Arkansas
Arkansas tax cut proposals sail through committees on first day of special session • Arkansas Advocate
Two committees of Arkansas lawmakers approved measures to decrease income taxes and increase the homestead tax credit on Monday, the first day of the Legislature’s second special session in nine months.
Both the House and Senate Revenue and Tax committees passed, with no dissent, identical bills that seek to cut the top corporate income tax rate from 4.8% to 4.3% and the top individual income tax rate from 4.4% to 3.9%, retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year.
These cuts would reduce the state’s general revenue by a cumulative $483.5 million in fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1, and by $322.2 million each fiscal year afterward, according to the state Department of Finance and Administration’s fiscal impact report on Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1001.
The committees also passed Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 1002, which propose increasing the homestead property tax credit from $425 to $500. Lawmakers previously increased the tax credit from $375 to $425 during the 2023 legislative session.
Both SB1 and HB1001 have emergency clauses, meaning they would go into effect immediately upon Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ signature. If they become law, corporate income tax rates will have decreased by 2.8% and individual income tax rates by 1% since April of last year.
The Arkansas special session tax cuts explained
In April 2023, state lawmakers approved more than $100 million in cuts to the top individual and corporate tax rates. During September’s special session, legislators lowered the top individual and top corporate income tax rates from 4.7% to 4.4% and from 5.1% to 4.8%, respectively. They also created a one-time, non-refundable $150 tax credit for those earning up to about $90,000.
The tax cut bills will require $290 million in general revenue to be set aside in a reserve fund on July 2 in case the money is needed to make up for the decrease in state general revenue due to the tax cuts.
No one spoke for or against the homestead tax credit increase before either committee, and the Senate committee passed the proposal with no debate.
The credit is available to property owners on the property that is their primary residence, reducing their real property tax liability, which is paid at the county level.
The homestead bills propose that on or before Jan. 30 of each year, the state’s chief fiscal officer will report the balance of the Property Tax Relief Trust Fund, whether the fund could support an increase of the homestead property tax credit, and if so, how much of an increase the fund could support.
The trust fund had $255.6 million in it at the end of the 2023 calendar year, Paul Gehring, the finance department’s assistant commissioner of revenue policy and legal, told the House committee Monday.
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Tax cut discussion
Democratic lawmakers have criticized the proposed income tax cuts for primarily affecting wealthy Arkansans. Republicans, who hold supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature, have said the cuts will keep money in the pockets of working people.
Nicholas Horton, founder and CEO of the conservative group Opportunity Arkansas, spoke in favor of the tax cuts before the House committee. Horton said the government “takes more than it needs,” echoing Rep. Les Eaves, R-Searcy, the House sponsor of both bills.
“Arkansas can’t continue to see $700, $800, $900 million surpluses and not think that we’re over-collecting from our citizens,” Eaves said.
Sen. Tyler Dees, R-Siloam Springs, said he hoped lower taxes would give people more resources to band together during disasters, such as the tornadoes that swept through his Northwest Arkansas district in May.
High death rates, unchanging poverty level puts Arkansas among worst states for child well-being
“What I’ve seen in the last three weeks is the speed of the private industries and individual citizens to give directly to those impacted instantly,” Dees said. “…I believe the best impact that we can have for those in need is to give dollars back to individual citizens so they can give back to their community.”
Keesa Smith-Brantley, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said private entities do help people in difficult times, but not uniformly throughout the state, leaving some regions “severely neglected.”
Smith-Brantley spoke against the tax cut bills before both committees. She referenced the latest KIDS COUNT Data Book, released earlier this month, which shows that most areas of child well-being in Arkansas have been getting worse.
Arkansas’ position at 45th in overall child well-being is down two slots from its ranking the last two years, and the state has ranked as one of the country’s 10 worst states for overall child well-being nine times in the last decade.
Cutting taxes reduces the state’s ability to fund initiatives that would improve child well-being, such as early childhood education and health care for pregnant and postpartum Arkansans, Smith-Brantley said.
In response to questions from senators, Smith-Brantley noted that some state agencies that serve children and families have received stagnant or less funding over time in the state budget. The Division of Youth Services within the Department of Human Services received a 0.01% funding increase in the state budget that passed during this year’s fiscal session, but “that amount of funding doesn’t actually keep up with inflation,” she said.
