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(March 2021) Arkansas’ job creation rate in the Leisure and Hospitality employment supersector declined after two minimum wage increases last decade, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) records show. Early in the 21st century, Arkansas’ job creation rate in the sector (16.1%) bested the national average (13.1%) in an economic expansion (November 2001-December 2007). Growth […]

“CPI-Expenditures Link. A short-term budgetary link should be established between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and total operational expenditures by agencies.” Arkansas Policy Foundation, Efficiency Project report (October 2016) Summary: Policymakers have advanced two ideas that would restrict state spending to growth in personal income or the Consumer Price Index (CPI).  (February 2021) What is […]

(December 2020) A report by the Hutchinson administration to a legislative panel estimates $57.6 million in savingsfrom last year’s reorganization of state government. The report, which surveys efficiency efforts since July 2019 also cites a Policy Foundation finding that the state has recovered more than $40 million from “collection recovery efforts.” The state Department of […]

“Comprehensive tax reform reflects the idea that the state should raise only revenue needed to support core oressential state functions. Other dollars that would have been utilized to support a more expanded role for governmentare left in the private sector to spur investment, savings, and consumption, thus stimulating economic growth, jobs, and prosperity.” Policy Foundation, […]

(December 2020) Nearly 100,000 students attend charter, home or private schools, or are eligible to participate in a public school choice program, state Department of Education and non-profit records show.1 The following 25 counties have the largest number of charter, home and private school students.2 Most Arkansas public companies are based in one of the […]

The “Policy Foundation was established in 1995 as an independent research organization … The Foundation has established the Efficiency Project … (which) allows a nonpartisan, independent group of citizens to volunteer their time and efforts to directly impact the improvement of state government … to make it more cost-effective and citizen accountable.” Gov. Asa Hutchinson, […]

“CPI-Expenditures Link. A short-term budgetary link should be established between the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and total operational expenditures by agencies.” Arkansas Policy Foundation, Efficiency Project report (October 2016) “As Governor, I would like to recognize the Arkansas Policy Foundation for its contribution to transforming government in the State of Arkansas. This independent research organization […]

“The most callused aspect of the (Arkansas) education monopoly is that it willingly and deliberately forces children–except those whose parents have wealth–to attend bad schools. And it does so with financial resources taken from parents already struggling financially and at the expense of their ability to choose a better school for their sons and daughters.” […]

(October 2020) Four counties led Arkansas income ranks in the last decade, recording levels greater than the state average, according to federal data. The counties are Benton, Pulaski, Union and Arkansas. They were the only counties to report per capita personalincome levels greater than the Arkansas average in 2009 and 2018, U.S. Bureau of Economic […]

(September 2020) Arkansas’ job creation rate topped 21 states in the national expansion that started in June 2009 and ended earlier this year in February,1 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)2 records show. Arkansas’ 10.4% growthrate in the period3 topped four states each in the Southeast, New England, Great Lakes and Midwest, and Plains; three in […]