Rep. Kendon Underwood

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1822, known as the "Overtime but not Overtaxed Act," aimed to exempt compensation earned from overtime hours from the state of Arkansas's income tax. The bill defined overtime as hours worked exceeding 40 in a workweek that are required to be compensated under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This measure would have directly affected Arkansas residents who receive overtime pay, reducing the amount of state income tax they would owe on those specific earnings. Had it passed, the exemption would have applied to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1932 proposed to amend Arkansas laws related to the corporate franchise tax and repeal the Arkansas Corporate Franchise Tax Act of 1979. The bill would have required most corporations and limited liability companies, both domestic and foreign, to file an annual report with the Secretary of State. This report would detail the corporation's condition, status, and other information like officers and stock. While some information in the annual report would be confidential, basic corporate details such as the name, address, and principal officers would be publicly available.

Maddy summaryHJR 1015 was a proposed constitutional amendment in Arkansas that aimed to change how judicial candidates appear on the ballot. If approved, it would have required candidates for Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Judge, Circuit Judge, and District Judge to declare their political party affiliation or independent status. This declared affiliation or independent status would then be printed on the ballot for voters to see. The stated purpose of the amendment was to ensure transparency regarding judicial candidates' affiliations. This amendment would have taken effect on January 1, 2027, if passed.

Maddy summaryHB 1065, titled "TO CREATE THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT OF 2025," died in the House Committee on Revenue & Taxation on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. The provided bill text contains no substantive policy language or specific mechanisms; it only includes a list of supporting legislators and procedural details. No concrete policy changes, affected groups, or key provisions are described in the available text. As a bill that stalled in committee with no enacted provisions, it did not implement any inflation-related measures. The title appears to be a placeholder, as no actual inflation reduction policy was outlined in the submitted bill.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1936 proposed changes to how municipal elections are conducted in Arkansas. For cities with a mayor-council form of government, the bill would have required county party committees to conduct party primaries for municipal offices. This would only be bypassed if the city council passed a resolution for nonpartisan elections by August 31st of the year before the election, with such a resolution lasting two years. Additionally, the bill clarified that elections for directors in city manager forms of government and for mayors and directors in city administrator forms of government are nonpartisan. It also specified election methods (ward or at-large) and residency requirements for these officials.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1765 proposed changes to the classification of domestic battering in the third degree in Arkansas. While generally remaining a Class A misdemeanor, the bill sought to enhance it to a Class D felony under specific conditions. One key change allowed for this felony enhancement if a person had *committed* certain prior domestic violence acts within five years, even if there wasn't a prior conviction for those acts. In such cases, the state could establish the prior act during its case to achieve the enhanced classification.

Maddy summaryHB 1662, titled "TO PROHIBIT LOBBYING FOR A COVERED FOREIGN ENTITY," aimed to prevent individuals or organizations from lobbying on behalf of certain foreign entities. The provided text is an amendment to the bill, which made minor changes to specific wording and references within the original text. Without the full original bill text, the specific definitions of "covered foreign entity" or the detailed mechanisms and scope of the prohibition are not available.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 355 amends the criminal offense of obstructing governmental operations. The bill specifies that it is a criminal act for an individual to knowingly fail to appear and testify at a trial or court hearing in a criminal matter. This provision applies to individuals who have received in-person service of a subpoena issued by a judge or a court clerk. This bill directly affects individuals who are subpoenaed to provide testimony in criminal proceedings.

Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 11 (SJR 11) proposes a constitutional amendment to the Arkansas Constitution. This measure aims to modify Article 2, Section 5, with the specific intent to protect the right to keep and bear arms for individuals. If enacted, it would alter the state's foundational document concerning this right.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1243, now Act 994, aims to increase transparency in campaign finance reporting and protect election integrity. The bill amends existing campaign finance law by shifting the responsibility for receiving campaign contribution and expenditure reports from county clerks to the Secretary of State. It also adjusts the deadline for filing monthly financial reports, requiring them to be submitted no later than twenty days after the end of each month. These changes affect political campaigns and candidates by modifying where and when their financial disclosures must be filed.