4.18.25 – KARK – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – by: Alex Kienlen
The final working week of the 95th General Assembly of the Arkansas legislature ended on Wednesday.
Legislators are due back in town on May 5 to take care of any last-minute business generated by the session and formally adjourn. In the meantime, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been signing hundreds of bills passed into law during this legislative session.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
Arkansas law now mandates that “In God We Trust” and the Ten Commandments be displayed in Arkansas classrooms and public buildings. Funds for the posters displaying the two items will come from donations or donations of the posters themselves.
RAPE PENALTIES
Arkansas now has a criminal code that permits the death penalty for those found guilty of the rape of a minor under 13. The law includes certain exceptions, such as life with eligibility for parole if the offender is under 18.
FELONS
Three bills signed into law this week intend to ease the transition of a felon back into Arkansas society. Senate Bill 537 provides for those on parole to earn time credits by working at a job. Senate Bill 485 and House Bill 1931 call for a robust program focusing on rehabilitating inmates “upon the first day of incarceration” through a combination of programs, education, and reentry services within the Department of Corrections.Pair of bills intend to reduce Arkansas recidivism rate through prison training & education programs
NUCLEAR POWER
When House Bill 1572 was signed into law, it mandated a feasibility study on implementing nuclear energy in Arkansas. Because of the bill’s emergency clause, the Department of Energy and Environment has 60 days to engage with an outside consulting firm to begin the study, with a written report delivered by July 2026.