News

The Arkansas unemployment rate for March was unchanged at 7.2 percent.

The state Department of Workforce Services said Friday that the state's number of unemployed people declined, but not enough to change the jobless rate.  

The national unemployment rate for March fell from 7.7 percent in February to 7.6 percent.  

For the month, Arkansas jobs increased in 10 major industry sectors and declined in one sector, manufacturing.  

Arkansas lawmakers have given final approval to cutting the state's taxes on taxes and capital gains, part of a package of reductions that is expected to eventually cost the state more than $140 million a year.

The House on Friday approved four tax cut measures that also include breaks for volunteer firefighters and farmers.  

The total tax cut package is estimated to cost the state $10.7 million in the coming fiscal year and will eventually cost more than $140 million annually.

Officials with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department are still drafting plans to widen Cantrell Road in Little Rock. 

Department spokesman Danny Straessle says recent findings from an improvement study of an 8-mile section of the road shows expansion is necessary to alleviate traffic congestion. 

Arkansas lawmakers are considering boosting funding for public schools and Medicaid while also giving state employees a 2 percent cost-of-living raise under legislation outlining the state's proposed $4.9 billion budget for the coming year.  

Legislators were handed copies Thursday night of the proposed Revenue Stabilization Act, the budget bill for the state. The measure prioritizes spending based on expected revenue and is scheduled to go before the Joint Budget Committee Friday. 

A proposed constitutional amendment that would, among other things, prohibit state legislators and constitutional officers from accepting gifts from lobbyists is closer to being on the 2014 ballot after passing the Senate Thursday.

An Arkansas legislative panel has advanced an effort to outlaw most lobbyist gifts to elected officials, ban corporate campaign contributions and loosen term limits for state lawmakers.  

The Joint Committee on Constitutional Amendments on Thursday approved a proposal to let voters decide on adding a package of ethics and campaign finance rules to the state's constitution.

A previous version of the proposal cleared the House earlier this month, but was rejected earlier this week when the backers sought to make several minor changes to the bill.  

A spokesman says Gov. Mike Beebe will sign legislation next week that authorizes Arkansas to accept federal Medicaid funds and use them to buy private insurance for low-income residents.  

Beebe will sign the bills at a ceremony next Monday at 9:30 a.m. The Legislature gave final approval to the plan Wednesday night.  

In a press conference Thursday, officials heading the Mayflower Oil Spill clean up efforts say the air and water qualities in the affected area remain at safe levels for residents.  6,750 cubic yards of solid waste materials have been removed from the site, but more decontamination must be done to remove the 5,000 barrels of oil spilled.  

Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson, the local on-scene coordinator, assures residents that the Mayflower Incident United Command team has experts and trained staff to handle all aspects of the clean up.

The Arkansas Earth Day Foundation, is inviting the public to its an annual festival.

“The whole point of the Earth Day Festival is to help teach the community about living a greener, more sustainable life,” said Christy Askea, the foundation’s president.

The festival is free and is being held on the grounds of Heifer International in Little Rock on Friday at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Severe storms are expected Thursday throughout Arkansas as a storm system and cold front gradually make their way through the state. 

The National Weather Service says isolated tornadoes and damaging winds are possible ahead of and along the cold front. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., says western Arkansas is at a slight risk for severe weather, while the central and eastern parts of the state are at a moderate risk.