By Caleb Taylor ACRE Legislative Research Associate Dr. Nathan Smith recently testified in favor of legislation removing barriers to work to certain cosmetology workers House Bill 1746 delicenses shampooers and exempts those who provide “simple” hairstyling services from being required to complete 1500 training hours to get a cosmetology license. Smith said at a House […]
The ACRE Review
Mitchell, Smith Discuss Taxes and LTRF on Dave Elswick Show
By Caleb Taylor What’s the latest news on taxes and spending policies in Arkansas? ACRE Director and UCA Associate Professor of Economics Dr. David Mitchell and ACRE Legislative Research Associate Dr. Nathan Smith joined the Dave Elswick Show on 101.1 FM in Little Rock to answer this and more on Monday, April 26th. Smith recommended […]
Tax Incentive Bill Unwise Use of Funds, Says ACRE Researcher
By Caleb Taylor ACRE Legislative Research Associate Nathan Smith recently testified against legislation expanding tax credits for some businesses in Arkansas. Smith said the bill would be “basically just a giveaway of millions of dollars a year to shareholders of these companies.” Senate Bill 543 sponsored by State Sen. David Wallace and State Rep. Joe […]
Arkansas Economics Challenge Winners Announced
By Terra Aquia Who were the winners of the 2021 Arkansas Economics Challenge? Twenty-seven students from seven Arkansas high schools met virtually on April 8th to compete in the Arkansas Economics Challenge. Winning teams from this competition are eligible to advance to additional stages with other high school students from all over the U.S. The […]
ACRE Expert Testifies on Transparency for Economic Development Incentives
By Caleb Taylor Should local public officials be able to meet in secret to discuss economic development projects? House Bill 1280 sponsored by State Rep. Delia Haak R-District 91 and State Sen. Lance Eads R-District 7 would amend Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to allow for an executive session to be called by local […]
Kanode Testifies on Licensing’s Effect on Low-Income Arkansans
By Caleb Taylor Should Arkansas exempt low-income residents from initial licensing fees? ACRE Economic Policy Analyst Alex Kanode testified on how occupational licensing in Arkansas can serve as a barrier to opportunity for low-income workers at a Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Labor committee meeting on March 17th. Committee members were deliberating on whether to […]
ACRE Experts Featured in “Believe in Arkansas”
By Caleb Taylor Three ACRE experts recently appeared in “Believe in Arkansas” segments hosted by Americans for Prosperity. UCA Assistant Professor of Economics and ACRE Scholar Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl discussed state government spending and Arkansas’s tax rates on March 25th. For more on Horpedahl’s recent research and testimony on sales taxes in Arkansas, check out […]
Brighter Lights in Faulkner County
By Mavuto Kalulu Kudos to the Faulkner County Quorum Court, the legislative body of Faulkner County government. Before the pandemic, on August 21, 2018, it enacted Ordinance 18-16 to enhance the transparency of its public meetings by posting recordings on the county website. This allows citizens to listen or watch what transpired in the quorum […]
Transparency: Everyone Has a Role to Play
By Joyce Ajayi A popular adage says, “Many hands make light work.” This means things are done quickly and efficiently when people work together. Transparency is a way to get more hands to lighten the work of making government accountable. Transparent governance creates platforms and initiatives for sharing information freely and openly. Many sets of […]
ACRE Director Discusses Medical Scope of Practice Reform
By Caleb Taylor What changes can Arkansas legislators make to improve residents’ access to care? Arkansas’s primary care shortage is a result of its “excessively restrictive” medical scope of practice laws, according to ACRE Director and UCA Associate Professor of Economics Dr. David Mitchell in “Let them practice” published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on March […]