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“The Foundation encourages citizenship.” Excerpt from the Policy Foundation’s Mission Statement   (November 2018) On Nov. 27 the Policy Foundation hosted a Fiscal Policy Forum at Heifer Village in Little Rock to provide Arkansas citizens with information on ideas likely to emerge in 2019.  A diverse group of students, senior citizens, researchers and policymakers participated in […]

(October 2018) The Policy Foundation will host a fiscal policy forum Nov. 27  (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) at Heifer Village in Little Rock to examine ideas expected to be considered in the 92nd General Assembly (2019) of the state legislature.    The forum will feature three panel discussions and lunch.  State Sen. Jim Hendren of Gravette will serve as […]

  (September 2018) Utah leads the United States in jobs creation since the end of the Great Recession in mid-2009, expanding payroll employment at a 28.4% rate versus the 14% national average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics records show. Arkansas trailed the U.S. in the period,1 creating new jobs at a 7.5% rate. Employment growth […]

“There is significant evidence that reductions in marginal state tax rates encourage state economic growth …Rates on productive behavior should be reduced.” “Reduce the state’s income tax…repeal the state’s capital gains tax.” Arkansas Policy Foundation, Murphy Commission project, 1998   (August 2018) A state legislative task force has recommended reducing the highest Arkansas income tax rate, […]

  “Most Arkansans pay their state taxes on time but others, including some officials, have contributed to an accounts receivable backlog that experts say totals nearly $300 million. Transparency tools allow citizens to learn if officials are delinquent and their taxpayer-funded salaries.” “Let the sun shine: Transparency reveals tax backlog” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette column, March 31, 2018   […]

“Define and implement a system of performance-based pay for all state employees.” Policy Foundation research report,1 1998   “The most common piece of feedback received from interviews and survey respondents was that the current salary structure is inadequate. Salary raises are not tied to performance, resulting in employees moving across agencies to get an increase in pay […]

“The (Education) department’s performance measures are inadequate and must be strengthened.” Policy Foundation, “Arkansas Efficiency Project, 2016   (June 2018) It pays to be a Little Rock School District employee more than a top state official.   The Little Rock School District, the subject of a 2015 state takeover paid 102 officials more than $89,301, […]

  “The (Education) department’s performance measures are inadequate and must be strengthened.” Policy Foundation, “Arkansas Efficiency Project, 2016   (May 2018) The Dollarway School District, taken over by the state in 2015, spent $8,309,639 on employee salaries in 2016, according to public records compiled by OpenTheBooks.com, a non-profit that advances government transparency as a policy […]

“Compliant taxpayers are suffering from a lack of service, as a result of lagged collection and payment activities” by Arkansans not paying their taxes. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC, Efficiency Project report, 2016   (May 2018) The state Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) continues to reduce tax debts owed Arkansas, recovering $132.3 million in outstanding receivables in calendar […]

“Mission Statements. Agency officials expressed support for efficiency as a concept, though few mission statements include the term. Each agency should include the word efficiency in their mission statement and post it online in an easily accessible format.” Policy Foundation, Efficiency Project, 2016   (May 2018) Eleven Arkansas state agencies have amended their mission or core […]