Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Attorney general’s use of settlement funds

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State law outlines what is supposed to happen to money the state receives from court decisions and settlement­s. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office often decides where the money will be spent. Since January 2015, Rutledge has given money to the following state agencies and institutio­ns:

■ $14.4 million to the state treasury for public safety and law enforcemen­t programs.

■ $2.6 million to the state Central Services Fund.

■ $2.5 million to the University of Arkansas Division of Agricultur­e Research & Extension.

■ $2.5 million to the Crime Victims Reparation Fund to help victims of sexual assault.

■ $2 million to the state Department of Career Education for education and training grants.

■ $1.1 million to the state Central Services Fund to pay for office rent.

■ $1 million to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen Law School for its Business Innovation Legal Clinic.

■ $1 million to the Arkansas State Police to help upgrade the Arkansas Wireless Informatio­n Network.

■ $850,000 to the Department of Education for panic buttons in public schools.

■ $600,000 to the University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute for the Safe Schools initiative and Missing Persons program.

■ $500,000 to the Arkansas Department of Rural Services for local volunteer fire department­s.

■ $500,000 to the Arkansas Department of Health for the prescripti­on drug monitoring program.

■ $200,000 to the Arkansas State Medical Board to pay attorneys’ fees in a lawsuit that led a federal judge to overturn the state law that would ban most abortions after the 12 weeks of gestation.

■ $170,000 to Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs to help open regional offices.

■ $100,000 to the University of Arkansas Terrorism Research Center for a Web portal to help investigat­ors access a database containing names and cybercrime informatio­n.

■ $55,000 to Arkansas Community Correction for tactical equipment.

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