🎙️ Arkansas Daily News Briefing – May 29, 2025
Hey y’all — it’s Wednesday, May 29th. This is your Free News Arkansas Daily Briefing, And here are the things you need to know about Arkansas today.Â
We’re starting today with a number that has lawmakers stunned: more than 145,000 Arkansans on Medicaid who are required to have a primary care doctor don’t.
That’s what state officials told legislators last week during a Public Health Subcommittee hearing in Little Rock. The discussion came as lawmakers considered a new rule to allow limited urgent care visits without needing a referral. The goal is to reduce ER visits for minor illnesses when patients can’t get in to see a doctor.
Here’s the breakdown:
The problem? Patients are supposed to self-enroll using a packet and a phone number. But many don’t.
Hospitals are caught in the middle—penalized when Medicaid patients go to the ER without a referral, even when it feels like an emergency. Lawmakers want action—whether that’s auto-assigning doctors, revamping communication, or changing the reimbursement rules.Â
Legislators gave agency heads a laundry list of data to bring back to the committee in a future meeting, including demographic information on those without a PCP, information on auto-assigning PCPs to those without one, and reasons for ER visit payment denials.
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A Chinese-owned ag research facility in Craighead County has sold, the first target in a state law that forbids certain foreign governments from owning land in Arkansas.
Syngenta Seeds LLC sold more than 150 acres to Moore Legacy Farm LLC for $760,000 earlier this month. The land had been used for seed research and development. The sale follows a state law passed in 2023. Proponents of the law say that ownership of land by potentially hostile foreign entities gives them insight into how to attack our farms and agricultural system.
Syngenta was ordered to divest and also fined $280,000 for failing to report its foreign ownership on time. In 2022, ChemChina, the company that owns Syngenta, was added to the US Department of Defense’s list of companies that work at the behest of the Chinese military.Â
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Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson received a full presidential pardon on Wednesday for his role in a Medicaid fraud and bribery scheme involving Preferred Family Healthcare.
Hutchinson was one of multiple lawmakers and executives convicted in the scandal, which involved more than $20 million in bribes and kickbacks. At its peak, the nonprofit received nearly $44 million in one year from Arkansas’s Medicaid mental health budget.
He had served two of his 8-year prison sentence. Hutchinson was a state Senator representing part of Little Rock until his resignation in 2018 following federal indictment in the scheme.
In a pivotal decision for Arkansas’ emerging lithium industry, the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a 2.5% royalty rate for Standard Lithium’s project in the Smackover formation.Â
The decision clears the way for Standard Lithium and its partners to move forward with plans for a $1.5 billion lithium extraction facility in southern Arkansas, with projected annual production of 22,500 metric tons of battery-grade lithium carbonate.
The approved payout structure provides landowners with a 2.5% royalty on lithium production and an additional $65.14 per acre “brine fee” brings the effective royalty to 3.01%.
The hearing marked Standard Lithium’s third attempt to secure approval. Their previous proposals, including a 1.82% royalty, were rejected.
The decision applies only to the Reynolds Unit — about 20,854 acres - but sets a major precedent for lithium extraction in South Arkansas and provides a degree of certainty to investors. Construction is expected to accelerate, marking a major milestone in Arkansas’ push to become a domestic leader in lithium production.
Authorities are still searching for Grant Hardin, the former police chief of Gateway who escaped from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock on Sunday afternoon. Hardin was serving a 30-year sentence for murder and had confessed to a 1997 rape.
He escaped through the prison’s sally port wearing a makeshift law enforcement-style outfit. Drones, helicopters, and K-9 teams are being used in the rugged terrain around Calico Rock, but recent rain and low clouds have slowed the search.
Officials say they believe he’s still in the area and warn that he is considered dangerous.
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Down in Union County, a well-known name is stepping into the race to fill the House seat being vacated by outgoing Speaker Matthew Shepherd.
Former Circuit Judge Jim Andrews announced this week he’s running for the Republican nomination in House District 97 — a seat that covers El Dorado, Junction City, Wyatt, Parkers Chapel, and surrounding areas. Andrews says he’s running to bring his experience in law, business, and public service to the Legislature, with a focus on strengthening the economy, improving public safety and education, and making government more accountable.
Andrews is a sixth-generation Union County resident and has worn a lot of hats over the years. He was appointed circuit judge by Governor Sarah Sanders, served as vice president and general counsel for Deltic Timber, and later worked in state government helping lead the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism through a $40 million pandemic relief program.
He’s already picked up endorsements from Attorney General Tim Griffin and local businessman Gary Sewell, who’s serving as his campaign chairman. Both praised his conservative values and deep ties to the region.
With Speaker Shepherd stepping aside, this race will be one to watch in South Arkansas.
That’s it for today’s Daily Briefing. If you found this helpful, share it with a friend and make sure you’re subscribed to Free News Arkansas so you never miss an update.
We’ll be back tomorrow with more of what matters across the Natural State.