Arkansas
Hot Springs police handcuff advocate for government transparency, remove her from public venue • Arkansas Advocate
Police officers handcuffed Bentonville attorney Jen Standerfer on Friday and escorted her out of the Hot Springs Convention Center after she collected two signatures for citizen-initiated ballot measures, she said.
Standerfer is a founding member of the nonpartisan Arkansas Citizens for Transparency (ACT), which received Attorney General Tim Griffin’s approval in January to seek support from registered voters in hopes of putting two government transparency measures on the November ballot.
The incident marks at least the second time in the last month that supporters of potential ballot measures faced police opposition while collecting signatures in a public space ahead of a July 5 deadline.
Publication of abortion amendment canvasser list is intimidation, ballot question committee says
In May, Little Rock police told supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a limited right to abortion that they could be arrested for obstructing traffic. The canvassers told reporters they were not blocking traffic but instead sought the attention of drivers while standing on a public sidewalk.
The Arkansas Bar Association held its annual conference from Wednesday to Friday in Hot Springs. Standerfer said in an interview that she attended the conference as a member of the association and to complete her required continuing education as an attorney. She said brought petitions for both measures in case anyone wanted to sign them.
One proposed measure would alter the state Freedom of Information Act to codify a definition of a “public meeting,” broaden the legal definitions of a “governing body” and “communication” among members of government bodies, create stiffer civil penalties for violating the FOIA and protect citizens’ right to appeal FOIA decisions, among other things.
The other proposed measure would amend the state Constitution to create the right to government transparency, defined as “the government’s obligation to share information with citizens.”
Proposed acts require 72,563 signatures by July 5 in order to appear on the November ballot, while proposed amendments require 90,704 signatures.
Standerfer said Hot Springs police first asked her to stop soliciting signatures Thursday evening when she brought a wagon full of petition documents with a sign on it into the convention center. She complied with the request not to bring the wagon and sign back Friday morning, she said.
The convention center has a policy against solicitation of any kind, said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, which runs the convention center.
“We have an obligation to the people who rent our space that they can use it without being bothered,” Arrison said.
He added that the content of the petitions had “nothing to do with” the opposition to Standerfer collecting signatures.
Standerfer said she did not ask anyone for signatures or share information about the proposed ballot measures unless someone approached her and asked about them directly.
“It didn’t feel contentious to me. This wasn’t me going up to people and saying ‘Hey, can I talk to you about the FOIA?’” she said. “Literally, it is the most minimally intrusive kind of speech… Anytime someone approaches me about it, I will engage with them.”
After two people signed petitions on Friday, police approached Standerfer and said both the convention center and the bar association did not want her soliciting signatures. Officers threatened her with jail time, handcuffed her and escorted her from the building, but then removed the handcuffs and said she had been trespassing but would not be charged or sent to jail, she said.
Arrison said he was not present Friday and did not see Standerfer collect signatures or interact with police, but “she must have done something that made them think she was soliciting signatures again.”
The Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission owns the convention center and is responsible for spending the city’s 3% tax on prepared food and lodging to promote the city. The commission authorized nearly $4.5 million in capital improvements for the center last year, according to the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record.
Standerfer said she was not trespassing at the convention center, contrary to what police told her, because it was paid for with taxpayer dollars.
Transparency advocates hear public input on proposal to enshrine FOIA in Arkansas Constitution
She also said it was unusual for the Arkansas Bar Association to take issue with her being willing to collect signatures because its conferences consistently have a “political undertone.” Attorneys frequently run for office, and Standerfer herself once ran as a Democrat for a seat in the state House of Representatives.
“I have never been at a bar meeting where you did not have a candidate wearing a sticker, or hand you a sticker, hand you a palm card or ask you for support in an election,” she said.
She added that the Bar Association told her it took no position on the government transparency ballot measures, but the Hot Springs police told her the organization wanted her to leave because she was collecting signatures.
“I would hope that government bodies that serve the people would do the people the service of telling them, ‘Hey, we’ve got a policy against that,’ before calling the police and having them removed from the building,” Standerfer said. “It’s sad to me that we’ve lost this sense of community… because people are so incensed by the idea of politics.”
