Arkansas lawmakers will convene tomorrow to kick off the fiscal session to consider budget proposals for the state, including a boost in school voucher funding.

Why it matters: During fiscal sessions, the Arkansas General Assembly decides how taxpayer money is spent for state departments.

What we're watching: The proposed state budget includes up to $309 million for school vouchers, a $122 million increase from last year, plus $70 million if needed from state surplus money, the Arkansas Advocate reported.

• Vouchers can be used for private school tuition or homeschool expenses. Arkansas has been phasing them in since the Legislature in 2023 passed the LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' sweeping education bill, which included broadly expanding school choice.

The big picture: Sanders has proposed a nearly $6.7 billion budget, which would increase spending by about 3%.

Between the lines: Legislators have not ruled out a proposal for a 3,000-bed prison, the Arkansas Advocate reported, which Sanders has advocated for in Franklin County.

How it works: Lawmakers generally stick to only budget-related items during fiscal sessions because deviating from them requires a resolution to be adopted by two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Fiscal sessions can last up to 30 days and can be extended for another 15 days.

Go deeper: Peruse the Legislature's website to see legislative agendas and bills that have been filed, as well as to watch meetings.

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The Southeast is home to almost all of the fastest-growing U.S. metro areas, per recent census data.

• Northwest Arkansas was the ninth-fastest-growing U.S. metro at 2.4% between 2024 and 2025 among metros with 20,000-plus residents.
• Ocala, Florida (+3.4%); Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. (+3.2%) and Spartanburg, South Carolina (+2.8%) were the fastest-growing.

🏜️ The one outlier: St. George, Utah, a hot desert town near Zion National Park, at +2.5%.

The winners in raw numeric terms: Houston (+126,720 people); Dallas-Fort Worth (+123,557) and Atlanta (+61,953).

📉 What they're saying: Growth across all metro areas "declined dramatically" on average, the U.S. Census Bureau says, falling from +1.1% between 2023-24 to 0.6% between 2024-25 — largely because of a big drop in international migration.

• Go deeper.

🍻 Springdale-based beverage company Scarlet Letter has acquired Springdale-based hard cider company Black Apple. Black Apple closed its downtown taproom around the beginning of the year. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

📝 Fayetteville is taking applications through April 24 to fill 11 positions on five boards and committees: Animal Services Advisory Board, Environmental Action Committee, Food Commission, Historic District Commission and Walton Arts Center Council. (Fayetteville Flyer)

🎓 Data from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education shows enrollment among Black and Hispanic freshmen increased at Arkansas two-year and four-year colleges and universities since 2023, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that colleges could no longer consider race during the admissions process. (Arkansas Business)

🕵️‍♂️ A state and federal investigation to look for illegal voting by noncitizens in Arkansas appears to have resulted in two convictions. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

The Fayetteville City Council meets tonight and could make several changes to the city's farmers market regulations, including:

🍻 Allowing alcoholic beverages to be sold.

🥕 Expanding the Saturday market to the east along Mountain Street. The market currently takes place along the four streets on the downtown square.

🗓️ Allowing for Tuesday night markets from 2:30-10pm.

🎄 Extending the market season, which runs from April to Thanksgiving, to begin in March and end on Christmas.

💰 The council will also vote whether to change the city's policy to allow for payouts of more than $100,000 for water and wastewater damage if the city's insurance adjustor deems the claim valid.

• A resident recently requested the city pay about $130,000 after the resident's home and belongings sustained sewer damage, but city ordinance only allowed it to pay up to $100,000. The council can make the new ordinance, if approved, retroactive to apply to this claim, according to a memo from city attorney Kit Williams.

📍 If you go: 5:30pm at City Hall or online.

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