When Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families meets with people around the state, we hear similar stories: in El Dorado and Jonesboro, we hear about the negative impact of unfair rental laws on children’s health. In Springdale and Little...
The 2020 Census is less than a year away. And as the state government, local governments, and community organizations plan their outreach and awareness efforts, it is important to note that some Arkansans are more likely to be left...
With the decision about the next steps for Little Rock School District (LRSD) following nearly five years of state control approaching, we are nearing another crucial moment in the history of the state’s largest school district. It is rare...
Today the U.S. Census Bureau published its annual release of national-level statistics on income, poverty and health insurance coverage. As we wrote in our previous blog post, these statistics are based on the Current Population Survey, which is useful...
September 9-13 will be full of opportunities for advocates to get more engaged in education issues affecting students across our state: LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS: First, the House and Senate Education Committees will hold a meeting on a range of...
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 rate averaged 3.8 percent in 2018 based on an...
“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 areas. These “opportunity zones” allow for favorable capital gains...
State and local policymakers can take four key steps to better integrate immigrants, including immigrants who are undocumented, into the mainstream economy and foster community well-being, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities....
Did you know that the Arkansas Supreme Court requires the state to conduct an ongoing study of whether Arkansas is providing an “adequate” and “equitable” public education to all students? Over half of our state’s budget is spent on...
Arkansans kicked off Arkansas Works health insurance should reapply for coverage. In our third and final brief examining the work reporting requirements placed on Arkansas Works Medicaid enrollees, we find confusion, complications and long-lasting consequences of the now-disallowed policy. More than 18,000...