New laws going into effect in Arkansas on Jan. 1

Published

1 year ago

December 30, 2023

New laws going into effect in Arkansas on Jan. 1

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT/Edited News Release) – Many of the laws passed during the 2023 Regular Session in Arkansas will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

These new laws impact everything from taxes to criminal justice:

Act 10 reduces the top personal income tax rate from 4.7% to 4.4% for tax years beginning Jan. 1, 2024. The act also reduces the corporate income tax rate from 5.1% to 4.8%.
Act 485 phases out the income tax apportionment throwback rule over 7 years. The sections of the act phasing out the throwback rule are effective for tax years beginning Jan. 1, 2024.
Act 811 requires each public high school campus to have a clearly visible and labeled opioid overdose rescue kit and requires that the location of each opioid overdose rescue kit be registered with the school nurse and school resource officer of each public high school. This act also requires that each state-supported higher education campus also have an opioid overdose rescue kit in certain locations.
Act 300 changes the date for special elections on measures and questions to the preferential primary election or general election date and defines what constitutes an emergency special election.
Act 316 requires screening for depression for birth mothers within the first 6 weeks after birth and mandates that an insurance policy shall cover the cost of the screening.
Act 196 reduces the maximum potential unemployment compensation benefits. It also establishes the contribution rates of employers.
Act 106 disqualifies an individual from unemployment benefits if he or she fails to accept suitable work within 5 business days or fails to appear for a previously scheduled job interview on at least 2 occasions without notification.
Act 587 requires an individual who submits a claim for unemployment benefits to complete at least 5 work search contacts per week to be eligible for unemployment benefits for the week.
Act 160 requires a public housing authority to request federal approval if necessary to implement a work requirement for able-bodied adults in households that receive housing assistance.
Several provisions of the Protect Arkansas Act also take effect on Jan. 1. These provisions include requiring persons convicted of the most serious offenses to serve a greater percentage of their sentence prior to release.

You can find a complete summary of all the legislation passed this year at arkansashouse.org.

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Get to know: Arkansas O-line signee Bubba Craig | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

7 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Get to know: Arkansas O-line signee Bubba Craig | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Arkansas offensive line signee Bubba Craig is expected to report Fayetteville this weekend for the spring semester.

Craig, 6-6 and 315 pounds, of Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College picked the Hogs over Temple, Liberty, Texas -San Antonio and others.

On3.com industry ranking list him the No. 1 interior offensive lineman and No. 23 overall junior college prospect.

Nickname: Bubba

Favorite thing about playing on the O-line: Moving people

Football has taught me: Patience

My parents stay on me to: Be great at whatever I do

My favorite childhood memory: Building a fort in my yard. It fell over because I was like 10 years old and my siblings and I didn’t know we were doing but ut was still cool.

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How Arkansas addressed receiver position in transfer portal

Published

15 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

How Arkansas addressed receiver position in transfer portal

Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino lost plenty of production in the passing game to the transfer portal and NFL Draft following the 2024 season.

With starting quarterback Taylen Green set to return for a second season in Fayetteville, the Hogs had to find the 6-foot-6 passer some new weapons. Star receiver Andrew Armstrong is on his way to the NFL, veterans Isaac TeSlaa and Tyrone Broden are out of eligibility, and speedster Isaiah Sategna transferred to Oklahoma.

Along with those departures, younger prospects Dazmin James and Davion Dozier also elected to hit the portal, which left plenty of recruiting for Petrino, receivers coach Ronnie Fouch and head coach Sam Pittman.

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Armstrong led all Southeastern Conference players with 78 receptions for 1,140 receiving yards in the regular season, but it was really a one-man show with him all season.

TeSlaa added 545 receiving yards and Sategna was second on the team with 37 catches. At 6-foot-7, Broden could never break through as a true difference maker, as he caught just 15 passes for 197 yards and barely played late in the year.

