Latest news with #ScottHardin
Axios
03-07-2025
- Axios
NWA nonprofits grapple with federal victim aid reductions
Northwest Arkansas nonprofits are facing budget concerns because of a depleted federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) fund, and the region stands to receive a disproportionately low amount of grant money compared to other parts of the state. Why it matters: The organizations at risk provide services to domestic violence and child sex abuse victims, some of NWA's most vulnerable populations. State of play: Just under $7 million is available in total for Arkansas for October 2025 through September 2026, compared to $13 million four years ago, according to documents on the state Department of Finance and Administration's website. Case in point: Springdale-based Peace at Home Family Shelter, which offers emergency shelter, counseling and legal services for domestic violence victims, received $1 million a year prior to 2021, executive director Teresa Mills told Axios. But the most any organization can apply for this year is $250,000, according to the state. Peace at Home has launched an endowment campaign to try to make up for the shortfall, and other organizations are also ramping up fundraising and applying for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission's new Community Assistance Grant Program. VOCA funding accounts for about 17% of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Northwest Arkansas' $1.7 million budget, and the organization anticipates losing the funding will hurt its ability to serve children in foster care, according to CASA's website. The state supplemented some of the VOCA money using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding during the last application cycle in 2023, but Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration spokesperson Scott Hardin confirmed the state will not supplement grants this year. By the numbers: The Children's Safety Center of Washington County's 18 staff members provide free services like counseling and forensic interviewing for children suspected of experiencing sexual abuse that cannot be done by volunteers, executive director Elizabeth Shackelford told Axios. About 740 children received services last year. The Children and Family Advocacy Center in Benton County has applied for $80,000 this year, despite receiving about $280,000 in the past, executive director Natalie Tibbs told Axios. The organization primarily sees children suspected of experiencing abuse and also has a shelter for families, most of whom have experienced domestic violence, Tibbs said. Friction point: While the northwest region includes 14 counties home to a third of the state's population, it will receive a sixth of the remaining VOCA funding because the state is now divided into six geographic regions, compounding the challenge. "We have to turn, in a sense, competitive against each other," Shackelford said, speaking of the other child advocacy centers that typically collaborate with one another as they have a common cause. What they're saying: "VOCA's federal guidelines prohibit direct awards to victims, which is why population levels do not determine award amounts," Hardin told Axios in an email. Flashback: VOCA started in 1984 and is funded by fines paid by people or entities convicted of federal crimes, which have decreased in recent years and resulted in a depleted fund. Former President Biden signed a bill with a plan to give the fund a new source of revenue.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration issues notice about frequent text scam
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration is warning about a text scam in the state. A DFA spokesperson said the agency has received 'hundreds' of calls from concerned Arkansans about money due for a traffic ticket via text. The texts claim to be from the Arkansas Vehicle Administration. Arkansans consuming more than 6,000 pounds of marijuana a month in 2025 The Arkansas Vehicle Administration does not exist. DFA spokesperson Scott Hardin offered a tip to detect scams and urged the community to engage with others to help end the scam. 'DFA will never send you a text regarding a traffic ticket,' Hardin said. 'Please ignore it and warn friends and family. Thousands of Arkansans are receiving this text today.' The FBI has an information page on scams and spoofing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansans consuming more than 6,000 pounds of marijuana a month in 2025
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The most recent figures from the Department of Finance and Administration show marijuana consumption in Arkansas is increasing in 2025. The figures through May of the year show that over 6,000 pounds of marijuana are purchased from state dispensaries each month. Records show that revenue ranges from a low of $21.9 million in February, when 6,069 pounds were sold, to a high of $25.5 million in May, when dispensaries sold 6,744 pounds. May is the last month tabulated so far for 2025. Smoke it or eat it, cannabis is bad for your heart, new research shows The total pounds of marijuana in 2025 through May is 32,474, up from 30,000 for the same period in 2024. Officials stated that the total revenue for the period from Jan. 1 to May 31 is $121 million, collected by the state's 37 dispensaries. Revenue totals represent a $7.2 million increase from the 2024 figures for the same period. DFA spokesperson Scott Hardin said marijuana sales are putting millions of dollars into Arkansas through tax revenue. 'Tax revenue from medical marijuana is averaging $2.68 million a month in 2025, also an increase over last year,' Hardin said. 'With daily medical marijuana sales averaging $806,000, we are on track to surpass the 2023 sales record of $283 million.' Secretary of state disqualifies Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment over signature questions Hardin said the state has 109,854 active medical marijuana patient cards. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas medical marijuana sales 'on track' to reach new high, DFA says