The Arkansas Bar Association and the Hot Springs Police Department did not return requests for comment as of Friday evening.
The Advocate has sent FOIA records requests to the police department, asking for Standerfer’s arrest report, if there is one, and the body camera footage from the officers that escorted her from the convention center.
There are only three weekends remaining in the season as Arkansas baseball welcomes one of its permanent rivals to Baum-Walker Stadium.
The No. 24 Razorbacks (30-16, 11-10 SEC) host No. 18 Ole Miss (31-15, 11-10) for a three-game set beginning Friday, May 1. The Rebels are one of two teams, along with Missouri, who the Hogs will face ever season under the new SEC scheduling format that was adopted in 2025 when Texas and Oklahoma joined the league.
This weekend represents a chance for both teams to boost their resumes with the NCAA Tournament on the horizon. Arkansas won two-of-three games against Missouri in its last series, while Ole Miss went on the road and won the opener before losing the final two games against Georgia.
Here’s how to watch Arkansas vs. Ole Miss this weekend.
Watch Arkansas baseball vs Ole Miss
Arkansas baseball vs Ole Miss schedule
- Game 1: Friday, May 1, 6 p.m. CT, N/A, SECN+
- Game 2: Saturday, May 2, 2 p.m. CT, N/A, SECN+
- Game 3: Sunday, May 3, 2 p.m. CT, SEC Network, Fubo
The Razorbacks and Rebels will be on SEC Network for the final games of the series. The weekend’s other two games will be available to stream on SECN+.
Arkansas baseball vs Ole Miss probable pitchers
Arkansas pitchers listed first.
- Thursday: LHP Hunter Dietz (5-2, 3.62 ERA) vs. LHP Hunter Elliott (4-1, 4.82 ERA)
- Friday: LHP Cole Gibler (4-1, 2.91 ERA) vs. RHP Cade Townsend (4-1, 2.33 ERA)
- Saturday: TBA vs. RHP Taylor Rabe (3-3, 4.24 ERA)
Arkansas baseball 2026 schedule
| Date | Opponent |
| Feb. 13 | Arkansas 12, Oklahoma State 2 |
| Feb. 14 | TCU 5, Arkansas 4 |
| Feb. 15 | Arkansas 6, Texas Tech 5 (11 innings) |
| Feb. 16 | Arkansas 3, Tarleton State 1 |
| Feb. 20 | Arkansas 5, Xavier 2 |
| Feb. 21 | Arkansas 7, Xavier 6 |
| Feb. 22 | Arkansas 11, Xavier 0 (8 innings) |
| Feb. 24 | Arkansas State 12, Arkansas 4 |
| Feb. 25 | Arkansas 1, Arkansas State 0 |
| Feb. 27 | UT Arlington 4, Arkansas 3 |
| Feb. 28 | Arkansas 9, UT Arlington 0 |
| March 1 | Arkansas 11, UT Arlington 1 (7 innings) |
| March 3 | Arkansas 10, Oral Roberts 2 |
| March 6 | Arkansas 7, Stetson 1 |
| March 7 | Arkansas 13, Stetson 1 |
| March 8 | Stetson 4, Arkansas 1 |
| March 9 | Stetson 6, Arkansas 4 |
| March 13 | Arkansas 5, Mississippi State 4* |
| March 14 | Mississippi State 7, Arkansas 2* |
| March 15 | Arkansas 7, Mississippi State 3* |
| March 17 | Arkansas 13, Northern Colorado 2 |
| March 18 | Arkansas 9, Northern Colorado 4 |
| March 20 | Arkansas 22, South Carolina 6* (7 innings) |
| March 21 | Arkansas 3, South Carolina 2* (10 innings) |
| March 22 | South Carolina 9, Arkansas 4* |
| March 24 | Central Arkansas 15, Arkansas 2 |
| March 27 | Florida 9, Arkansas 4* |
| March 28 | Florida 7, Arkansas 4* |
| March 29 | Florida 7, Arkansas 6* |
| March 31 | Missouri State 15, Arkansas 14 |
| April 2 | Auburn 10, Arkansas 2* |
| April 3 | Arkansas 3, Auburn 2* |
| April 4 | Auburn 8, Arkansas 3* |
| April 7 | Arkansas 7, Little Rock 0 |
| April 10 | Arkansas 7, Alabama 5* |
| April 11 | Arkansas 15, Alabama 6* |
| April 12 | Arkansas 3, Alabama 2* |
| April 14 | Arkansas 12, UAPB 2 |
| April 16 | Arkansas 6, Georgia 3* |
| April 17 | Georgia 5, Arkansas 3* |
| April 18 | Georgia 26, Arkansas 14* |
| April 21 | Arkansas 12, Missouri State 4 |
| April 23 | Arkansas 5, Missouri 4* |
