State of Working Arkansas
It’s been more than a decade since the Great Recession officially ended, and unemployment rates across the nation have reached historic lows. That’s also true in Arkansas, where the unemployment […]
Who Benefits from Opportunity Zones?
“Opportunity Zones,” But For Whom? Part of the 2017 federal tax cut bill, the “Tax Cut and Jobs Act,” created a new tax break meant to encourage investment in low-income […]
More Evidence: Minimum Wage Increases Raise Pay Without Decreasing Employment
Growing evidence shows that minimum wage increases help to increase take-home pay and reduce poverty without reducing employment. That’s why Arkansans overwhelmingly voted to raise the minimum wage in 2018. […]
New CBO Report Shows Big Reductions in Family Poverty
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a report analyzing the economic impact of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 in 2025. They find that a federal $15 minimum […]
AACF Comments on Changes to the Poverty Line
In May, the federal government asked for comments on changing how it calculates the poverty line (read our previous blog post on this topic). The federal poverty line represents the […]
The Kids Are… Doing Better, Still Not Great
Note: This blog is first in a series of posts covering the findings in the Annie E. Casey Foundation 2019 KIDS COUNT® Data Book. Read our press release about the Data Book here. […]
Arkansas Rises in Overall State Child Well-Being Ranking
The number of Arkansas children living in poverty has continued to improve, according to data released today in the annual Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT® Data Book. The number […]
Legitimate Concerns Over Poverty Measure, But Proposed Changes Miss the Mark
There are efforts taking place in Washington that would change the way the federal poverty level is calculated, and the result would be to reduce or take away necessary assistance […]
Cheers to our Legislative Champions!
After each legislative session, Arkansas Advocates looks back and identifies legislators who stood out as champions for kids. And while there were many legislators who fought to improve the lives […]
Hurray for Tax (Credits) Day!
Today, April 15th, is tax day. As a society, we rely on taxes to maintain infrastructure and services we largely take for granted: public education, the roads and bridges we […]