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas topped $121 million through May, setting a pace that could break the state's annual sales record. Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas totaled $121,024,696 from January through May 2025—an increase of about $7.2 million compared to the same period last year, according to the Department of Finance and Administration. During those five months, dispensaries sold 32,474 pounds of product, up from roughly 30,000 pounds in early 2024. Monthly sales broke down as follows: January: $23.6 million February: $21.9 million March: $25 million April: $24.9 million May: $25.5 million So far this year, tax revenue from medical marijuana is averaging $2.68 million per month. Daily sales are averaging $806,000, which puts the state on track to surpass 2023's record of $283 million in total sales, DFA spokesperson Scott Hardin said. In 2024, total sales reached $275.9 million, with dispensaries selling 75,598 pounds of product, up from 62,227 pounds in 2023. The rise in volume was attributed to lower prices, which led to increased purchasing even as total revenue declined. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission announce new outdoor education pilot program As of the latest count, 109,854 of around three million Arkansans hold active medical marijuana patient cards, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. In April 2025, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders vetoed a bill that would have allowed medical marijuana deliveries via dispensary vehicles or drive-throughs. Sanders said in her veto letter that '[t]his legislation would expand access to usable marijuana, therefore I am vetoing.' On October 21, 2024, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that votes for a medical marijuana expansion measure would not be counted because its ballot language was 'misleading' and did not fully explain the effects. Although early voting had started, the measure stayed on the ballot but any votes cast for it were discarded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Shortage of REAL ID's causing frustration statewide
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) — With over 900,00 REAL IDs being issued in Arkansas, the Department of Finance and Administration is now reporting a shortage at certain revenue offices. According to the DFA, the issue is the card's manufacturing. Scott Hardin with the DFA said it's not basic card stock, but much more elaborate. 'It's got security features built into it. It's got quite a bit built into that card, and they print it specifically for the state of Arkansas,' Hardin said. 'So, we're dealing with our vendor constantly. We're talking to them daily and getting shipments daily, 20,000 here, 20,000 there. And we're trying to address the best we can. Right now, everything's being refreshed.' Hardin said that they are actively monitoring the shortages, and they are able to get a new shipment to offices in need, usually by the next day. The frustration grows at the DMV as mass crowds of people are causing wait times up to four hours, according to one person who tried to obtain a REAL ID today. Mysti Bostick is one of those frustrated people, and she said that it seems like the workers at the DMV are also confused about the shortage. 'A lot of confusion, it seems like, and it doesn't really look like a lot of them are getting a lot of stuff done either. But opinions, opinions, right?' Bostick said. Hardin said patience is the key, and if you went to the DMV today and were unable to obtain an ID, check back tomorrow, as shipments are on the way. 'So basically, what we give them is a list of the offices that are doing the most business and that are in need,' Hardin said. 'We think we'll have a shipment in tomorrow. So, if for some reason you go to a revenue office today and they say, 'Hey, we're low on this,' or 'We're hitting capacity,' please check back tomorrow.' Arkansas DFA moves to online license and ID so revenue offices can remain on REAL ID The DFA introduced a new policy that allows anyone who already has a REAL ID but needs to obtain a duplicate to do so online. Hardin said this is an effort to help relieve some congestion at the DMV. 'If you do want a replacement or a duplicate license, we're going to move all that online. You can click a couple of buttons, place the order, we place it in the mail to you. The reason we're doing that is to free up time and space for those that need a real ID,' Hardin said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
