Talk Business and Politics

Randy Zook, CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas, discusses hate crimes legislation and vaccination efforts.

Arkansas is one of the only states without some type of hate crime law on the books, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said more than once it’s a top priority for him during the current legislative session. SB622, filed Thursday (April 1), will attempt to solve that problem.

St. Bernards CEO Chris Barber has weathered plenty of disasters. The economic downturn of 2008-09 and the Jonesboro tornado both come to mind. Nothing could have prepared Barber for the hardships of the last year.

Rex Nelson, senior editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, discusses the COVID-19 pandemic and capitol session.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday (March 30) lifted the statewide mask mandate even as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged governors to not lift such restrictions. Gov. Hutchinson also on Tuesday opened vaccine eligibility to all Arkansans age 16 and older.

Urban League of Arkansas CEO Scott Hamilton discusses election law measures working their way at the state and national level.

Businesswoman and civic leader Supha Xayprasith-Mays will seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2022. She announced her intentions to run Friday (March 26).

Arkansas’ jobless rate in February was 4.5%, down from 4.6% in January and below the 3.8% in February 2020. The slight decline in Arkansas’ jobless rate in February was the result of fewer in the workforce and not a gain in jobs.

The city posted on Facebook Wednesday that the monetary gift came from the Jonesboro Residential Housing and Healthcare Facilities Board.

Arkansas-based Arvest Bank says this summer they are closing their Joneboro branch on East Johnson Avenue.