The majority of state revenue sources came in higher than expected last month, according to the Department of Finance and Administration’s March revenue summary. The overall year-to-date collections for 2014 are leveling out at just a few percentage...
Increasing the minimum wage will decrease enrollment and costs associated with programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps) for Arkansas taxpayers. Two proposed minimum wage increases, a state increase to $8.50...
NSLA Funding in the 89th General Assembly NSLA funding, also known as school poverty funding, is the part of the state-funding package for schools that is targeted to low-income students. It is named NSLA after the National School Lunch...
Tax cuts for high earners don’t spur the economy As the 89th General Assembly of Arkansas speeds forward on efforts to cut taxes for high-income earners and corporate investors, a timely report dispels the notion that tax cuts lead...
According to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), House Bill 1585 would target personal income tax relief to Arkansas taxpayers who make over $155,000 per year (the top five percent of earners). This group would...
Keeping low-income families in mind as debate moves forward Last week’s big Medicaid news in Arkansas has been making waves across the country. In short, Arkansas received word from Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius that the state has...
Spending Caps Mean Bad News of Kids and Families Spending caps are budget gimmicks that cause more problems than they solve. They have failed to work in the past, and there is no reason to believe they will work...
Today, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) released a report called “Who Pays? A Distributional Analysis of the Tax Systems in All 50 States.” According to this report, Low-income taxpayers in Arkansas pay two times the amount...
Budget Cuts Mean More than Politics to Abused Children LITTLE ROCK – Today, the Arkansas Department of Human Services announced cuts to state programs that help abused children. Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families says the cuts, resulting from...