The Arkansas Project

Report: Arkansas Terrible On Transparency

July 24, 2014 Caleb Taylor Leave a Comment

Arkansans who care about transparency in government received some bad news today. According to an American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) study on tax cronyism released today, Arkansas is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to reporting exactly what special breaks the state’s tax code gives to favored industries. William Freeland, an ALEC research analyst who worked on the report, told The Arkansas Project in a phone interview: The biggest thing here on Arkansas is in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas Politics, Cronyism, Economic Freedom, Economic Policy, Freedom Of Information, Tax Reform Tagged With: ALEC, Arkansas Legislature, crony capitalism, economic freedom, InvestArk, Tax Policy, william freeland

Sick Child Denied Treatment As State Spends Billions On Able-Bodied Adults

July 23, 2014 Nic Horton Leave a Comment

A new report released last week details how Medicaid expansion will harm the most needy Americans. Because of the perverse funding formula of Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, expansion enrollees -- a population of mostly childless, mostly healthy adults -- receive more health care spending than traditional Medicaid enrollees. Author Jonathan Ingram explains: In the states that hope to get Medicaid spending under control, an ObamaCare Medicaid expansion puts truly vulnerable patients at even … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Medicaid, Obamacare, Private Option Tagged With: Arkansas, Chloe Jones, entitlements, expansion, health care policy, medicaid, obamacare, private option, Wall Street Journal, William Golden

Joan Adcock, Let My Uber Go!

July 23, 2014 Caleb Taylor 1 Comment

Relatively new ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft will have to submit to burdensome, archaic taxi regulations -- or not operate at all -- if one of Little Rock’s Board of Directors has her way. Both the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Arkansas Times have recently reported on City Director Joan Adcock’s crusade to save Little Rock taxi customers from the menace of cheap, convenient taxi alternatives like Uber and Lyft. From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: "The bottom line is that people … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Politics, Cronyism, Economic Freedom, Economic Policy, Regulatory Reform Tagged With: Cronyism, joan adcock, little rock, little rock board of directors, lyft, taxi regulations, uber

The Real Beebe Jobs Record

July 22, 2014 Nic Horton Leave a Comment

If you watch or read the news in Arkansas, you probably hear a lot about outgoing Gov. Mike Beebe’s record of “job creation.” One political columnist recently claimed that “economic development was a hallmark of the Beebe era.” Gubernatorial candidate Mike Ross released his first television ad earlier this year, attempting to tie himself to Beebe and claiming in an accompanying statement: Arkansas has made tremendous progress under Governor Beebe…I want to build on the foundations Governor … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas Politics, Medicaid, Private Option Tagged With: Arkansas, health care, Matt DeCample, Medicaid expansion, Mike Beebe, Mike Ross, obamacare, Policy, Politics, private option

The Not-So-Independent Citizens Committee

July 21, 2014 Caleb Taylor Leave a Comment

Over the weekend, Republicans at their party convention voted to oppose an upcoming “ethics reform” ballot measure in 2014 that waters down term limits for state legislators. Here is the report from the AP: Arkansas Republicans have voted to oppose a ballot measure that would loosen the state's term limits and tighten state ethics laws. Delegates at the state GOP's convention on Saturday approved a resolution opposing the proposed constitutional amendment appearing on the November ballot. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2013 General Assembly, Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas Politics, Constitutional Amendments Tagged With: Arkansas Legislature, Conduit For Action, David Ferguson, ethics reform, independent citizens committee, legislative pay

VIDEO: Mark Pryor Scurries Away From Reporters When Questioned About Debates

July 18, 2014 Nic Horton Leave a Comment

Senator Mark Pryor made a guest appearance in Arkansas today. KATV’s Janelle Lilley caught up with him and asked why he agreed to appear in an October 14th debate in Fayetteville, but hasn’t accepted invitations to appear in other, statewide debates. Lilley’s question was met with a swift rebuke from a Pryor aide who instructed her to direct campaign questions to Pryor campaign spokesman Erik Dorey before rushing Pryor into an elevator, thru the lobby of a gift shop, and across the street, away … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2014 U.S. Senate Race, Arkansas Politics, Mark Pryor Tagged With: Arkansas, debates, Mark Pryor, obamacare, Policy, Politics, Tom Cotton, U.S. Senate Race

Inequality At The DPA & DeCample’s Outburst (Podcast)

July 18, 2014 Nic Horton Leave a Comment

This week on the show: Does the DPA hate women? More on "paycheck fairness" Matt DeCample is very mad that people don't like Obamacare VIDEO: Matt DeCample in court! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Arkansas, health care, Matt DeCample, Medicaid expansion, Mike Beebe, obamacare, Policy, Politics, private option

No, Federal Bureaucrats Don’t Need Machine Guns

July 18, 2014 Caleb Taylor Leave a Comment

The statement that “Democracy means that if the doorbell rings in the early hours, it is likely to be the milkman” is often credited to Winston Churchill. In America in 2014, however, that doorbell is too likely to be rung by a federal bureaucrat leading a SWAT team to raid your property. Of course, in a California case in 2011, the Department of Education’s SWAT team (yes, you read that right) wasn’t even courteous enough to knock: From National Review: The proliferation of paramilitary … [Read more...]