Rep. Austin McCollum

Maddy summarySB 205 aimed to amend Arkansas' Opportunity Public School Choice Act and the Public School Choice Act of 2015, focusing on school choice program rules. However, the bill was withdrawn from committee, amended, and later died in the Senate Education Committee on May 5, 2025, without becoming law. No specific policy changes or affected parties are detailed in the provided context, as the bill did not advance beyond committee consideration. The bill's procedural status - dying in committee - means it did not result in any legislative action or policy change.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 204 proposes to exempt certain financial gains from state gross income for tax purposes. This exemption would apply to taxpayers whose property is acquired by a government or entity under the right of eminent domain or the threat of condemnation. Essentially, any profit a property owner makes from such a forced sale would not be considered taxable income under this bill.

Maddy summaryHB 1708, titled "The Keep the Bonus, Axe the Tax: The No-Tax Bonus Act," proposed to exempt certain bonus payments from state income tax in Arkansas. This bill directly affects employees who receive these specific types of bonuses. It defines a bonus as an additional, nonrecurring payment that does not increase an employee's base pay and includes no commitment for future payments. If passed, these defined bonuses would not be subject to income tax for 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 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 summaryHB 1685, known as the Grocery Tax Relief Act, exempts groceries from state sales and use taxes. This legislation amends existing state law regarding sales and use taxes levied on food and food ingredients. The bill directly affects consumers by removing the state sales tax typically applied to their grocery purchases.

Maddy summaryHB 1945, now Act 913, amends the Arkansas Opportunity Public School Choice Act and the Public School Choice Act of 2015, affecting students who wish to transfer to a different public school. The bill modifies the conditions under which a school district can claim a "lack of capacity" to deny a student transfer application. Specifically, a district may claim lack of capacity if a nonresident school has reached its maximum student-to-teacher ratio or if 95% or more of seats at a specific grade level are filled. Additionally, a district may only claim lack of capacity if it has reached at least 90% of the maximum authorized student population in a program, class, grade level, or building. The bill also allows students to transfer to another public school within their resident district.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 1933 establishes a process for the recall and removal of members of a school district board of directors. It introduces mechanisms for a recall election and a petition for removal, allowing citizens to initiate a process to remove an elected school board member. The bill specifies that county clerks will manage the petition process and outlines procedures for filling vacancies that occur due to a board member's removal.

Maddy summaryHJR 1018, titled "THE CITIZENS ONLY VOTING AMENDMENT," is a joint resolution that successfully passed both legislative chambers and was approved by the Governor. Based on its title, this bill proposes an amendment aimed at restricting voting eligibility to citizens only. However, the provided bill text primarily consists of an amendment adding various representatives and senators as cosponsors to the resolution, and does not detail the specific language, mechanisms, or provisions of the proposed "Citizens Only Voting Amendment" itself.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 624, now Act 732, expands public school choice options for students in Arkansas. It allows students to transfer to a different public school within their own resident school district, in addition to transferring to a school in a nonresident district. Parents or guardians can request a transfer if they believe it is in the student's best interest, or if the resident school or district meets specific performance criteria. The bill also clarifies that schools can claim a lack of capacity if 95% or more of a grade level's seats are filled, and requires receiving schools to accept credits from transferring students.