Arkansas House adjourns sine die; joint proclamation sets reconvening for May 5 to consider vetoes and errors

The Arkansas House of Representatives adjourned sine die on Friday after a joint proclamation signed by Speaker Brian Evans and Senate President Pro Tem Bart Hester set a reconvening for 10 a.m. Monday, May 5, 2025, to consider vetoes, correct errors and oversights, complete work on proposed constitutional amendments and consider whether to extend the regular session.

The move matters because the reconvening — authorized under House Concurrent Resolution 1006 — gives lawmakers a limited window to act on vetoes from the governor, fix clerical or procedural errors and finish outstanding constitutional business after the regular session. The reading clerk also announced that Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders had transmitted letters notifying the House of her approval of numerous measures between April 16 and April 25, 2025.

Speaker Brian Evans praised the work of the 90th General Assembly in remarks before the adjournment. "Members, your constituents should be proud of the work that you have done on their behalf this session," Evans said, listing priorities members had addressed in the session, including maternal health, free school breakfast for public school students, higher-education reform, legislation described as protecting children from dangers on social media, and creation of a new committee focused on veterans and military affairs. Those comments were remarks by the speaker and do not by themselves create policy beyond measures the chamber already passed or the governor has acted on.

Formal actions recorded during the session included the clerk’s announcement that 91 members were present for a quorum and the reading of multiple letters from the governor notifying the House of approved measures. The joint proclamation — issued under authority of House Concurrent Resolution 1006 and signed by Brian Evans and Bart Hester — directed the reconvening at 10 a.m. Monday, May 5, 2025. At the end of the session the House was declared "adjourned, sine die."

No roll-call votes on new legislation were taken during the moments covered in the transcript excerpt; leave requests for individual members were granted throughout the session and were recorded by the clerk. The reading clerk’s announcements listed many bill numbers and acts the governor certified April 16–25, 2025; the transcript lists those bill numbers but does not provide enacted text or summaries within the excerpt.

Lawmakers and staff will reconvene May 5 to handle the limited tasks laid out in the joint proclamation. The House did not, during the recorded remarks, set a further schedule beyond that date or take new substantive votes in the excerpted material.