Daniel Breen

1 week ago | ualrpublicradio.org | Daniel Breen

After years of delays, Wednesday is the final deadline for Americans hoping to travel by air or enter federal buildings to obtain a Real ID. Officials at Little Rock’s Clinton National Airport say the rollout has been smooth, and that travelers without a Real ID should arrive early for extra screening. Meanwhile, state revenue offices across Arkansas have been processing thousands of applications in the lead-up to the implementation deadline. “It’s a record week, which isn’t surprising.

2 weeks ago | ualrpublicradio.org | Maggie Ryan |Daniel Breen

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received $7.5 million dollars from the Windgate Foundation. UA Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale announced the gift Friday. $5 million of the award will create the “Enduring Opportunities Scholarship Fund,” an endowment Drale said will expand need-based scholarships for UA Little Rock students. “This incredibly generous gift from Windgate is the next big step in securing affordability for future generations of Arkansans,” she said.

3 weeks ago | ualrpublicradio.org | Daniel Breen

This story has been updated to include comment from Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester. A lawsuit has been filed challenging new restrictions on Arkansas’ direct democracy process. The League of Women Voters of Arkansas filed suit Monday seeking to block a slate of new laws putting restrictions on the petition process. The lawsuit comes less than a week after the informal adjournment of the 2025 General Session of the Arkansas Legislature.

1 month ago | ualrpublicradio.org | Daniel Breen

State lawmakers have voted to remove the entire Arkansas State Library Board. Members of the Arkansas House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 640 in a meeting Tuesday. The bill fires all seven members of the board, directing Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to appoint their replacements. Conservative lawmakers and activists have called on the board to do more to protect library-goers from “sexually explicit” materials, though librarians say no such materials exist in libraries.

1 month ago | ualrpublicradio.org | Daniel Breen

All public schools in Arkansas will be required to display a copy of the Ten Commandments under a new state law. Senate Bill 433, now Act 573, requires a Ten Commandments display in all state and local government buildings, including in every public school and college classroom. The bill became law on Monday, five days after it received final legislative approval. Speaking in a committee meeting earlier this month, the bill’s sponsor, Rep.