“The first problem is state spending that exceeds U.S. and regional averages on a per capita basis.” Arkansas Policy Foundation, February 2019 memo
(January 2020) Total Operating Expenditures for the State of Arkansas increased $1.49 billion between FY 2015 and FY 2017, public records show.1
Total Operating Expenditures
| (2015) | $23,596,144,446 |
| (2017) | $25,090,401,084 |
| $1,494,256,638 |
Federal revenues increased $1.2 billion in the same period, records show.
Federal Revenues to State of Arkansas
(2015) $6,698,348,304
(2017) $7,889,945,406
$1,191,597,102
A spending freeze on the state segment of Operating Expenditures would have saved more than $300 million in the period.
Effect of State Spending Freeze
| (2015) | $16,897,796,142 |
| (2017) | $17,200,455,678 |
| Savings | $302,659,536 |
