fbpx

Cutting the Top Tax Rate is Bad Policy

State policymakers continue to discuss cuts to the top personal income tax rate that may take place during a special session sometime in October. Next week, we plan to release an analysis of these competing proposals that will show...

Kids At The Capitol: 2021 Legislative Summary

More than a thousand bills were passed during the 2021 General Assembly. Do you know how they will impact kids? From positive changes for immigrant families in Arkansas to increasing teachers’ salaries, and to defending the state’s Medicaid expansion program,...

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 drive on, the water we drink, the health inspectors...

State agencies asked to do more with less

Tax cuts from the two most recent legislative sessions are making for modest forecasts and eating away at state agency budgets. The joint budget committee met today to go over the new revenue forecast as well as the accompanying...

“Surplus” is a backhanded compliment

If you are hoping that recent tax cuts will generate new revenue to pay for more parks, quality public schools, and services for veterans and the elderly, don’t hold your breath. The November report from the Department of Finance...

No such thing as free money

Revenue neutral options that sound too good to be true always are. A “revenue neutral” plan is one in which money is shifted around, but the total amount that the state spends stays the same. In other words: “no new...