| April 24 | Arkansas 6, Missouri 0* |
| April 25 | Missouri 6, Arkansas 1* |
| April 29 | Northwestern State |
| May 1 | Ole Miss* |
| May 2 | Ole Miss* |
| May 3 | Ole Miss* |
| May 8 | Oklahoma* |
| May 9 | Oklahoma* |
| May 10 | Oklahoma* |
| May 14 | at Kentucky* |
| May 15 | at Kentucky* |
| May 16 | at Kentucky* |
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 22 Arkansas (30-16, 11-10 SEC) and No. 17 Ole Miss (31-15, 11-10 SEC) clash in a pivotal SEC series this weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch in the opener between the Razorbacks and Rebels is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, May 1, on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) on the call.
Game two of the weekend series gets underway at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2, on SEC Network+ with Dolan and Eklund in the broadcast booth. Arkansas and Ole Miss conclude the weekend with a 2 p.m. first pitch in the series finale Sunday, May 3, on SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) on the call from Baum-Walker Stadium.
The Razorbacks have won five consecutive weekend series against the Rebels (2021-25), including each of the last two weekend series played inside the friendly confines of Baum-Walker Stadium in 2022 and 2024. Arkansas and Ole Miss, both 11-10 in league play, are tied for sixth in the SEC standings with nine conference games remaining in the campaign.
Schedule
Friday, May 1
#17 Ole Miss vs. #22 Arkansas – 6 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Saturday, May 2
#17 Ole Miss vs. #22 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network+ – Listen – Live Stats
Sunday, May 3
#17 Ole Miss vs. #22 Arkansas – 2 p.m. – SEC Network – Listen – Live Stats
On the Mound
Friday, May 1
Ole Miss – LHP Hunter Elliott (4-1, 4.82 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Hunter Dietz (5-2, 3.62 ERA)
Saturday, May 2
Ole Miss – RHP Cade Townsend (4-1, 2.33 ERA)
Arkansas – LHP Cole Gibler (4-1, 2.91 ERA)
Sunday, May 3
Ole Miss – RHP Taylor Rabe (3-3, 4.24 ERA)
Arkansas – TBA
Tune In
Friday and Saturday’s games between No. 22 Arkansas and No. 17 Ole Miss will stream on SEC Network+ with Brett Dolan (play-by-play) and Troy Eklund (analyst) on the call. Sunday’s series finale, meanwhile, will televise nationally on SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Chris Burke (analyst) in the broadcast booth at Baum-Walker Stadium.
The entire weekend series between the Razorbacks and Rebels can also be heard on the Razorback Sports Network from Learfield, including locally in Fayetteville on 92.1 FM or through the Razorback app, with Phil Elson (play-by-play) and Bubba Carpenter (analyst) on the call from Baum-Walker Stadium. A full list of radio affiliates is available here.
History Lesson
Arkansas is 64-55 overall against Ole Miss since 1982, including a 29-23 record in games played in Fayetteville, Ark. In the Dave Van Horn era (2003-pres.), the Razorbacks are 39-45 overall and 17-19 at home against the Rebels.
The Hogs, 7-3 in their last 10 games and 13-7 in their last 20 games against Ole Miss, have not lost a home weekend series to the Rebels since 2019. In the last series between the two teams at Baum-Walker Stadium in 2024, Arkansas collected its first weekend series sweep of Ole Miss since 2002 and first sweep of the Rebels in Fayetteville since 1997.
Here’s The SEC Situation
With the second half of SEC play underway, Arkansas, currently 11-10 through 21 league games, must post a 7-2 record over its final nine games of the year to reach the 18-win mark in conference play for the ninth consecutive season.