Of the players the Hogs are set to return at wide receiver — Jordan Anthony, CJ Brown, Krosse Johnson, Bryce Stephens, Monte Harrison and Shamar Easter (moved from tight end to receiver for Liberty Bowl) — the production from 2024 only combined for a total 18 receptions, 243 yards and one touchdown.

Incoming freshmen such as Warren (Ark.) product Antonio Jordan and Missouri City (Tx.) four-star Ja’Kayden Ferguson are intriguing prospects, but it was clear the Hogs needed to add talent in the transfer portal.

So far, the Razorbacks have signed five transfer portal wide receivers. Three of them put together very solid seasons in 2024 for their respective programs, while one — former four-star and Pine Bluff native Courtney Crutchfield — redshirted and the fifth, Ismael Cisse, was a contributor at Stanford.

Arkansas Wide Receiver Production

Note: Courtney Crutchfield is not part of the table, as he did not record any statistics in 2024.

O’Mega Blake (6-foot-2, 180 lbs) began his career at South Carolina, where he spent three seasons and caught 20 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. At Charlotte in 2024, Blake caught five passes for 205 yards and three scores in the Nov. 23 win over Florida Atlantic.

Hailing from Fresno State, Raylen Sharpe (5-foot-9, 165 lbs) is very familiar with Petrino. Sharpe spent 2022-23 at Missouri State, where Petrino was head coach from 2020-22. Sharpe caught 73 passes for 991 yards and seven touchdowns at Missouri State in 2023.

Kam Shanks (5-foot-8, 180 lbs) will more-than-likely be the favorite to return punts after leading the nation with 329 punt return yards and two punt return touchdowns this season. Shanks caught five passes for 31 yards and one score in the Sept. 14 loss at Arkansas.

After being committed to Arkansas for nearly seven months out of high school, Courtney Crutchfield signed with Missouri and redshirted after appearing in just two games in 2024. He was rated by Rivals as the No. 2 overall recruit and No. 1 wide receiver in the state of Arkansas in the 2024 recruiting class.

The latest addition to the class, Cisse signed with the Razorbacks on Monday evening following a visit over the weekend. He logged 381 snaps as a freshman in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. Cisse is a former three-star recruit out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colorado.

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Arkansas Hoping to Combat ‘Randomness’ from Ole Miss Offense

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Arkansas Hoping to Combat ‘Randomness’ from Ole Miss Offense

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Overshadowed by Arkansas’ 52-point offensive performance was the difficulties the Razorbacks had stopping Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier, who scored 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting, including five threes in a 24-point loss against the No. 1 Volunteers.

Now, the Hogs must deal with a quartet of guards against No. 23 Ole Miss. All four can score in the “randomness” of coach Chris Beard’s system. The Rebels’ top four scorers, Sean Pedulla, Jaylen Murray, Matthew Murrell and Dre Davis are all listed as guards and average double figures.

“These guys run motion,” assistant coach Chin Coleman said. “It’s all random and it’s all different and so, while they’re moving and cutting and screening, you’re going to have to guard every kind of screen there is in the game of basketball. That motion is unpredictable. The freedom of movement, cutting, screening. It’s hard to scheme against. It’s hard to scout.”

Arkansas also must contend with an Ole Miss team that wins the turnover battle on both ends of the floor. The Rebels commit the ninth-fewest turnovers in the country (9.3) and are third-best in turnover margin (+7.0).

“We want to stay on the attack and make plays for one another and not have a lot of live-ball turnovers,” Coleman said. “Those are the ones that we can’t defend against. We want to make teams play against our set defense, which is one of the best in the country. If we can do that and not have live ball turnovers, we’ll be fine.”

Tennessee forced the Razorbacks to commit 15 turnovers, picked up 10 steals and turned it into 13 points. Ole Miss ranks fourth in the SEC at 10.2 steals a game.

Tipoff between Ole Miss and Arkansas is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.