“I know that you care about the children of our state and you want them to thrive, and to do so, some of the critical areas in our state need investment,” she told the Senate committee.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — What happens in Arkansas doesn’t always stay in Arkansas.
That was the message Friday night as former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Little Rock to endorse Democratic congressional candidate Chris Jones, arguing the race for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District may be drawing more attention than many political observers realize.
Speaking to supporters at the Dreamland Ballroom, Buttigieg framed the contest as a choice between Washington politics and kitchen-table concerns.
“Now is a chance to really show what it looks like to have a leader who is not focused on doing well by the most powerful and wealthy interests in Washington, but by the kinds of people who actually live here in the second district,” Buttigieg said. “That’s what I’ve seen Chris Jones doing day in, day out.”
For Jones, the focus was clear: affordability.
The Democratic challenger said Arkansans are feeling the strain of rising prices everywhere they turn, from housing and health care to everyday necessities like gasoline and groceries.
“Our campaign is about affordability and accountability for all,” Jones said. “People are concerned about the price of everything from big stuff, housing and health care, to small stuff, gas and grocery.”
Jones also criticized Republican Congressman French Hill, arguing voters are frustrated not only by rising costs but by a political climate that has become increasingly divisive.
“We’ve been told to be divided, and people are saying, look, I’m tired of that, I’m exhausted by that, and they really want to come together as a community and come together in unity,” Jones said.
Buttigieg said conversations he had with voters throughout the day reinforced the campaign’s message.
“I talked to a lot of folks from the Little Rock area today, heard about how they are hurting with the cost of gas, cost of groceries, cost of housing,” he said.
While Arkansas’ 2nd District has long been considered Republican territory, Buttigieg suggested the race could carry significance beyond the state’s borders.
“This is a race that maybe some national commentators are sleeping on that could absolutely be one of the pivotal ones for Congress this year,” he said.
The election remains months away, with voters set to decide the race on Nov. 3. Democrats are betting economic concerns can reshape the political conversation in the district, while Republicans look to hold onto a seat they have controlled for years.
For now, both parties appear to agree on one thing: more eyes may be watching Arkansas than usual.
The Arkansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, June 20, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 20 drawing
16-20-44-48-50, Powerball: 15, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 3-6-2
Evening: 7-6-6
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 20 drawing
Midday: 8-9-5-3
Evening: 8-0-6-0
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from June 20 drawing
01-16-20-36-39
Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning LOTTO numbers from June 20 drawing
02-14-18-20-23-32, Bonus: 13
Check LOTTO payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 20 drawing
01-10-16-30-31, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Arkansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 3 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Cash 4 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 4 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Natural State Jackpot: 8 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- LOTTO: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arkansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Most people can barely conquer the monkey bars at a playground, but Joshua Harris is out here tackling American Ninja Warrior obstacles and using that spotlight to help Arkansans eat healthier.
Harris recently competed on American Ninja Warrior for the second time, calling it “an incredible experience” and saying it’s fun to be part of a national show while taking on the obstacles.
Away from the course, Harris runs a nonprofit called Well Fed, which operates across Arkansas and provides healthy food for people struggling with diet-related illnesses. He said the goal is to improve health outcomes by helping people access healthier options.
“Well, Arkansas has a lot of bad statistics when it comes to health, and we need to find ways to help change those health outcomes,” Harris said. He added that healthy food, including fruits and vegetables, can help people dealing with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and that the mission fits with his own lifestyle of training, exercise and staying healthy.
Harris said his Ninja Warrior training and his nonprofit work connect in more ways than one. He described the Ninja Warrior community as full of like-minded people, and said the show embraced the story behind his work on food access in Arkansas.
He also said Well Fed runs food-as-medicine programs across Arkansas, working with health care to bring fruits and vegetables to people who need them. Harris said the aim is to make a measurable difference, including the possibility of seeing “type two diabetes reversed.”
As for what it’s like competing on TV, Harris said many viewers don’t realize the show is filmed overnight.
“When I’m doing Ninja Warrior on the TV show, a lot of people don’t realize that’s filmed at night, so it’s like three in the morning,” Harris said. He said he focuses on staying awake and locked in, with plenty of distractions from crowds and bright lights, but called the crew and community “amazing.”
Harris said his episode is coming up soon and he hopes people will watch and cheer him on.
And he’s not slowing down after that. Harris said he plans to keep training and will head to Ireland in August for the OCR (obstacle course racing) world championship, where he’ll represent Team USA.
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