Arkansas approves $53.3 million in federal funds for 8 broadband projects

The Arkansas Legislature's Joint Budget Committee approved the state Department of Commerce's request to use $53.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for eight broadband grant projects and $2 million for broadband administrative expenses. The proposed broadband grant projects are in Ashley, Baxter, Chicot, Clark, Columbia, Hot Spring, Logan and Lonoke (AR) counties. On January 25, a legislative subcommittee delayed action on this request, after Gov Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) issued an executive order repealing former Gov Asa Hutchinson's executive orders that created the Arkansas American Rescue Plan Steering Committee and the Governor's Infrastructure Planning Advisory Committee. The state Department of Commerce requested spending authority of $53.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to fund eight broadband projects and $2 million in broadband administrative expenses for a total request of $55.3 million, state broadband office Director Glen Howie said in a letter to the budget committee's performance evaluation and expenditure review subcommittee.