Thursday morning summary 4/8/08

My early morning updates are required listening for all well-informed people. Tune in The Greatest Hits of All Time with John Lee at 103.6 and Spirit FM with Don Burns at 93.3 and 100.7.

The radio show is on at 9.

KSMD 99.1 FM – Searcy/Batesville

KWCK 1300 AM – Searcy

KAPZ 710 AM – Bald Knob/Augusta

KAWW 1370 AM – Heber Springs/Clinton

Senator Hillary Clinton got some support from former Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. He says her supporters will tell her when it’s time to quit.

Lawmakers have been told that flaws in the original University of Arkansas study caused an overstatement in the projected economic impact of the Fayetteville Shale play. Projections of corporate and individual income taxes are too high. The study showed an income tax assessment of $54 million in 2005 and 2006 one period, but only between $6 million and $8 million of that went to Arkansas

Arkansas’ accumulated surplus could grow to more than $164 million by July 1, despite calls for budget cuts in the coming fiscal year. An anticipated drop in individual income tax collections and sales tax collections in line with an economic downturn are the reason for a $107 million cut in Arkansas’ budget forecast for the 2009 fiscal year.

Ex-insurance executive Frank Whitbeck will avoid a trial scheduled for May 27 in a plea bargain agreement with federal prosecutors. In exchange for pleading guilty to one count of mail fraud, Whitbeck won’t have to answer three counts of making false statements to the Arkansas Insurance Department.

Several potential write-in candidates have surfaced to possibly challenge a former state House member seeking to return after resigning his seat Party officials have sought an opponent for former Rep. Dwayne Dobbins of North Little Rock.

After rejecting two previous versions, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel on Wednesday approved the name and ballot title of a proposed ballot initiative that would make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to receive public benefits in Arkansas.

An employee of the Pine Bluff School District allegedly stole more than $884,000 from local and federal funds since 2001. Lynda King is facing 76 counts of second-degree forgery and 576 counts of theft of property.

The state Court of Appeals on ordered a new hearing in a class-action lawsuit challenging the city of Hot Springs’ decision to charge higher sewer rates to residents living outside the city limits.

Prosecutors have denied probation for a second time for two Arkansas police officers involved in a fatal shooting in Memphis.  The West Memphis officers are accused of reckless homicide in the death of a woman who was killed in 2004 when police fired into a car they had chased into Memphis.

Filed under: Arkansas