansas.gov/senators/senator-search/

05/21/2026

Today, the Joint Senate and House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor discussed homeless policies, trends, and opportunities with representatives from the Cicero Institute, Our House, Restore Hope, the Fort Smith Police Department, and the Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center.

Members also reviewed rule changes with various state boards and divisions.

You can watch this and all legislative meetings on demand at https://senate.arkansas.gov/todays-live-stream-meetings/

05/18/2026

The Joint Education Committee met this morning. The committee listened to a presentation about the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program, delivered by Jacob Oliva, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Education, Lyndsey Laster, a 3rd-grade teacher from Poyen Elementary, Melanie Brotherton, who teaches 3rd grade at Drew Central Elementary in Monticello, and Lissa Monroe, a 3rd-grade teacher at Ward Central Elementary in Cabot.

The Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship program celebrates some of our state's greatest educators. The program, which was launched in summer 2025, is intended to uplift educators who receive merit pay and make clearer to the public what great teaching looks like and how it is celebrated.

Selected teachers participate in a series of virtual sessions to improve their practice, increase understanding of the state's Merit Teacher Incentive Fund, and raise public awareness of the teaching profession. Fellows also receive training and support so they can engage in a range of public-facing activities focused on sharing their experience with a broader audience. Participants benefit from professional learning, networking, and collaboration and receive a $1,500 stipend.

Lawmakers spent over two hours on questions and answers with Secretary Oliva and the teachers, discussing the program, the new literacy standards for third graders, and other developments related to LEARNS Act standards.

05/14/2026

Senator Spotlight:

Senator Justin Boyd was elected in 2022 to represent District 27, which includes most of Fort Smith in Sebastian County.

Senator Boyd is the Senate vice chair of the Legislative Council and vice chair of the Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee. He is a member of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, the Senate Rules, Resolutions and Memorials Committee, the Joint Public Retirement and Social Security Programs Committee, the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, and the Task Force on Autism.

He has sponsored legislation to assist homeowners in strengthening homes against tornadoes, hail, and wind damage. Some of his legislative priorities include prescription monitoring and clarifying the authority of pharmacists to prescribe, administer, deliver, distribute, or dispense vaccines and medications to treat adverse reactions to vaccines.

He earned an associate’s degree from what is now the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy. He earned an MBA at Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

A native of Fort Smith, he and his wife Lori have three daughters. He is a member of St. Boniface Church of Fort Smith.

Learn more about Senator Boyd: https://senate.arkansas.gov/senators/634/

Find your senator: https://senate.arkansas.gov/senators/senator-search/

05/12/2026

On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1 into law, making significant changes to federal spending and tax policy. Some of these changes affect funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and other health coverage programs. Rural health systems, which rely heavily on public insurance programs, will feel these impacts more than urban areas. To help address this, Congress created the Rural Health Transformation Program. It provides $50 billion over five years for states to help soften the impact of federal funding reductions on rural communities.

The Rural Health Transformation Program will distribute $50 billion to participating states from 2026 through 2030, with $10 billion available each year. In December 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the first round of awards, including $208,779,396 for Arkansas.

On May 4, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the initial funding application process is underway. You can get details at www.ArkansasRHTP.com.

Address

500 Woodlane Street Ste 320
Little Rock, AR
72201

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Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

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+15016826107

Website

https://senate.arkansas.gov/

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