SB292 is headed to the governor's desk

SB292 passed the House today and is headed to the governor's desk for his signature. It allows the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Comission to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states, pretty much saving the Four States Fair. Since all new car dealers in Texarkana are located on the Texas-side, existing law, which has not been enforced until recently, prohibits out-of-state dealers (without an expensive dealer's license) from exhibiting vehicles in Arkansas. Since the Four States Fair is sponsored primarily by local (Texas-side) dealers, this law would've eventually meant losing the fair back to the Texas-side, causing a significant negative economic impact to our side of town during that week.

The bill was also supported by advocates of Bikes, Blues, and BBQ in Fayetteville, which has grown into a nationally-recognized event with an annual attendance of 350,000.