What do end-of-year revenue numbers really tell us?
We ended up with more revenue than we spent this fiscal year, but don’t let the surplus fool you. No one should be proud of the surplus at the end of this fiscal year, because it was on the...
Children living in poverty is decreasing, but we’re still in the bottom 10 states
A new report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation gives Arkansas some reason to be hopeful: 2014 data shows more young workers are on track to a stable career, many parents are paying a smaller share of their income...
Arkansas climbs eight spots in national child economic well-being rankings
For the first time in six years, the number of Arkansas children living in poverty decreased, according to the 2016 Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT® Data Book. Last year the state ranked 48th, with 202,000 children living in poverty;...
Unequal wage growth hurts average families
There will always be some people who make more than their neighbors, but when wage growth is concentrated at the top, many lower income families will never get the boost they need to put a down payment on a...
AACF Statement on 5-Year Highway Funding Plan
Statement from Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) believes Governor Asa Hutchinson’s five-year highway funding plan, HB1009/SB11, doesn’t address our long-term highway funding needs and ultimately siphons...
5-Year Highway Plan Won’t Get Us Far
Governor Asa Hutchinson’s five-year highway funding plan, which appears on the verge of passing,* is a short-sighted gamble that eats away at funds for our child welfare system, our schools, and other critical services. Because of a refusal to increase...
The Arkansas Legislature’s Continued Attack on the Poor
By Rich Huddleston, AACF Executive Director The Arkansas legislature continued its attack on the poor today. A subcommittee of the Joint Budget Committee passed out special language placing unnecessary restrictions on the use of the financial assistance received by...
Game On: How Would You Balance the Budget to Put the Needs of Arkansas Kids First?
Would you like Arkansas to become a national leader in children’s education and health? What if we reversed the recent $1 million cuts to libraries? Would you like for Arkansas to improve its highways and roads without under-funding other critical...
Health Care for Thousands Left Hanging in the Balance
Yesterday’s failed Senate vote on the Medicaid appropriation was critical to keeping hundreds of thousands of Arkansans insured. Earlier this week, we wrote about the devastating impact to the state budget, if the Medicaid appropriation bill does not pass with Arkansas...
The Future of Arkansas’s Education System Depends on Funding “Arkansas Works”
The state general revenue budget is often fluid. To arrive at a forecast, you look at long-term trends, national trends, local economic conditions … those calculations will tell you within some degree of certainty how much the state budget...
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