StateGov for Arkansas lobbyists
For Arkansas lobbyists, StateGov is building The Whip, a shared whip count board that knows the majority in each chamber. It is in build. Today you can use our free whip count template and guides, and talk to us about shaping The Whip.
Last checked against the sources below.
Lobbying in Arkansas comes down to a few jobs done over and over: know where every member stands, be in the room when your bill is heard, and know what is on the calendar before your client asks. StateGov is a lab that builds one app for each job. This page shows what helps a lobbying team today and what is coming.
The Whip is in build, not yet available to use. Everything else on this page is free to read now.
Count your votes as a team
Most teams still count votes in a spreadsheet that gets copied and emailed until nobody knows which version is current. The Whip is our answer: one shared board for each bill, where every seat is a member.
- Every member on one board. Mark each member yes, leaning or still to call, and the whole team sees the same count.
- Calls split across the team. Each member has one owner, so everyone sees what is left and who has it.
- Arkansas math built in. The board knows a majority is 51 in the House and 18 in the Senate, according to the Arkansas Senate, and shows how far you have to go.
- Private to your team. A count is only visible to the team that made it. The member list comes from the Legislature's public roster, and the positions are yours.
Until The Whip ships, our whip count guide has the five positions, the Arkansas vote math, including 27 Senate votes for most appropriations, and a template you can copy into a spreadsheet today.
Follow the hearings
Committee hearings are where bills are amended, and where testimony happens. The Legislature posts its meetings and events calendar, and our guide to finding and watching hearing video explains where the recordings live.
Our app for members and staff, The Gavel, opens recorded hearings split into chapters by agenda item, so you can skip to the bill you care about. It is built for legislators' offices. If your team wants to follow hearings this way, ask us.
Know the rules of the building
A few terms carry real weight in a lobbying day. Our legislative glossary defines them in plain English, with a source for each:
- Do pass as amended, and what it means for your count
- Engrossed, when an amendment becomes part of the bill
- Appropriation, and why it needs three-fourths
- Arkansas Legislative Council, which keeps meeting between sessions
We are also writing guides to lobbyist registration in Arkansas and the 2027 regular session.
Free tools worth using
For simple bill alerts, the Legislature's own Personalized Bill Tracking is free and sends a daily email of changes. Our comparison of Arkansas tracking tools covers it alongside national platforms, including where each is stronger than StateGov.
Questions
Can my team use The Whip today?
Not yet. The Whip is in build. Book a demo to see where it is and to help shape it.
Who can see our whip count?
Only the people on your team. A count in The Whip is private to the team that made it.
Does StateGov take positions on bills?
No. StateGov reports what is on the public record. Positions in The Whip are entered by your team and stay with your team.
Is StateGov only for Arkansas?
Yes. StateGov is built for the Arkansas Legislature only. If you work in several states, our comparison page covers national tools.
Sources
- Arkansas Senate: How a bill becomes a lawsenate.arkansas.govmajorities of 18 and 51, 27 for appropriations
- Arkansas State Legislature: Meetings and eventsarkleg.state.ar.us
- Arkansas State Legislature: Personalized Bill Trackingarkleg.state.ar.us