AACF would like to thank Governor Asa Hutchinson for including $3 million in his FY 2018 budget this legislative session for our state’s Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) pre-K program—the first permanent funding increase since 2008. However, despite a major...
We want to thank Governor Hutchinson, members of the General Assembly, and our partners for their hard work this legislative session on issues of critical importance to Arkansas’s children and families. In the session that wrapped up Monday, we...
As this legislative session draws to a close, the State Capitol is a busy place! We have quite a few victories to celebrate, some of which are detailed below: EDUCATION: It was a busy week at the Capitol for education! AACF and...
The following is a statement from Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: This week the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill that would repeal...
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) is grateful yet again that Governor Hutchinson has stepped in to mitigate the effects of what he and many other policymakers know is a bad bill, House Bill 1222, which essentially would...
On March 8, 2017, at 5 p.m., Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and KABF 88.3 aired the 10th episode of “Speak Up Arkansas,” a talk radio show dedicated to covering issues like health care, education, juvenile justice, the...
What a year 2016 was for AACF! We had not one, but three legislative sessions during the first half of 2016, including the regular fiscal session and two special sessions on health care reform and funding for highways and...
The following is a statement from Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families: Thank you, Arkansas policymakers. The best way to provide tax relief has dominated the first two weeks of the Arkansas legislative session....
Arkansas is among the states with the highest income inequality in the country, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Arkansas ranks 18th in the country, with its richest residents— the top 5...