Arkansas' state legislature: Week 2 recap

• We're keeping an eye out for the most impactful potential changes — particularly in issues like health care and how national politics will influence Arkansas' Republican-dominated legislature.

Catch up quick: Key takeaways from this week include:

• A bill that would make all communications to or from the state's Board of Apportionment subject to open records requests will get redrafted by Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) after he faced a slew of procedural questions from a Senate committee.
• Arkansas licensed veterinarians may soon be able to provide telemedicine to animals in emergency situations. SB61 passed a Senate committee and will be reviewed by the House.

Worthy of your time: New filings to watch as the session progresses:

🗳️ HJR1007 would create procedures for the recall of many state elected officials, including the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state.

• This measure is a proposed constitutional amendment. If approved by lawmakers, it would require a majority vote by Arkansans to be adopted.

🗺️ HR1010 would require that the Gulf of Mexico be referred to as the Gulf of America in all official state maps, documents, educational materials and communications prepared by state agencies.

🍺 HB1173 would amend the state's definition of beer to increase the amount of alcohol from 5% to 14% by weight and include malt beverages.

🧠 HB1179 would create mental health screenings programs for children from birth to age 19. These screenings would apply to students enrolled in a public, open enrollment charter or private school, or child care facilities.

🐖 SB84 would prohibit the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Energy and Environment from creating permit moratoriums in watersheds or other bodies of water.

• The bill would eliminate the existing moratorium on swine farms being permitted to locate within the Buffalo River watershed, per the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.