by Aaron Newell ACRE Policy Analyst Jacob Bundrick recently wrote how better access to data can lead to better policy outcomes in Arkansas. In “Data holds the key: Good analysis vital for policy,” an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette op-ed on February 13, 2019, Bundrick explains that when it comes to targeted development incentives, Arkansas is lacking in […]
The ACRE Review
ACRE Releases New Data Guide for Arkansas Citizens
By Jeremy Horpedahl It can be tough to figure out what’s really happening in Arkansas’s economy. If you follow the news, you hear reports about the latest economic data all the time: Employment is up this month! Wages are stagnant! Poverty declined last quarter! This focus on the most recent data can be confusing or […]
Updated regulations could mean a fresh chance for Arkansans to thrive
By Alex Kanode The Arkansas Department of Corrections reports that there are almost 18,000 prisoners in the state. For a state of our size, this is a huge number. One reason is that released prisoners are more likely to reoffend here than in other states. This is known as our “recidivism rate”. One cause of […]
ACRE Expert Explains Arkansas Tax Reform Impacts
By Caleb Taylor Tax reform is moving right along in the Arkansas Legislature. ACRE Scholar and UCA Assistant Professor of Economics Jeremy Horpedahl has been busy helping Arkansans understand what the possible changes could mean for them. Tax Reform Talk on KARK 4’s Capitol View Jeremy Horpedahl discussed the latest news on Arkansas’s taxes with […]
Implementing Phase Three of Individual Income Tax Cuts in Arkansas
By Jeremy Horpedahl and Nicole Kaeding [Cross posted at the Tax Foundation Blog] January 31, 2019 Yesterday, Governor Hutchinson and legislative leaders in Arkansas announced their final plan for restructuring Arkansas’s individual income tax brackets. After more than 18 months of study, the Arkansas General Assembly will consider the plan starting next week. The plan would […]
A prescription for Arkansas’s primary care shortage
By Caleb Taylor ACRE Director and UCA Associate Professor of Economics Dr. David Mitchell recently discussed the role of nurse practitioners in increasing access to care in Arkansas. Arkansas currently ranks 46th on the physician per capita list produced by the Association of American Medical Colleges, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Mitchell stated in an […]
Arkansas Legislators’ Tax Plan for 2019: Cut Income Tax to 5.9%
By Caleb Taylor Arkansas Legislative Tax Reform and Relief Task Force members voted Wednesday, December 12th to prioritize a plan that includes a cut to the top individual income tax rate from 6.9 to 5.9 percent. The Task Force approved a number of other changes at previous meetings (such as to the corporate income and […]
How fit is Arkansas’s fiscal health?
By. Caleb Taylor Where do Arkansas’s finances rank nationally? Olivia Gonzalez, a research associate for the State and Local Policy Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, spoke Thursday, November 29th about Arkansas’s fiscal health and ranking in the COB Auditorium. According to the Mercatus Center’s latest state fiscal rankings, Arkansas ranks 25th […]
Washington County Makes Transparency a Priority
By Mavuto Kalulu and Terra Aquia Congratulations to Washington County government officials for the good work on publishing public information on their website. According to the transparency index created by the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE), not only did Washington County obtain the highest overall score, it led in each of the three […]
What Do Governments Sacrifice to Give Businesses Subsidies?
By Caleb Taylor What are the trade-offs states make when offering economic development incentives to private businesses? Prof. Nathan Jensen discussed this and more on Tuesday, November 13th in the UCA College of Business auditorium to a crowd of over 70 attendees. Jensen is a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of […]