With the Private Option and the Governor’s tax cut package out of the way, the legislature is moving on to other business. It was a busy week at the Capitol. EDUCATION: This week Gov. Hutchinson announced the formation of...
HEALTH: The Private Option reauthorization overcame its final hurdle yesterday. After passing the Senate last week, lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved continuing the Private Option by a wide margin. AACF applauds the legislature for backing Governor Hutchinson’s...
HEALTH: This week, Gov. Hutchinson’s plan to continue the Private Option through 2016 passed in the Senate. This bill will also create a legislative task force to make recommendations about the future of the Private Option and comprehensive changes...
It was a short week at the State Capitol but that doesn’t mean it was uneventful. Here’s what you need to know: HEALTH: Gov. Asa Hutchinson asked lawmakers on Thursday to go along with a plan that would continue...
The 90th session of the Arkansas General Assembly is upon us. The legislature convened this week to swear in new members, hold the first round of committee hearings, and file a few pieces of legislation. Lawmakers are on recess...
Each year, there are more than 3,000 law enforcement incidents in Arkansas schools. The majority of children involved in these incidents are arrested for nonviolent offenses. This is a nationwide trend, and Arkansas is no different. Across the country,...
Every year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation releases the Kids Count Data Book, a comprehensive, 50-state look at child welfare. Arkansas made gains in health coverage and education over the last year, but the child poverty rate went up...
They’ve done it again. The legislature provided funding for prisons in this special session. About $6.3 million was funded this time to open 600 prison beds. That’s about $10,500 a bed-far more than we pay per student for K-12...
Youth detention must be utilized carefully to make sure low-level, non-violent youthful offenders do not move deeper into the criminal justice system. A new report by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families says juvenile detention – the short-term involuntary...
A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows Arkansas has a lot of ground to cover to ensure that all kids – especially children of color – are positioned to thrive. Race for Results: Building a Path...