State briefs

Hickey elected next leader of Arkansas Senate

LITTLE ROCK — Republican state Sen. Jimmy Hickey was elected Thursday as the next leader of the the Arkansas Senate.

The majority-Republican Senate elected the Texarkana lawmaker to serve as its president pro tempore starting in 2021. Hickey will succeed current Senate President Jim Hendren, who has served since 2019.

Hickey ran against Republican Sen. Bart Hester for the post. Hickey was elected by secret ballot and the number of votes he won in the 35-member Senate was not announced.

Hickey represents District 11, which includes Texarkana, and has served in the state Senate since 2013. He was elected as lawmakers wrapped up a session focused on the state’s budget amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Arkansas bonus plan for health workers OK’d

LITTLE ROCK — The federal government has approved Arkansas’ plan to use Medicaid

funds to pay bonuses to health workers at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Wednesday.

Officials said more that 26,000 non-physician direct-care workers at the facilities, including registered nurses and home health aides, will be eligible for the payments.

“This is extraordinarily good news for those who have been on the front line,” Hutchinson said.

The governor said he’ll ask a state panel to approve using some of the money Arkansas is receiving in federal coronavirus relief for similar bonuses for direct-care workers at hospitals and non-direct care workers at hospitals and nursing homes.

Nevada-based firm to manage youth lockups

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas signed a contract with a new firm to take over management of the remaining state youth lockups, after legislators approved a $70 million contract.

The agreement with Nevada-based Rite of Passage will hand day-to-day operations of facilities at Dermott, Harrisburg and Mansfield on July 1 and is set to last until 2023.

Rite of Passage has been managing the Arkansas Juvenile Assessment and Treatment Center at Alexander since 2016.

The state’s youth detention facilities currently house more than 200 children who have committed juvenile felonies, misdemeanors and other infractions.

With the management change, the state plans to close its fifth youth lockup at Lewisville until further notice. The eight children at that campus will be transferred to other facilities by the time Rite of Passage takes over, said Amy Webb, a Human Services Department spokeswoman. If money is available, Rite of Passage may reopen the campus as a substance abuse treatment facility.

All facilities that Rite of Passage operates will have the capacity to house 230 children in residential beds and 20 in assessment beds.