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CorruptionPower and Control
September 11, 2025

Profiri Snubs Legislature in Franklin Co. Prison Hearing

photo by Arkansas House of Representatives When lawmakers gathered to discuss the Franklin Co. prison fiasco, the one man responsible for the mess, former Corrections Secretary and current Sanders staffer…
Gennie Diaz
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News
August 12, 2025

Big raises for political insiders, pennies for the rest

While Arkansas teachers, public employees, and state workers are stuck fighting over scraps from our new merit pay system, Gov. Sanders is handing out enormous raises to her political allies.…
Gennie Diaz
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Uncategorized
July 11, 2025

What legislative audit shows us about hypocrisy

At this week's Legislative Joint Audit Committee on Educational Institutions, lawmakers came in hot. They spent the entirety of the meeting grilling the superintendent and school board president of Fouke…
Gennie Diaz
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AR Legislature
June 20, 2025

House Republicans Refuse to Help Their Own Employees with Debt Forgiveness

This morning in the Arkansas Legislative Council, House Republicans refused to review a contract to Aptus Financial, an in-state consulting firm that won a contract to help state employees determine…
Sam Watson
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Uncategorized
June 6, 2025

Don’t Paint Over Bentonville: A Community Rallies to Save Public Art

When a city tries to quietly erase approved public art, the cycling community fights back Bentonville, Arkansas has built a reputation as a popular mountain biking destination and made significant…
Sam Watson
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AR LegislaturePower and Control
March 18, 2025

A closer look at Hammer’s Boys and Girls Club grudge

Senator Kim Hammer’s attack on the Boys & Girls Club didn’t begin with SB362. His grudge against the organization — and his broader hostility toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)…
Gennie Diaz
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AR LegislatureElections
March 7, 2025

Kim Hammer’s SB296 could kill early voting in towns like West Memphis

It's Hammer time again, folks. Since yesterday's post, we've learned that SB296, a bill Hammer filed in late February, would give hand-picked Republican election commissioners unchecked power to erase early…
Gennie Diaz
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AR Legislature
March 6, 2025

The Hammer vendetta: SB362 targets the Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club — an organization that provides youth with safe spaces, mentorship, and educational support— is a pillar of local communities. But now Senator Kim Hammer is…
Gennie Diaz
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AR LegislatureElectionsPower and Control
February 6, 2025

Kim Hammer wants to destroy direct democracy

Hammer's bills are designed to shut you out of the democratic process Sen. Kim Hammer is running for Arkansas Secretary of State, and if you think he wants to serve…
Gennie Diaz
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AR LegislatureNewsPower and Control
January 30, 2025

Senate cowards cave on SB3

The push to ditch public affirmative action is back, and it's uglier than ever. Last session, fifteen Arkansas state senators voted against SB71, Dan Sullivan's 2023 bill to gut public…
Gennie Diaz
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Uncategorized
January 8, 2025

Commissioner for sale? Chris Caldwell’s alarming conflict of interest

Bad news for those who value government accountability and transparency During routine conflict of interest research, On AR Watch uncovered that Chris Caldwell, the current Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner,…
Gennie Diaz
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AR LegislaturePower and Control
November 11, 2024

Senate GOP picks power + control over cooperation

The move isn't about governing but rather ruling with an iron fist In a blatant display of partisanship and disregard for its chamber's so-called contemplative nature, the Arkansas Senate GOP…
Gennie Diaz
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Power and Control
November 8, 2024

State steamrolls small town with unwanted prison. Time to hold them accountable.

Last night in Charleston, Arkansas, residents packed out a town hall to express their frustration with Governor Sarah Sanders’ seemingly sudden decision to build a massive 3,000-bed prison on the…
Gennie Diaz
Love1
EducationNews
October 22, 2024

Voter Misinformation Alert! Misleading Texts Target Pulaski County Voters

Early voting has started in Arkansas, which means a firehose of disinformation has started to target voters.  Over the weekend, Pulaski County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth tweeted that she’d received reports…
Sam Watson
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CorruptionElections
October 21, 2024

Did Anita Bell try to rig an election for her daughter-in-law?

Voter Suppression in Crittenden County + Anita Bell’s Conflict of Interest Last week, voters in West Memphis, AR got some encouraging news: early voting would be restored. It's a big…
Gennie Diaz
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CorruptionPower and Control
October 17, 2024

John Thurston Doesn’t Play by the Rules

Campaign finance is where power and influence truly converge— behind every political career is a network of financial backers and influential players. John Thurston’s political war chest is no exception,…
Sam Watson
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Uncategorized
October 8, 2024

Partisan Court Appointments Target Voter Rights on Medical Marijuana Issue

Democracy takes another hit. Governor Sanders’ recent appointments to the Arkansas Supreme Court raise serious concerns about fairness, impartiality, and the lengths to which political power will go to control…
Gennie Diaz
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Uncategorized
October 4, 2024

Crittenden Co. Election Commission puts voter suppression on display

In a shameful display of voter suppression, Republican-led election commissioners in Crittenden County are actively working to prevent Black voters in West Memphis from casting their ballots early. The county’s…
Gennie Diaz
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Corruption
August 30, 2024

Rhonda Wood Isn’t Even Pretending To Be A Justice

Here’s some clear law for you, Justice Rhonda Wood.  Arkansas Code § 7-10-102(a): “The offices of Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit judge, district…
Sam Watson
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EducationNews
August 21, 2024

An update on Schools for the Blind and Deaf

Remember when we wondered if Arkansas's Schools for the Blind and Deaf would be the next targets of Jacob Oliva's ire? We have an update. Today, the Democrat-Gazette reports the…
genniediaz
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For AR People is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of Arkansans restoring fairness, transparency and accountability to our state government.

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