State Representative DeAnn Vaught

4th District State Representative

DeAnn Vaught
266 Dairy Road
Horatio, AR 71842
(870) 832-2638
deann.vaught@arkansashouse.org
http://www.arkansashouse.org/district/4

April 6, 2026

As we prepare for the upcoming Fiscal Session, activity is already underway at the Capitol. This week, more than 70 budget bills were filed in the House, marking an important first step in the state’s formal budgeting process. Each bill is filed through the Clerk’s Office, where it is assigned a number and scanned so Arkansans can easily access it online.

Lawmakers will return to the Capitol on April 8 at noon to officially begin the Fiscal Session of the Arkansas General Assembly. After the House convenes, members will briefly recess before joining the Senate in the House Chamber for the Governor’s address, which traditionally outlines priorities for the year ahead.

Fiscal Sessions are unique in that they are focused entirely on the state’s budget. Under Amendment 86 of the Arkansas Constitution, lawmakers are limited to budget matters unless a separate resolution is adopted by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. This ensures our attention remains on responsible planning and funding of the state government.

Arkansas continues to be in a strong financial position. The most recent general revenue report shows net available general revenues totaling just over $5 billion, up 4.6 percent from this time last year and exceeding forecast expectations. The Department of Finance and Administration currently anticipates a surplus of $334 million.

The Governor’s proposed budget reflects modest growth, increasing overall state spending by about 3 percent while making targeted investments. These include additional funding for education, state employee pay, public safety efforts, workforce initiatives, and higher education. In recent discussions with lawmakers, she emphasized the state’s strong financial position and the goal of continuing to reduce the income tax.

House leadership expects the session to last around three weeks, as members work to finalize a balanced budget that supports Arkansas families and keeps our state moving forward. You can watch the Governor’s address and all House meetings at arkansashouse.org.

March 18, 2026

Members of the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Hospital, Medicaid, and Developmental Disabilities Study Subcommittee recently reviewed a report examining how Arkansas can better connect workforce development programs with social services that support families on their path to employment.

The findings highlight a clear opportunity. Arkansas employers continue searching for workers while many Arkansans are looking for stable employment or the training needed to move into better jobs. Low labor force participation has had significant impacts on both workers and employers across the state.

An estimated 202,000 working-age Arkansans are not engaged in the workforce at all. The state’s 58.5% labor force participation rate ranks in the bottom ten nationally, even as employers report approximately 68,000 unfilled positions. These numbers suggest the challenge is not a lack of jobs, but difficulty connecting people with the education, training, and support services needed to enter the workforce.

The report also points to a concerning trend among young people. Arkansas has one of the nation’s highest disconnected youth rates, referring to residents ages 16–24 who are neither in school nor working. At 15.2%, Arkansas ranks 47th among states and the District of Columbia. With 22.7% of Arkansans under age 18, the state cannot afford to lose young workers and students to long-term disconnection.

The report suggests that better coordination between workforce programs and assistance programs, such as job training, childcare support, and health coverage through Arkansas Medicaid, could help more Arkansans successfully move from education and assistance programs into long-term employment. One idea discussed is a more integrated “one door to work” approach that allows individuals to access workforce training, health services, and family support programs through a more coordinated system.

The subcommittee is reviewing the recommendations to determine what legislation could be introduced next session to help strengthen and expand Arkansas’s workforce. You can read the full report at arkansashouse.org.

February 24, 2026

The Arkansas House and Senate Insurance and Commerce Committees recently met to examine a growing threat impacting families across our state: financial fraud.

The data presented to lawmakers was sobering. Seventy-three percent of adults have experienced an online scam or cyberattack. In 2024 alone, 4,238 fraud incidents were reported in Arkansas, totaling $51.8 million in losses. Even more concerning, 41% of those losses were connected to cryptocurrency.

Behind these statistics are real people. Older Arkansans remain the most targeted demographic, though fraud now affects individuals of all ages. The most common schemes include spoofed bank phone numbers that appear legitimate on caller ID, fake websites designed to mimic trusted institutions, and fraudulent job postings used to harvest personal and financial information.

Testimony from the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office highlighted a rise in social media advertising scams, government impostors, and professional service scams in which criminals pose as legitimate businesses. Over the past year, constituents reported $1.6 million in losses to the office, with the average victim age at 58 years old.

One of the fastest-growing schemes is “Pig Butchering,” where scammers build relationships over months through social media or text messages before persuading victims to invest increasing amounts, often draining savings or retirement accounts.

In 2025, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin established the Financial Fraud Task Force, led by the Consumer Protection Division, which meets quarterly to coordinate efforts.

The Arkansas Securities Department also reported that cyber-enabled fraud accounts for most financial losses. Lawmakers passed Arkansas Act 557 to add protections for Bitcoin kiosk users, including safeguards for Arkansans age 60 and older.

Industry leaders further warned that mortgage and real-estate scams increasingly involve impersonation, digital deception, and fraudulent wire instructions.

Members will carefully review this information and continue evaluating what additional legislation may be needed in the years ahead to better protect Arkansans and prevent financial fraud. For more information on scams and how to report them, visit arkansashouse.org.

February 17, 2026

The Senate Committee on Children and Youth and the House Committee on Aging, Children & Youth, and Legislative Affairs convened on Wednesday to examine issues affecting Arkansas children and families, with much of the discussion focused on how Act 189 of 2019 is reshaping the state’s juvenile justice system.

For years, Arkansas experienced high levels of youth incarceration, often without consistently aligning young people with the services they needed. Act 189 marked a significant shift. The law requires courts statewide to use a single validated risk assessment system for commitment decisions and mandates structured diversion agreements based on assessment tools. It also clarifies when a juvenile may be committed to the Division of Youth Services and strengthens coordination, data sharing, and reinvestment efforts. The reforms took full effect in July 2020.

At the heart of Act 189 is the principle that juvenile justice cannot follow a one-size-fits-all model. Courts must now rely on validated assessments to guide decisions rather than defaulting to detention. When a youth is adjudicated delinquent, court personnel complete a SAVRY violence risk assessment that examines the youth’s history and current circumstances. The results help judges determine whether placement in DYS custody or a less restrictive community-based alternative is most appropriate.

The data presented to lawmakers show measurable changes since these reforms took hold. Since 2020, delinquency cases have declined by 55 percent, reflecting fewer young people entering the formal court system. Commitments to the Division of Youth Services are down 24 percent. At the same time, use of the Ohio Youth Assessment System, a tool designed to divert appropriate cases out of court and into services, has increased by 836 percent. These trends point to a system that is relying more heavily on evidence-based decision-making and less on incarceration as a default response.

As committee members heard on Wednesday, Act 189 has not simply adjusted procedures. It has transformed the philosophy of juvenile justice in Arkansas, reinforcing the idea that the goal is to help young people become productive, successful members of society rather than to punish them without a path forward.