Public policy in Arkansas

The Public Policy Project on Ballotpedia aims to illuminate major policy issues being discussed and implemented throughout the United States. Public policy can be complicated and controversial; deciding what works best and how to allocate resources to achieve a policy goal can involve multiple trade-offs. Much of the public policy that affects citizens economically, legally and socially, is made at the state level. Below you will find links and introductions to all the Arkansas public policy articles on Ballotpedia. To see the policy overview of another state click on the map below.

For a list of all public policy articles on Ballotpedia see here.

Budget Policy

Budget and finances

In Arkansas, as in other states, lawmakers and public officials are elected in part to manage the state's finances. This includes generating revenues (money coming into the state from various sources) and approving expenditures (the money spent on governmental functions and servicing state debt). State budgets are complex and fluid, as they depend on anticipated revenues and planned expenditures, which may alter over the course of a fiscal year. If revenues do not keep pace with expenditures, states generally have to raise taxes, cut services, borrow money, or a combination of the three. State budget decisions are also influenced by policy decisions at the national level, such as the Affordable Care Act or energy and environmental regulations, and issues at the local level, such as crime and the quality of education.

Taxes

Arkansas generates the bulk of its tax revenue by levying a personal income tax and a sales tax. The state derives its constitutional authority to tax from Article 16 of the state constitution.^[2][3]

Tax policy can vary from state to state. States levy taxes to help fund the variety of services provided by state governments. Tax collections comprise approximately 40 percent of the states' total revenues. The rest comes from non-tax sources, such as intergovernmental aid (e.g., federal funds), lottery revenues and fees. The primary types of taxes levied by state governments include personal income tax, general sales tax, excise (or special sales) taxes and corporate income tax.^[4]

Civil Liberties Policy

Affirmative action

Affirmative action in Arkansas refers to the steps taken by employers and universities in Arkansas to increase the proportions of historically disadvantaged minority groups at those institutions. Historically, affirmative action nationwide has taken many different forms, such as strict quotas, extra outreach efforts, and racial and gender preferences. However, racial quotas in university admissions were banned in a 1978 United States Supreme Court case, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke.^[5]

On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court reversed lower court decisions in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, effectively ending the use of affirmative action in college admissions.

As of March 2015, 109 out of 577 public four-year universities across the country reported that they considered race in admissions. This practice has been banned in eight states. Meanwhile, 28 states require affirmative action plans in either public employment or apprenticeships. Affirmative action programs that grant racial preferences have come under scrutiny in the courts for potentially violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.^[6][7]

The effects of affirmative action policies are contested. Proponents argue that affirmative action diversifies selective institutions and provides more opportunities to minorities. Opponents argue that implementing policies that favor some groups requires discrimination against others and that these policiesmay harm individuals they are meant to help.

Campaign finance

Arkansas campaign finance requirements govern the following:

• how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations,
• how much and how often they must report those contributions, and
• how much individuals, organizations and political parties may contribute to campaigns.

In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations and nonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections through independent expenditures or issue advocacy.

Nonprofit regulation

Nonprofit regulation in Arkansas involves a complex set of rules that govern nonprofit organizations and charitable giving throughout the state. Major issues surrounding nonprofit regulation nationwide include the following:

• contribution limits,
• donor disclosure, and
• the redefinition of issue advocacy.

Arkansas is one of 39 states that require charitable organizations, and those intending to solicit on their behalf, to register with the state in order to solicit contributions, whether they are an Arkansas organization or based out-of-state. In Arkansas a number of groups and organizations are exempt from registration. Exempt groups, however, must apply for their exemption by filing the Exempt Organization Verification form.^[8]

Arkansas is one of 32 states that allows registrants to use either the Unified Registration Statement (URS) or the state registration form.^[9] Only seven states requiring registration do not accept the URS.

Education Policy

K-12 Public education

The Arkansas public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Arkansas had 474,826 students enrolled in a total of 989 schools in 233 school districts. There were 36,900 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 13 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Arkansas spent on average $10,345 per pupil.^[12] The state's graduation rate was 88 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.^[13]

General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Arkansas compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.

Academic performance

The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade students who scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri), students in Arkansas generally scored above those in Louisiana and Mississippi, and below those in Missouri. The state's highest scores were earned by fourth-grade students in math, which tied with Missouri.^[14]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Arkansas and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[14][15][16]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[17]

Arkansas schools reported a graduation rate of 84.9 percent, second highest among its neighboring states.