Entering the 2026 campaign, the Razorbacks have won 18 or more SEC games in eight consecutive seasons (2017-25) and are one of only two teams in conference history to accomplish the aforementioned feat. LSU is the only other SEC program to record at least eight consecutive seasons of 18 or more SEC victories (10 from 1996-2005).
Dazzlin’ Dietz
Plagued by injuries during the first two years of his collegiate career, Arkansas’ Hunter Dietz is now fully healthy and quickly proving why he is one of the top left-handers in college baseball. Through 11 starts on the mound this season, the Trinity, Fla., native owns a 5-2 record with a 3.62 ERA and an SEC-leading 92 strikeouts in 59.2 innings of work.
After beginning the season as the Razorbacks’ game two starter, Dietz will make his fourth consecutive series-opening start Friday night against the Rebels. The left-hander has turned in a team-leading six quality starts this year, the most by a Razorback pitcher in a season since LHP Zach Root logged a team-high seven quality starts during the 2025 campaign.
1. UT Arlington (Feb. 28) – 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
2. Stetson (March 7) – 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 SO
3. South Carolina (March 21) – 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 SO
4. #18 Auburn (April 3) – 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 11 SO
5. #8 Alabama (April 10) – 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO
6. Missouri (April 23) – 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 8 SO
Dietz has also recorded three double-digit strikeout efforts, tied for eighth most in a season by a Razorback pitcher:
1. Stetson (March 7) – 12 SO
2. South Carolina (March 21) – 12 SO
3. #18 Auburn (April 3) – 11 SO
With his next double-digit strikeout game, Dietz will move into a tie for seventh most in a season by a Razorback pitcher:
1. 11 – Hagen Smith, 2024
T2. 8 – Nick Schmidt, 2006
T2. 8 – David Walling, 1999
T4. 6 – Trevor Stephan, 2017
T4. 6 – David Walling, 1998
6. 5 – Jess Todd, 2007
7. 4 – Isaiah Campbell, 2019
T8. 3 – Hunter Dietz, 2026
T8. 3 – Zach Root, 2025
T8. 3 – Mason Molina, 2024
T8. 3 – Blaine Knight, 2017
For complete coverage of Arkansas baseball, follow the Hogs on Twitter (@RazorbackBSB), Instagram (@RazorbackBSB) and Facebook (Arkansas Razorback Baseball).
Arkansas lawmakers have wrapped up their 2026 fiscal session, locking in how billions of dollars will be spent across the state in the year ahead.
The session, which began April 8, focused primarily on setting the state’s budget. It came to a close after Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the Revenue Stabilization Act, finalizing a $6.7 billion spending plan for Fiscal Year 2027. The budget represents about a 3% increase from last year and will take effect July 1.
From the start of the session to its conclusion, lawmakers spent weeks negotiating how taxpayer dollars would be allocated across agencies, programs, and priorities.
“Because of their work, not only were we able to accomplish some of our top priorities this year, but they’ve set us up for what I think will be a great week next week,” Sanders said.
A significant portion of the budget is dedicated to education. That includes more than $300 million for the state’s Education Freedom Account program, also known as school vouchers, which allows families to use public funds for private education expenses. Lawmakers also set aside additional funding that could expand the program in the future.
Economic development was another major focus. The budget reserves up to $300 million for a potential large-scale project in West Memphis, aimed at bringing jobs and investment to the region.
Lawmakers also approved an increase in the state’s homestead property tax credit, raising it from $600 to $675.
Still, not every proposal made it through. Efforts to limit eligibility for the Education Freedom Account program failed during the session.
“This session sets the financial foundation for the year ahead, but there are more policy debates just around the corner,” Sanders said.
Those debates are expected to begin soon. Lawmakers are planning to return to the Capitol for a special session focused on tax cuts. The governor has proposed reducing the state income tax rate by 0.2 percent, a move that could return more than $180 million to Arkansans.
“We want it to be pretty singularly focused on providing relief to Arkansans, letting them keep more of their hard-earned money,” Sanders said.
If approved, the tax cuts would mark another step in the state’s ongoing effort to lower income taxes, with more decisions expected in the coming days.
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