Blog

(December 2024) More than 120,000 Arkansas students attend charter, home or private schools, or are enrolled in a public school choice program in the current school year, state Department of Education and other records show. The niche school choice market has grown from 66,627 students (2013) to 121,421 in the 2024-25 school year.

(October 2024) A public forum on the state income tax will be held Tuesday, November 19 at 5 p.m. at the Red & Blue Event Center (1415 W. 7th Street) in Little Rock.  The venue is conveniently located close to the state Capitol and policymakers are expected to participate in the discussion, “Arkansas Tax Policy: […]

(September 2024) Arkansas policymakers delivered the second biggest income tax cut in the U.S. in the last decade, a 43.5% reduction that narrowly trailed national leader Arizona (44.9%) since January 1, 2015.

September 2024) The chart shows top rates in 41 states with an income tax from lowest to highest.  Sources: Federation of State Tax Administrators (2015) and Tax Foundation (2024).

(September 2024) Arkansas’ job creation rate is greater than the U.S. average since policymakers launched a new fiscal policy to reduce tax rates, reversing a trend that saw the state trail the nation in two earlier 21st century expansions, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.

(July 19, 2024) Today’s monthly jobs report provides further evidence of strong growth within Arkansas’ construction sector, a development noted in media reports citing Policy Foundation research.

(July 2024) The incredible growth of Arkansas’ Construction sector illustrates the importance of infrastructure to economic development.(1)  

(June 25, 2024) Today’s monthly jobs report provides further evidence of strong growth within Arkansas’ Construction sector, a development noted last week in a Policy Foundation research memo.

(June 17, 2024) One Arkansas sector stands out among private industry groups. Construction jobs grew from 51,400 (April 2020) to 68,200 (April 2024), a 32.75% growth rate that topped the U.S. average (25.7%) in the period.

(June 2024) The tax cuts enacted by policymakers this month are the latest action in a decade-long ‘ideas battle’ that began more than a quarter-century ago with the Murphy Commission, a Policy Foundation project.