In Arkansas, more students took the ACT than the SAT, earning an average ACT score of 20.2.

Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both SY 2010–11 and SY 2011–12. The event dropout rate for Arkansas was higher than the national average at 3.5 percent in the 2010-2011 school year. The dropout rate was lower than the national average at 3.2 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[18]

Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Arkansas

School choice options in Arkansas included charter schools, online learning programs and inter-district and intra-district open enrollment policies as of June 2015. In addition, about 5.41 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-12 academic year, and 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-13.

Developments

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[19]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[20]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Arkansas is not one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures

See also: Arkansas state budget and finances

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[21][22]

Arkansas spent approximately 15.6 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. Arkansas received over 75 percent of its public education revenue from state funds. This was a greater percentage than any of its neighbors received from state funding during fiscal year 2013.

Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[22]

In Arkansas, the primary source of school system revenue came from state funding, at $3.8 billion. Even though Louisiana reported greater total school system revenue than Arkansas, the latter reported more revenue from state sources during fiscal year 2013.

Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[23]

Public education expenditures in Arkansas totaled approximately $5.4 billion in fiscal year 2012. Arkansas reported the second-lowest total expenditures when compared to its neighboring states.

Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.^[24]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Arkansas, the average salary increased by 2.2 percent.^[25]

Organizations

State agencies

See also: Arkansas Department of Education

The Arkansas Department of Education is charged with the following responsibilities:^[26]

The mission statement of the Arkansas Department of Education reads as follows:^[28]

The Arkansas Commissioner of Education is the chief executive of the Arkansas Department of Education. The commissioner is appointed by the Arkansas State Board of Education and approved by the governor.^[26]

The state board is composed of nine members appointed by the governor to seven-year terms. Two members come from each of the state's four congressional districts. One member is selected at large.^[28]

Unions

In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Arkansas ranked 48th overall for union power and influence, or "weakest," which was in the fifth of five tiers.^[29]

The main union related to the Arkansas school system is the Arkansas Education Association (AEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). For the 2004 tax period, AEA had $3.85 million in total revenue, $4.03 million in total expenses, and $1.07 million in total assets.^[30]

List of local Arkansas school unions:^[31]

• Arkansas Education Association
• Pulaski Association Of Classroom Teachers

Government sector lobbying

See also: Arkansas government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Arkansas School Boards Association.

Studies and reports

State Budget Solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

Quality Counts 2014

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 used six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Arkansas received a score of 71.8, or a C- average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in transitions and alignment at 96.4, or an A average. The lowest score was in K-12 achievement at 66.7, or a D average. Arkansas received relatively high scores for three of the six categories, but received a C- for its chance of success. This may be attributed to the low K-12 achievement score. The chart below displays the scores of Arkansas and its surrounding states.^[32]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

School districts

See also: School board elections portal

District types

Arkansas has only one type of school district. A state act in 1947 reorganized all school districts in the state to have the same structure. Thus, all Arkansas school districts are governed by a board of directors, and each district may levy taxes and issue bonds.^[33]

School board composition

School board members in Arkansas serve terms between three and five years in length. Within a school board, all members have the same term length. The expiration of terms for a specific board must be staggered so that as near as possible to an equal number of members are up for election each election year.^[34] If a school board has a vacancy, it must be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the school board.^[35] School boards have the authority to choose if they would like to be elected at large, by zone or a combination of the two. To change their current structure, they must adopt a majority resolution describing the procedure of the switch for the next four years.^[36] School boards can have five, seven or nine members, depending on the population of the school district.^[37]

Term limits

The state does not impose term limits on school board members.^[38]

Elections

See also: Arkansas school board elections, 2025

Path to the ballot

To qualify for the ballot as a school board candidate in Arkansas, an individual must:^[39]

• Be a registered voter and resident in the school district he or she wishes to represent, as well as within the electoral zone in which he or she will be elected, if candidates are elected by zone.
• Be an Arkansas resident and U.S. citizen.
• Not be employed by the school district to be served.
• Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction.
• Never have been convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery or any other related crime.

