by Michelle Stoll, ACRE Communications Manager Each semester, The Arkansas Center for Research in Economics (ACRE) gives UCA students the opportunity to apply for scholarships by participating in one of its weekly reading groups, such as the economics group, law group, philosophy group and Biz@Bear group. This academic year $28,700 was awarded for 70 reading […]
Farewell to Christy Horpedahl
We are both happy and sad that Christy Horpedahl has left her role as Assistant Director of the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics. She begins a new position as an Editor for Liberty Fund, a private educational foundation established to enrich the understanding and appreciation of the complex nature of a society of free […]
Occupational Licensing Successes and Shortcomings in 2021
By Alex Kanode The 2021 legislative session saw many changes concerning licensing of occupations in Arkansas. The Red Tape Reduction Working Group released a 2018 report stating that there were 704,141 occupational licenses in Arkansas. That amounted to 52 percent of the state’s labor force at the time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, […]
ACRE Expert Discusses Recent Changes to Civil Asset Forfeiture
By Caleb Taylor What changes to civil asset forfeiture in Arkansas were made during the recent legislative session? ACRE Research and Program Assistant Zach Burt analyzed “The Arkansas Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2021,” also known as Act 1023 in “Need better law” in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on June 5th. Burt defines civil asset […]
A Widely Supported Solution to Healthcare Shortages
By Caleb Taylor How diverse is the support for allowing nurse practitioners to practice up to their level of training? The consensus that nurse practitioners should be allowed to do more is “widespread,” according to a “A Broad Consensus on Expanding Nurse Practitioners’ Scope of Practice,” by ACRE Director and UCA Associate Professor of Economics […]
Nurse Practitioner Rule Change Could Help Underserved Arkansans
By Caleb Taylor How can Arkansas improve its health and access to medical care throughout the state? In “Addressing Arkansas’s Health Services Shortages By Empowering Nurse Practitioners” by UCA Associate Professor and ACRE Director Dr. David Mitchell, notes that Arkansas doesn’t have enough primary care health service providers to keep up with demand. HPSAs are […]
Faulkner County Takes Another Step Forward on Transparency
By Joyce Ajayi and Mavuto Kalulu Faulkner County continued its transparency progress in 2020. On October 20, 2020, the Faulkner County Quorum Court passed into law the County Board Transparency Report Ordinance, Ordinance 20-21. Kris Kendrick, Justice of the Peace (Dist. 9), introduced this legislation to help enhance county government transparency. The ordinance will increase […]
Key Economic Questions for 2021 in Arkansas
By Caleb Taylor Will next year bring better economic times or more of the same? ACRE Scholar and UCA Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl was a guest on Arkansas Week on Arkansas PBS over the weekend to discuss the future of Covid-19 and the economy for 2021. The discussion also included University of […]
How to Minimize Corruption in Pandemic-Related Programs
By Caleb Taylor How can corruption be minimized in pandemic-related government programs? Incentivize whistleblowers and improve online transparency. Programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) or the Ready for Business Grant Program need greater scrutiny, according to ACRE Policy Analyst Dr. Mavuto Kalulu in “Be vigilant,” an op-ed published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on […]
Did GDP Really Fall by 32.9 Percent?
By Caleb Taylor How bad were the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers for the second quarter of 2020? The data shows an “immense amount of economic pain” from April through June compared to the first quarter but it’s much less than the “headline” number of -32.9 percent released in July, according to UCA Assistant Professor […]