Between the Lines Blog
Letting Growth Fund Growth: Why Issue 3 Matters for Arkansas
October 28, 2026
by Robbi Riggs Watson
In 2024, I joined a group of Arkansas attorneys, economic development professionals, and community leaders who had one goal in mind: creating an economic development proposal that would help Arkansas communities compete for jobs, investment, and growth. Over the next year, I and other Mitchell…
The LEARNSing Curve: Navigating Arkansas Education Law
A Short Survey of The LEARNS Act Three years later, the Literacy, Empowerment, Accountability, Readiness, Networking, and Safety Act (“LEARNS Act” or the “Act”) continues to reshape Arkansas education law. This article surveys the Act’s major provisions: (1) the Education Freedom Account program…
NAIC Reciprocal Exchanges (E) Working Group Advances Proposed Amendments to Model 440 and Model 450
On July 22, 2026, the NAIC Reciprocal Exchanges (E) Working Group met virtually to discuss proposed amendments to the Insurance Holding Company System Regulatory Act (Model #440) and the Insurance Holding Company System Model Regulation (Model #450). Formed in November 2025 under the Financial…
The NAIC Data Breach: A Turning Point for Data Collection and Privacy in the Insurance Industry
On June 17, 2026, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) publicly disclosed that it had identified unauthorized access to its PeopleSoft systems. The breach—attributed to the threat actor group ShinyHunters and part of a broader campaign exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in…
Essential Employment Documents and Procedures for Growing Businesses
As your business grows and you begin hiring employees, the excitement of expansion can sometimes overshadow the critical need for proper employment documentation and procedures. Yet the foundation you lay during this stage of growth can make the difference between a thriving workplace and costly…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
Environmental Regulatory Requirements - A Hospital/Healthcare Facility Perspective/Checklist: Fall 2026 Arkansas Hospital Association Magazine Article
The publication Arkansas Hospitals published an article I authored in its Fall 2026 edition titled: Environmental Regulatory Requirements: A Hospital/Healthcare Facility Perspective/Checklist (“Article”). The Article identifies various environmental requirements and issues affecting hospitals…
The Share of Solar Generation with Co-Located Battery Storage is Increasing: U.S. Energy Information Administration Issues October 2026 Report
The United States Energy Information Administration (“EIA”) published an October 30th report titled: The share of solar generation with co-located battery storage is increasing (“Report”). The Report states that utility-solar developers are increasingly co-locating with new solar photovoltaic…
Air Enforcement: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Geismar Integrated Chemical Production Facility Enter into Settlement Agreement
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (“LDEQ”) and Lion Copolymer Geismar, LLC (“Lion”) entered into a July 9th Settlement Agreement (“SA”) addressing alleged violations of an air permit. See SA-AE-26-0036. The SA provides that Lion owns and/or operates an integrated chemical production…
Waters of the United States/Clean Water Act: National Agricultural Aviation Association Comments on U.S. EPA Supplemental Proposed Rule
The National Agricultural Aviation Association (“NAAA”) submitted October 9th comments addressing the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s: Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Updated Definition of “Waters of the United States (“Supplemental Proposed Rule”). See Docket No…
Arkansas Ambient Air Monitoring Network: Annual Network Plan for 2026-2027
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment – Division of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) recently issued a document titled: ARKANSAS AMBIENT AIR MONITORING NETWORK – Annual Network Plan for 2026-2027 (“Plan”). The Plan was prepared by DEQ’s Office of Air Quality. The Plan has previously…