Andrew DeMillo / Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge blocked three new abortion restrictions from taking effect Wednesday in Arkansas, including a measure that opponents say would likely force the state's only surgical abortion clinic to close.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A former Arkansas lawmaker who is the governor's nephew has admitted to accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to help a health nonprofit as part of a plea deal in a sprawling federal corruption investigation.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Authorities in Arkansas on Thursday confirmed that a body found outside the home of a former Republican state lawmaker was hers, and police are investigating her death as a homicide.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A former Arkansas lawmaker pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he conspired to bribe an ex-judge who admitted lowering a jury's award in a negligence lawsuit in exchange for campaign contributions.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker filed legislation Tuesday that would trigger an abortion ban in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark 1973 decision that legalized the procedure across the nation.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson was sworn in for a second term Tuesday and took the opportunity to portray his re-election victory as a mandate for a "growth agenda" that includes an income tax cut, a teacher pay raise and a plan to reorganize state agencies.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers are kicking off a legislative session that's expected to focus on the governor's proposed income tax cut and an effort to find more funding for highways.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' governor is proposing a $5.7 billion budget for the coming year that sets aside money for raising the minimum salaries for public school teachers and for his tax cut plan.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' highest court has ordered election officials to not count votes for a proposal to limit damages awarded in civil lawsuits and rejected an effort to block an initiative to raise the state's minimum wage.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A proposal to legalize casinos in Arkansas has been approved for the November ballot.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday extended a halt she had imposed on an Arkansas law that critics say would make the state the first in the nation to effectively ban abortion pills.

U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted a preliminary injunction preventing Arkansas from enforcing the law, which says doctors who provide the pills must hold a contract with a physician with admitting privileges at a hospital who agrees to handle any complications.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the state to launch its medical marijuana program, reversing and dismissing a judge's ruling that prevented officials from issuing the first license for businesses to grow the drug.

  LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Opponents of a Ten Commandments display at the Arkansas state Capitol filed federal lawsuits Wednesday to have the monument removed, arguing it's an unconstitutional endorsement of religion by government

Democrats in central Arkansas will choose the party's nominee for a Republican-held U.S. House seat the party believes it has a chance to reclaim this fall, while a state Supreme Court justice is seeking re-election in a campaign that's marked by an onslaught of attack ads from an out-of-state group.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas judge said Friday he'll rule by the middle of next week on whether to allow the state to issue its first licenses for companies to grow medical marijuana after hearing complaints from an unsuccessful applicant challenging the permitting process.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked the state from awarding its first licenses for companies to grow medical marijuana in response to complaints about the state's process for reviewing applications for the facilities.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An attorney for a Little Rock man challenging Arkansas' voter ID law called the measure an end run around a court decision striking down a nearly identical state law four years ago, while attorneys for the state called the provision a proper way to verify a voter's registration.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers voted Wednesday to keep the state's Medicaid expansion another year after federal officials said the state can require people on the program to work or volunteer to keep their coverage.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A top Trump administration official is visiting Arkansas next week as state leaders await word on requests to impose a work requirement and scale back the eligibility of its Medicaid expansion, Gov. Asa Hutchinson's office said Friday.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A former federal consumer product regulator dropped his bid for the Arkansas Legislature Wednesday and is now trying to unseat the state's Republican attorney general.

Mike Lee filed paperwork to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Lee, 70, is the first Democrat to announce a race against Rutledge, who filed last week to seek re-election.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' ban on the use of a weed killer blamed by farmers in several states for crop damage will remain in place after a state judge dismissed a legal challenge by a maker of the herbicide.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers said Tuesday they're concerned about the impact of a recent court ruling that they can't scale back the state's immunity from lawsuits, and said they may need to put the issue before voters in two years if a group can't get its proposal on the ballot this fall.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers recommended regulators move forward Tuesday with efforts to ban an herbicide that farmers in several states say has drifted onto their crops and caused damage, advancing the prohibition despite a lawsuit by a maker of the weed killer.

A legislative subcommittee supported the state Plant Board's proposal to ban the use of dicamba from April 16 through Oct. 31. The proposed ban is scheduled to go before the Legislative Council, the Legislature's main governing body when lawmakers aren't in session, for a final vote on Friday.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The former head of an education nonprofit says he's running against Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson in Arkansas next year, marking the first Democrat to announce a bid for the solidly red state's top office.

Jared Henderson is the former executive director of the Arkansas branch of Teach for America. He said Tuesday that he'll seek the party's nomination to challenge the first-term governor.

updated  on 12/8/17 at 10:26 am

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The Latest on a judge ordering Arkansas to stop issuing birth certificates (all times local):

10:20 a.m.

Arkansas officials say they won't issue or amend birth certificates in response to a judge's order halting the program until the state complies with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to amend a state birth certificate law it says illegally favors heterosexual parents.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A "semi-retired" rancher and farmer who hasn't sought political office before said Tuesday he's challenging an Arkansas Republican congressman as a Democrat next year.

Mike Nelson said he is seeking the party's nomination to challenge Republican Rep. Rick Crawford in the 1st Congressional District. Crawford has held the seat since 2010 and is seeking re-election next year.