Federal judge asked to toss panhandling law challenge

LITTLE ROCK — A federal judge is being asked to dismiss a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ anti-loitering law.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that attorneys for the state on Friday asked U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a disabled veteran and a homeless man.

The state argues the men have no standing to sue because they haven’t been prosecuted under the law, that the law is not vague and that the federal court should defer to state courts.

Both men were cited under a

2015 anti-loitering law that was ruled unconstitutional last year.

State attorneys say the current law is “more tailored and restricted” than the previous anti-loitering law. The ACLU says the law violates First Amendment free speech rights just as the previous law did.

Miller County claims $408K in unclaimed funds

TEXARKANA — A southwest Arkansas county has more than $408,000 in additional funds after having unclaimed funds declared abandoned.

The money comes from companies paying royalties to the owners of mineral rights when the owners couldn’t be found. The funds were placed in a civil trust account by the circuit clerk’s office.

Clerk Mary Pankey told the Texarkana Gazette some of the money had been in the account for about 30 years.

Pankey contacted Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Black, who learned state law allows for the money to be declared abandoned if unclaimed for three years or more. The law allows also sets out a process for the rightful owners or their heirs to still claim the funds.

Forty-one funds have been abandoned and $408,256.09 deposited into the county general fund for use by the county Quorum Court.