Arkansas

New Arkansas Rule Targets Undisclosed Foreign Lobbying

Published

4 months ago

February 4, 2026

New Arkansas Rule Targets Undisclosed Foreign Lobbying

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A new rule is being introduced that is aimed at increasing transparency among individuals and organizations lobbying on behalf of foreign governments considered adversarial to the United States.

Issued by the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office, the rule requires anyone acting as an agent of a designated hostile foreign power to register with the office and disclose their activities.

Secretary of State Cole Jester said the measure is intended to protect Arkansas’s political process from outside influence, reinforcing, he said, the principle that state government and elections should be decided by Arkansans.

“Simply put, Arkansas elections, Arkansas government is for Arkansans, not for Russia, not for China, Iran or North Korea,” Jester said.

Under the new policy, the Secretary of State’s office is granted expanded enforcement authority, including the ability to investigate foreign-funded lobbyists who fail to properly disclose their work and to issue fines when violations are found.

Jester said the rule is focused on safeguarding the democratic process.

“We are fighting back to protect our birthright, the democratic process,” he said.

State officials say concerns about undisclosed foreign involvement in government decision-making have existed for years.

State Representative David Ray, who supported the legislation, said the rule builds on a law passed during the 2025 legislative session and is focused on accountability.

“You have to be honest with the people of Arkansas about who you represent,” Ray said.

He also cited broader national security concerns, including foreign theft of technology, drug trafficking, and cyber threats, which he said can have consequences at the state level.

“China steals our technology, our intellectual property, and attempts to steal military secrets. They also traffic deadly drugs like fentanyl into this country, killing tens of thousands of our citizens each and every year,” Ray said.

According to Ray, Arkansas has already experienced cases that illustrate those risks, including the theft of agricultural technology and lobbying by companies with foreign ownership ties.

“We’ve seen instances in Arkansas where Chinese nationals have stolen valuable seed technology from agricultural companies. We’ve also seen companies with Chinese ownership lobbying at the state capitol,” Ray said.

Lawmakers also emphasized the importance of protecting critical infrastructure, such as utilities and water systems, which they say may be vulnerable to cyberattacks from foreign governments.

“A lot of that critical infrastructure is susceptible to cyberattacks from hostile foreign governments. It’s important for people to understand what we’re trying to protect against with laws like this,” Ray said.

The new rule also allows Arkansas residents to submit complaints to the Secretary of State’s office if they believe the disclosure requirements have been violated.

State officials say the measure is designed to strengthen oversight and transparency within Arkansas’s political system.

Source link

Arkansas

Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs now available in Apple Wallet

Published

4 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs now available in Apple Wallet

Arkansans can now present their driver’s licenses and state identification cards on mobile devices using Apple Wallet, state finance officials announced Wednesday.

The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security

Source link

Arkansas

Your Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone

Published

14 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Your Arkansas Driver’s License Can Now Live on Your iPhone

IDEMIA Public Security North America and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles have launched Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, allowing residents to securely store and use their credentials on an iPhone or Apple Watch.

The new feature gives Arkansans the ability to present their identification at participating businesses and venues, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in more than 250 airports, and online or within apps when age or identity verification is required.

The launch builds on Arkansas’ ongoing efforts to expand digital identification options. In March 2025, the state introduced the Arkansas Mobile ID app, and officials say adding IDs to Apple Wallet offers residents another secure and convenient way to access their credentials.

“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Arkansas DFA’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles, expanding on the launch of the Arkansas Mobile ID app in March 2025. The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in the state provides Arkansas residents a new, secure way to store and present their digital credentials, with transparency and control over how their information is shared at the forefront,” said Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity.

To add an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, users can tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the verification process.

Officials say privacy and security were central considerations in the rollout. Information stored in Apple Wallet is encrypted on a user’s device, and users control when and how their information is shared. When presenting an ID, only the information necessary to verify age or identity is provided.

Apple and the Arkansas Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles also do not receive information about when or where residents use their digital IDs.

The technology is also designed to make verification easier for businesses. Participating businesses can use IDEMIA’s Mobile ID Verify app to accept and verify mobile IDs directly from an iPhone without requiring customers to hand over their devices or use additional hardware.

The launch marks another step toward broader adoption of digital credentials in Arkansas, giving residents a secure alternative to carrying a physical driver’s license or state ID while maintaining control over their personal information.

For information on the launch of IDs in Apple Wallet in Arkansas, click here.

READ ALSO: Adam O’Neal Stepping into Chancellor Role at UA-EACC

Source link

Arkansas

Arkansas gymnatics coach Chris Brooks completes staff with hiring of Zan Jones | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

1 day ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas gymnatics coach Chris Brooks completes staff with hiring of Zan Jones | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

New Arkansas gymnastics coach Chris Brooks announced Monday the hiring of Zan Jones to complete his first staff, as well as the promotion of assistants Kyla Ross and Catelyn Branson.

Brooks succeeded his wife, Jordyn Wieber, on April 28 after Wieber stepped down.

Jones joins the Razorback after two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. The Pioneers won back-to-back Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics National Invitational Championship titles in 2025 and 2026 with Jones on staff. He has been named a Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Division II assistant coach of the year three times, including this spring.

Jones also earned Midwest Independent Conference assistant coach of the year in both of his seasons at Texas Woman’s.

Jones served as the Pioneers’ primary vault and uneven bars coach, and the team set a program record of 49.35 on the bars in March.

An Alabama alumnus, Jones served as a student manager for the Crimson Tide gymnastics team. He served a year at Talladega (Ala.) College in its inaugural season of gymnastics and spent time as a recreational and team coach at Trussville (Ala.) Academy of Gymnastics.

Brooks also promoted both Ross and Branson to the title of associate head coach. Ross, a former UCLA gymnast and Olympic gold medalist as part of Team USA in 2012, started at Arkansas as a volunteer assistant in 2022. Ross helped Arkansas produce program records on the balance beam in back-to-back years before taking over the vault squad, which set a program high 49.675 in 2026.

The Razorbacks ranked as high as No. 2 on the vault last season and were never lower than No. 7. Senior transfer Morgan Price landed the first 10 in school history on the vault in February.

Branson returned to the Arkansas staff ahead of the 2025 season, helping lead the floor squad. In that time, Branson has led the Gymbacks to two of their top five best floor scores ever and Arkansas has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the country on floor in the last two seasons. In 2026, over 60% of the team’s scores on floor were 9.85 or better.

Branson served as Lindenwood’s head coach from 2022-24, where she was named 2024 Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association South Central Region Coach of the Year and the Midwest Independent Conference Coach of the Year. She led the Lions to their second consecutive and fifth overall USAG national championship and seventh MIC title in 2024.

Branson had a prior stint at Arkansas from 2020 to 2022, in which time the Gymbacks ranked as high as third on beam and second on floor.

Tom Murphy

tmurphy@wholehogsports.com

Tom Murphy is a sports reporter for WholeHogSports. A graduate of Louisiana Tech University, he is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and voter for the Heisman Trophy and AP Top 25 football poll. He was voted the 2017 Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year.

Source link