Congress could make pivotal tax policy decisions this year that will affect our fiscal outlook, government policies, and shape our economy for decades. Virtually all of the tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003 expire at the end of this year. Members of Congress and the President have already signaled that some of the tax […]
Health reform continues to progress through the House and Senate. On Saturday, November 7, the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009 bill by 220 votes. On the Senate side, lawmakers approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, early on December 24, 2009 by 60 votes. AACF thanks […]
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) offers an unprecedented opportunity to invest in programs and systems that will lay the foundation for a healthier, better-prepared, and economically stable workforce. Arkansas stands to receive as much as $720 million in new dollars based on the a minimum 6.33 percent increase in the Medicaid matching rate, […]
Last year, Gov. Mike Beebe and Arkansas lawmakers extended ARKids First health coverage to more uninsured Arkansas kids. Now, even as more and more families are facing their own budget crises, the governor is considering rolling back this coverage to save state dollars. It’s no secret that rising health care costs can erode family budgets, […]
National health care reform remains at the center of attention at AACF. With legislative action moving quickly, it is important our network remain alert and focused on ensuring that our congressional delegation supports comprehensive health reform that is good for our state and our children. This issue of Moving Families Forward provides an update on […]
Low- and middle-income families in Arkansas pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than do the richest families in Arkansas, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. “Arkansas lawmakers may be forced to make difficult tax and spending decisions in the upcoming year,” […]
Health reform continues to progress through the House and Senate. On Saturday, November 7, the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009 bill by 220 votes. AACF thanks Arkansas Representatives Marion Berry and Vic Snyder for voting for the bill. Our latest analysis offers a look at the House […]
In the last two decades, during a time when Northwest Arkansas has grown more prosperous and gained a national reputation for its booming economy and quality of life, poverty has taken a stronger foothold. In Northwest Arkansas, the number of people in poverty is growing faster than the population, and the number of children in […]
Health reform legislation and its impact on Arkansas’s low- and moderate-income children and their families remains at the top of AACF’s advocacy agenda. This issue of Moving Families Forward outlines AACF’s top concerns with Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus’ revised proposal released this week.
Arkansas working families are losing as much as $110 million every year because they don’t claim the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a significant loss in federal dollars to the hard-pressed Arkansas economy. They spend another $100 million on expensive, and unnecessary, tax preparation services and refund anticipation loans, according to a new report […]