Campaign Updates
Major developments in the campaign for transparent, financially sound Arkansas pension decisions.
2026
June 27 — Pension investment integrity becomes a 2027 priority
Citizens First Congress selected pension investment integrity as one of its short-term legislative priorities for the 2027 Arkansas legislative session. The Pension Investment Integrity Act would require a written, issuer-neutral financial analysis for covered pension purchases of non-tradable sovereign debt.
February 17 — Treasury payment report shows another $10 million in process
An outgoing-payment report shows a $10 million Treasury instruction marked as still processing by the bank. The instruction appears as a separate processing-stage amount alongside $65 million in completed purchases.
Open the Treasury payment record →
February 13 — APERS describes the Board material prepared for the decision
The APERS chief investment officer’s February 2026 email makes the transparency problem concrete and sharpens the case for a consistent written decision memo.
2025
December 29 — ATRS reports $50 million funded to the Reams account
An ATRS Board update reports that $50 million was moved into the manager account created for the Israel Bonds strategy. ATRS’s public account now needs the security-level purchases and current holdings that follow that transfer.
Open the ATRS funding notice →
October 15 — APERS completes a $15 million purchase
The transaction record identifies a $15 million two-year institutional bond purchase. The amount is $10 million below the minimum named in the Investment Finance Subcommittee’s May motion.
Open the APERS purchase record →
June 2 — ATRS authorizes up to $50 million
ATRS adopted Resolution 2025-22 and chose a manager-based structure. Aon’s two-page packet memo compared implementation options, recommended Reams, and discussed limited marketability. Trustees carried the merits of the investment and the choice of any bond.
May 15 — APERS authorizes a $25–$50 million range
The APERS Investment Finance Subcommittee approved the range reflected in its signed minutes. The motion was presented and moved by Jason Brady while serving as the Auditor of State’s proxy.
May — Treasury settles $20 million in new positions
Two Treasury positions totaling $20 million settled in May and later appeared on the June 30 bondholder statement. The purchase followed an October 2024 internal overview that recommended holding existing positions while maturities rolled off.
April 14–15 — Israel Bonds outreach reaches Arkansas offices
An eight-stop itinerary lists pension, executive, legislative, Treasury, and cabinet offices or settings. A separate DFA introduction led to a documented presentation to ASHERS. The later agency actions diverged: Treasury and APERS completed purchases, ATRS funded a manager account, and ASHERS reported zero holdings and zero purchases.
See the interactive route map →
2024
October 8 — Treasury overview recommends holding existing positions
The two-page internal overview summarizes rating pressure and recommends holding the existing Israel Bonds positions, allowing scheduled maturities to roll off, and continuing surveillance.