By Caleb Taylor UCA students were able to hear how ordinary people are able to create meaningful change in the world at the last ACRE Speaker Series event of 2019, on November 5. Nan Doyal spoke about her book, Dig Where You Are, which introduces readers to seven people who have solved some of the […]
The ACRE Review
County Transparency Online: Faulkner Rises, Independence Tumbles
By Caleb Taylor Arkansas media outlets are taking notice of the big changes in which counties rank highest for online transparency. Faulkner County climbed from 8th most online-transparent county in 2018 to 6th in 2019, while Independence County tumbled all the way from 17th place to 71st. These rankings come from the second annual Online […]
The Law That Makes Arkansas Counties More Transparent in 2020
By Caleb Taylor What one law that went into effect in 2020 will make county governments in Arkansas more transparent? ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu discussed the benefits of Act 564 in an op-ed “A step at a time,” published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on December 27, 2018. Act 564 The law requires all […]
Legislators Examine Acupuncture, Sprinkler Fitter Licenses
By Alex Kanode Occupational licensing has increased dramatically in the past 70 years. In the 1950s, only 5% of the US workforce had to have a license before they could work, while today 25% have a license. Occupational licensing is when the government sets a list of requirements, such as education, experience and fees, that […]
More Arkansas Counties Get on ‘Nice List’ for Web Transparency in 2019
By Caleb Taylor Who made the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics’s ‘nice list’ when it comes to transparency in 2019? You can find out through the just-released second annual Transparency Index from the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics, co-authored by ACRE Policy Analysts Dr. Mavuto Kalulu and Joyce Ajayi. In 2018 four counties […]
To Lure Businesses, Lower Burdens, Economist Says
By Caleb Taylor The costs of getting government permission slips to work affect where businesses in certain industries set up shop, said Dr. Alicia Plemmons at an ACRE Speaker Series event on Nov. 19. Plemmons is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Economics & Finance Department at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is also an […]
Licensing Sunset Reviews Begin
By Alex Kanode Occupational licensing has been an increasingly hot topic across the US, and Arkansas is no exception. A 2018 report from the Occupational Licensing Advisory Group stated that Arkansas had a whopping 310 licenses, 51 certificates, and 35 registrations. In order to evaluate these occupations, the 2019 Arkansas Legislature passed Act 600, which created […]
ACRE Workshop Alum Debby Mauldin Receives Gold Star Teacher Award
By Caleb Taylor Congratulations to Vilonia High School business teacher Debby Mauldin! Mauldin, a Vilonia High School business teacher and ACRE Professional Development Workshop alumna, received the 2018-2019 W!SE Gold Star Teacher Award on Thursday, October 10. To be considered for the Gold Star Award, a teacher must achieve a 93% pass rate in at […]
Targeted business subsidies fail to improve incomes or poverty rates
By Caleb Taylor A frequently used Arkansas business subsidy program largely fails to increase incomes or lower poverty rates over the long term, according to the latest research from two UCA academics. ACRE-Affiliated Researcher and UCA Lecturer of Economics Jacob Bundrick and UCA Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Weici Yuan’s researched the Quick Action Closing […]
Should Pope County gamble with the transparency of its casino deliberations?
By Caleb Taylor ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu says no in an op-ed entitled “In public view,” published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on September 20th. A proposed casino in Pope County has generated much debate between residents and state and local officials in recent months. Arkansas voters approved Issue 4 in 2018, which allowed […]