Tourism, Economic Development Leaders Partner To Recruit Return To Arkansas

By ROBY BROCK / TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

While COVID-19 has impacted tourism and travel as well as business expansion, Arkansas is pushing forward to remain open and ready for business. Tourism and economic officials in Arkansas have spent many years trying to convince people to work, live and play in Arkansas.

Three people working hard on those efforts have new tools and new collaborations to conduct their business thanks to the Arkansas Legislature and a Gov. Asa Hutchinson executive order to develop more outdoor recreation businesses. Secretary of Parks, Heritage & Tourism Stacy Hurst, Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston, and Arkansas Tourism Director Travis Napper recently sat down with TB&P Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/tourism-economic-development-leaders-partner-recruit-return-arkansas

(Clockwise) Arkansas Tourism Director Travis Napper, Talk Business & Politics Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock, Secretary of Parks, Heritage & Tourism Stacy Hurst and Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston discuss efforts to draw tourists back to Arkansas.

CREDIT TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

Steering Committee Approves $150 Million For Further Broadband Expansion

By SARAH KELLOGG

The state committee in charge of allocating federal funding from the American Rescue Plan approved $150 million to go towards broadband efforts, with an additional $150 million to possibly be approved in a later meeting.

The Arkansas American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Steering Committee met for the second time on Wednesday and spent over an hour discussing the $300 million request from the state’s Department of Commerce to go towards broadband expansion.

In speaking on the request, Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston recalled the millions of federal dollars previously spent on broadband as a part of the CARES Act.

"$120 million is what was utilized from the CARES funding. Those funds were deployed in less than a year’s time and that brought access to 130,000 Arkansans who did not have broadband before," Preston said. "So, 130,000 people in our state who previously did not have access now have access to broadband because of the work that the CARES Steering Committee did and through the Office of Broadband and the Department of Commerce were able to do that."

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/steering-committee-approves-150-million-further-broadband-expansion

In this file photo, the Arkansas American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Steering Committee meets for the first time.

CREDIT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

Arkansas Senate Fails 2021-2022 Fiscal Appropriation For Department of Commerce

By SARAH KELLOGG

The Arkansas Senate failed to pass appropriations for the Arkansas Department of Commerce's 2021-2022 fiscal year on Monday. Members of the Senate voted 20-8 with five members not voting, which was ultimately not enough to pass Senate Bill 132.

In speaking against the bill,  Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, said he could not vote for any appropriation that would "fund and pay for the head of the Department of Commerce, Sec. Mike Preston."

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-senate-fails-2021-2022-fiscal-appropriation-department-commerce

Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, speaks against Senate Bill 132.

CREDIT ARKANSAS SENATE

Commerce Department Considers Calling In National Guard To Help Process PUA Claims

By ZUZANNA SITEK

The Arkansas Commerce Department is considering calling in the National Guard to help the Division of Workforce Services go through Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims. Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston says the number of claims had leveled out toward the end of last year, but changes to the program in the last two stimulus bills could require additional personnel to go through applications that had already been submitted.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/commerce-department-considers-calling-national-guard-help-process-pua-claims

Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston.

COURTESY / ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE