Number of uninsured kids on the decline The number of uninsured children in Arkansas has declined over the past year, now totaling only six percent. Thanks to ARKids First and Medicaid, the percentage of children without health insurance has...
Arkansas holds steady in national preschool report rankings According to a new national report, funding for pre-K in Arkansas has remained constant, despite a trend of decreasing funding in other states. The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)...
AACF statement on passage of Private Option Yesterday, Arkansas senators joined their counterparts in the House of Representatives and decided to make health coverage affordable for more Arkansas citizens. The “Private Option” will allow the state to use Medicaid...
School discipline bill heads to the governor’s office SB 1147, an “Act to evaluate the impact of school discipline on student achievement,” has cleared both chambers and is on its way to the governor’s office to be signed into...
Small minority blocks popular “Private Option” bill Earlier today, a small minority of Arkansas lawmakers defied the will of the majority of Arkansans – and House of Representatives members – and thus missed an incredible opportunity to make affordable...
“Private Option” good for veterans Arkansas veterans would benefit greatly from the new affordable coverage options available in the state. Statewide, 20,300 Arkansas veterans are uninsured. The state is considering whether or not to strengthen health care coverage for...
Strengthening voluntary home visiting programs – a legislative victory Today, Gov. Beebe participated in a signing ceremony for Act 528, “An Act to Improve the Health and Stability of Arkansas Families and to Strengthen Voluntary Home Visitation Programs.” Voluntary...
Drug-testing unemployment beneficiaries is bad policy Senator Jeremy Hutchinson’s senate bill to require drug-tests for individuals as a condition of receiving unemployment benefits passed out of the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor this morning. You can...
Rough week for tax fairness at the Capitol Advocates holding out some glimmer of hope for legislation that would promote tax fairness did not have a good day at the Capitol on Tuesday. Two tax cut bills – one...
Access to health coverage for low-income workers good for business Over the weekend, draft language for a bill to strengthen Medicaid through Arkansas’s health insurance exchange showed up on social media. While this language will almost certainly be amended...