Dear Friends,
The ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis has had a tremendous impact on many people's livelihoods and made it difficult to access money to cover the cost of food, utilities, and other necessities. During this time, our community banks are doing what they can to alleviate this burden.
Banking is an essential service, and as we take steps to slow the spread of the virus, our banks are remaining open in Arkansas. This means that banks will still be able to provide access to credit, loans, and cash for their clients.
Our community banks are taking steps in line with the Center for Disease and Control's (CDC) guidelines such as closing their lobbies to help people practice safe social distancing, but fortunately, many have convenient drive-through and ATM services to fill in those gaps and help you.
If you are in need of help with a loan for yourself or for your business, call your local banker. They are prepared and equipped to help Arkansas families and businesses through this public health emergency. According to the Arkansas State Banking Association, these efforts may include, but are not limited to:
· Waiving certain fees, such as:
o Automated teller machine (ATM) fees for customers and non-customers
o Overdraft fees,
o Late payment fees on credit cards and other loans, and
o Early withdrawal penalties on time deposits;
· Increasing ATM daily cash withdrawal limits;
· Easing restrictions on cashing out-of-state and non-customer checks;
· Increasing credit card limits for creditworthy borrowers; and
· Offering payment accommodations, such as allowing borrowers to defer or skip some payments or extending the payment due date, which would avoid delinquencies and negative credit bureau reporting caused by COVID-19-related disruptions.
You can also visit the Arkansas State Banking Department website for more information on banks' plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. To access their website, click HERE.
Our community is prepared to come together to help each other make it through to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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| Answering Your Questions Regarding COVID-19 |
Many of you have reached out to my office and me for more information about COVID-19. This is why I will be hosting a telephone town hall tomorrow March 24th at 6:15 pm CT. Dr. Greg Bledsoe, Arkansas’s Surgeon General, will be joining me to help answer your questions.
Arkansas Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe |
If you do not receive a call from me tomorrow, March 24th at around 6:15 PM, you may participate by calling toll-free 855-859-7298, or joining me on Facebook LIVE to ask questions and watch the telephone town hall HERE.
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| Arkansas Agriculture Feeding the Nation |
Farming an Essential Function During COVID-19
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The Department of Homeland Security designated food and agriculture as one of sixteen critical sectors in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak and said that it is essential that food and agriculture workers remain at work.
Here in Arkansas, we have some of the finest farmers, ranchers, and food workers in the entire country and during this public health crisis, they have remained hard at work so our entire country has enough food.
The Arkansas Farm Bureau has been highlighting some of our small producers by sharing their stories and posting videos on social media. Click HERE or on the image below to watch Caleb Plyler and his son, Huck, of Hempstead County, provide an update on the work that continues with their cattle operation.
For a bright spot in your day, and an excellent example of how Arkansans are stepping up to the plate to help as we face this virus, visit their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.
| Arkansas Attorney General on COVID-19 Scams |
| Protect Yourself from Scam Artists and Price Gouging |
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and our state government have been working to prevent price gouging and to crack down on scam artists who are taking advantage of the COVID-19 crisis.
When Governor Hutchinson declared a state of emergency on March 11th, Arkansas's price gouging laws automatically went into effect.
This state law prevents individuals or businesses from increasing product prices by more than ten percent of what the product would have cost prior to the state of emergency declaration. Violators can face criminal charges and fines as well as civil penalties of up to $10,000 per incident. Arkansans can report price gougers to the Attorney General’s Office at ArkansasAG.gov or call (800) 482-8982. Click HERE or on the image below to watch Arkansas AG Leslie Rutledge discuss the penalties for price gouging.
Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips to avoid price gouging:
· Know the average price for goods like hand sanitizer, soap, and non-perishable food items before purchasing. If it seems too high, ask questions.
· Avoid high-pressure sales tactics to purchase items that claim to keep you healthy.
· When possible, deal with established, reputable businesses in the community.
· Stay updated on the latest risks, warnings, and prevention tactics at CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
To report fraud related to the COVID-19 public health crisis, you can also call the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline (1-866-720-5721) or email the NCDF e-mail address disaster@leo.gov.
You should also be vigilant for possible scams related to COVID-19 such as cures or people posing as fake government agencies to steal your money or personal information. For example, the CDC is NOT going door to door and offering COVID-19 testing in exchange for money and personal information. If someone comes to your door, contact the AG's office at 800-482-8932 or report the incident here: https://arkansasag.gov/forms/file-a-consumer-complaint/
| HELP IS AVAILABLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES |
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Low-Interest Disaster Assistance Loans |
BIG NEWS. On March 20th, the Small Business Administration approved Governor Hutchinson’s disaster declaration request for economic injury as a result of the novel coronavirus.
This means that small businesses in central Arkansas and throughout the state can start applying for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) immediately. These loans are designed to help businesses who are losing revenue due to federal, state, and local measures about COVID-19.
Click HERE to apply for these loans now that declaration has been made official. If you are not a small business owner but would like to help, please share this information with your friends, family, and the local businesses that you frequent.
Sincerely,
Representative French Hill
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