Between the Lines Blog
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…
The Non-Compete Playbook: Everything Arkansas Employers Should Have in their Arsenal
A crucial employee leaves for a competitor. A promising candidate shows up carrying a non-compete from their former employer. Either way, the questions hit quickly: What can we do? What should we avoid? And what paperwork should we have in place to handle this sort of thing? What employers should…
Arkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog
Eyes on Environmental Enforcement: Three Environmental Organizations Launch Online Search Portal
Three environmental organizations have launched an online search portal titled: Eyes on Environmental Enforcement (“Portal”). The environmental organizations include: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Environmental Data & Governance Initiative. ToxicDocs.org. (Collectively…
Drought in the United States/Science, Policy, and Selected Federal Authorities: Congressional Research Service Report
The Congressional Research Service (“CRS”) issued a report on October 6th titled: Drought in the United States: Science, Policy, and Selected Federal Authorities (“Report”). See R46911. The CRS describes its activities as serving Congress throughout the legislative process by providing…
Stormwater Enforcement: Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality and White County Construction Stormwater Site Enter into Consent Administrative Order
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment - Division of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) and Searcy City Center (“SCC”) entered into an August 20th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing alleged violations of a Construction Stormwater (General Permit) (“Permit. See Case #…
Above the Site/How UAV Sensing Turns Environmental Conditions into Better Decisions: Matt Acree, P.G., (Terracon) Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention Presentation
Matt Acree, P.G., undertook a presentation on October 8th at the Arkansas Environmental Federation Convention titled: ABOVE THE SITE – How UAV sensing turns environmental conditions into better decisions (“Presentation”). Matt is a Staff Geologist at Terracon. Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (“UAVs”)…
Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Meeting - October 23rd Meeting/Agenda Announced
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment announced the agenda for the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission (“Commission”) meeting on October 23rd. The Commission is the environmental policy-making body for Arkansas. The Commission, with certain exceptions, meets on a monthly…