Arkansas

Arkansas Senate approves seven potential bills to regulate cryptocurrency mines • Arkansas Advocate

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2 years ago

April 11, 2024

Arkansas Senate approves seven potential bills to regulate cryptocurrency mines • Arkansas Advocate

The Arkansas Senate cleared the way Thursday for lawmakers to take up several potential amendments to a 2023 law that limited the state’s ability to regulate cryptocurrency mining operations.

Act 851 of 2023, or the Arkansas Data Centers Act, was introduced just over a week before the 2023 legislative session ended and passed both chambers with bipartisan support. A year later, Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, is spearheading an effort to change the law.

Crypto mines are large groups of computers that harvest digital currency. They are usually located in rural areas due to the space they take up, and they require large amounts of electricity to keep the computers running and water to keep them cool.

There are currently crypto mines in DeWitt and near Greenbrier, and citizens of the Greenbrier area have filed a lawsuit over the large amount of noise from the mine.

King and other officials have also expressed concern about foreign ownership of crypto mines and whether they pose a national security risk. King said Thursday that the government should be able to regulate a “new industry” that officials currently “don’t know much about.”

The Legislature’s fiscal session began Wednesday, and lawmakers can introduce legislation unrelated to the state budget during the session under certain conditions. They must file resolutions proposing the legislation by the end of the first day of the session, and both the House and Senate must approve the resolution with a two-thirds majority vote. This requires a minimum of 24 Senate votes and 67 House votes.

Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, said regulating crypto mines is “maybe the most important issue of all” and should not wait until the 2025 legislative session.

“I don’t want to wait a year to hear about this subject and be able to act on it if we hear something that really needs to be acted on,” Clark said.

Seven of the eight proposed crypto resolutions passed the Senate. King sponsored six of the resolutions, including the one that did not pass.

The following resolutions will go to the House floor Monday:

Senate Resolution 5, sponsored by Sen. Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers, would place noise limits on Arkansas crypto mines and prohibit them from being owned by foreign entities. It passed with 28 votes.
Senate Resolution 12, sponsored by King, would ban the use of computers or software manufactured by foreign entities in crypto mining in Arkansas. It passed with 26 votes.
Senate Resolution 13, sponsored by King, would require people who engage in crypto mining to be licensed money transmitters under the state’s Uniform Money Services Act. It passed with 27 votes.
Senate Resolution 14, sponsored by King, would require the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to monitor crypto mines’ water usage and administer consequences to any mine that “threatens the critical groundwater supplies of this state through an excessive use of water.” It passed with 28 votes.
Senate Resolution 15, sponsored by King, would require at least six months’ advance notice before buying or leasing any land or buildings used for crypto mines. It passed with 27 votes.
Senate Resolution 16, sponsored by King, would allow local governments to regulate crypto mines and would prohibit ownership of the mines by the list of foreign countries from which the federal International Traffic in Arms Regulations bans imports and exports.
Senate Resolution 17, sponsored by Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View, would require crypto mines to be licensed by the state Department of Energy and Environment. It would also require the department to inform legislative committees of its crypto mine regulation methods. It passed with 25 votes.

The Arkansas Senate on April 11, 2024 passed a resolution by Sen. Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers, aimed at placing noise limits on Arkansas crypto mines and prohibiting them from being owned by foreign entities. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)

King also sponsored Senate Resolution 11, which fell three votes short of passing. The resolution proposed requiring cryptocurrency businesses to pay a fee to the Department of Energy and Environment for “extraordinary electrical energy usage.”

The vote on SR 11 was later expunged with a voice vote, and King said he would give “plenty of notice” if he brought the resolution back for reconsideration.

Bryant was the Senate sponsor of Act 851, and he voted against Senate Resolutions 11, 12, 13 and 16. He said in an interview that he particularly disagreed with the proposed fees in SR 11.

“I’ve talked to state and federal officials, and they’re getting a better handle on what crypto is and how to track it,” Bryant said. “A lot of the concerns that were published 10 years ago are not the concerns of today.”

Floor debate

King said Senate Resolution 12 had a similar purpose to Act 525 of 2023, which banned the purchase of Russian and Chinese drones in Arkansas and passed both chambers with bipartisan support. Crypto mining businesses have been reported to be tied to the Chinese government.

Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, asked King if SR 12 might be “a broad blanket” policy that would “make it impossible to import from China any and all technologies [or] software.”

King said he saw the proposed policy as much narrower. He also emphasized that crypto mines create very few jobs in Arkansas.

Sen. Greg Leding of Fayetteville asks a question of Sen. Breanne Davis, lead sponsor of Senate Bill 294, which would enact the governor’s education program, during a meeting of the Senate Education Committee Wednesday morning in Little Rock. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate) — Sen. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate)

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, asked if the proposed policies would set a precedent for lawmakers to “sanction or not sanction businesses based upon the number of jobs that are created or where those jobs come from.” King said he disagreed.

“These crypto mines are taking advantage of our cheap energy [and] taking advantage of our laws that were passed,” King said.

Sen. John Payton, R-Wilburn, said he had issues with the proposed bills as written in the resolutions but supported allowing the bills to be introduced because they covered a variety of issues.

“I’m voting for all of them so that the committee’s hands will not be tied and limited to just one bill title,” Payton said.

Most of the six Senate Democrats did not vote on any of the eight resolutions. Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, voted on none of them and said in an interview that he was surprised to be presented with so many potential bills unrelated to state budgetary matters.

“Our caucus decided that for a number of reasons, we would stay out of that discussion,” Leding said. “…I really feel that the fiscal session should be kept to fiscal matters.”

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Arkansas

No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider

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2 hours ago

January 11, 2026

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No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider

KNOXVILLE, TN – January 16, 2025 – “We Back Pat” on jersey during the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.

Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.

More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State

How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)

Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford

Betting Odds

None listed yet

ESPN Matchup Predictor

Lady Vols – 98.3%

Arkansas – 1.7%

What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State

“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”

Last Five Games

Lady Vols:

at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
at Auburn, 73-56 W
vs. Florida, 76-65 W
vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L

Arkansas:

vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
at Alabama, 77-48 L
vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W

Where They Land In Rankings

Lady Vols:

AP Poll – No. 20

Coaches Poll – No. 22

Bart Torvik – No. 13

Arkansas:

AP Poll – Unranked

Coaches Poll – Unranked

Bart Torvik – No. 107

Stat Leaders

Lady Vols:

Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3

Arkansas:

Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6

Prediction

It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.

While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.

If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.

I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.

Lady Vols 85, Arkansas 61

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Arkansas State defeats Texas State 83-82

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January 10, 2026

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One more list of wishes for Arkansas in 2026 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

One more list of wishes for Arkansas in 2026 | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Rex Nelson

rnelson@adgnewsroom.com

Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”

After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.

He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.

Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.

From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.

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