Candidates must file with and be certified by the county clerk of the county in which the school district resides.^[39]

Campaign finance

School board candidates are required to file the following campaign finance reports with their county elections department:^[40]

• A pre-election report no later than seven days prior to any election in which the candidate's name will appear on the ballot.
• A final report no later than 30 days after any election in which the candidate's name appeared on the ballot.
• Supplemental reports for all contributions received and expenditures made after the final report, within 30 days after the receipt of the contribution or the making of an expenditure.

Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Arkansas state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Arkansas ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Arkansas Federal Government Not Allowed to Exercise Power Over Public Schools (1956)
2. Arkansas Assignment of Pupils in Public Schools, Initiated Act 2 (1956)
3. Arkansas School Tax Limitation, Proposed Amendment 43 (1956)
4. Arkansas Interposition, Proposed Amendment 47 (1956)
5. Arkansas Act 78, Appointed State Board of Education (1934)
6. Arkansas Equal Educational Opportunity, Initiated Act 1 (1980)
7. Arkansas College Savings Bonds, Proposed Question Act 683 (1990)
8. Arkansas School District Reorganization, Initiated Act 1 (1966)
9. Arkansas Community College and Technical School Districts, Proposed Amendment 57 (1964)
10. Arkansas Free Education for All Children, Proposed Amendment 52 (1960)
11. Arkansas Public Education Age Restriction, Proposed Amendment 53 (1968)
12. Arkansas Free Textbooks, Act 4 (September 1912)
13. Arkansas Ban on Teaching Evolution, Act 1 (1928)
14. Arkansas Appropriation of School Funds, Amendment 2 (1932)
15. Arkansas Establish a State Board of Education, Proposed Amendment 30 (1938)
16. Arkansas Junior College Districts, Proposed Amendment 32 (1942)
17. Arkansas Public School Finance, Proposed Amendment 41 (1950)
18. Arkansas School District Reorganization, Initiated Act No. 1 (1948)
19. Arkansas School District Reorganization, Initiated Act No. 1 (1946)
20. Arkansas State School and School District Taxes Amendment (1906)
21. Arkansas Free Public Education, Proposed Amendment 51 (1962)
22. Arkansas Public School Fund, Initiated Act 1 (1962)
23. Arkansas Uniform Property Tax for Schools, Proposed Amendment 1 (1996)
24. Arkansas School Property Tax Increase, Referred Question 1 (2004)
25. Arkansas Higher Education Bonds, Referred Question 2 (December 2005)
26. Arkansas Higher Education Technology and Facility Bonds, Referred Question 1 (2006)
27. Arkansas State Lottery, Proposed Amendment 3 (2008)
28. Arkansas Issue 1, Lottery Proceed Funding for Vocational-Technical School Scholarships and Grants Amendment (2024)
29. Arkansas Require Identical Standards for Schools Receiving Public Funding Initiative (2026)

In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arkansas education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

• Historical public education information in Arkansas
• Arkansas state budget and finances
• Arkansas Department of Education
• List of school districts in Arkansas
• School choice in Arkansas
• Charter schools in Arkansas
• Arkansas
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links

• Arkansas Department of Education
• Arkansas Public Charter Schools
• Arkansas School Accountability
• Arkansas AYP Reports

Footnotes

	v • e State of Arkansas Little Rock (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Higher education

Arkansas' higher education system is composed of 51 colleges and universities. Of these, 33 are public institutions, 14 are nonprofit private schools, and four are for-profit private institutions.^[1]

School choice

School choice is a term that refers to programs offering alternatives to assigned local public school options. Public school choice options include open enrollment policies, magnet schools, and charter schools. Other options include school vouchers, scholarship tax credits, and education savings accounts (ESAs).^[2][3]

Proponents argue that school choice programs improve educational outcomes by expanding opportunity and access for historically disadvantaged students. In addition, advocates claim that school choice programs empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition. Critics contend that these programs divert funds from traditional public schools, thereby generating unequal outcomes for students. In addition, some critics argue that school voucher programs wrongly direct tax dollars to religious organizations, which operate many private schools.

Charter schools

Charter schools in Arkansas are public schools operated independently of public school systems, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are usually admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Charter schools generally receive a percentage of the per-pupil funds from the state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, charter schools do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants. As of March 2017, 44 states and the District of Columbia had approved legislation authorizing the creation of public charter schools. Six states had not.

Election Policy

Ballot access requirements

In order to get on the ballot in Arkansas, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Arkansas. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Arkansas' four United States Representatives and 135 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^[4][5][6][7]

Arkansas was apportioned four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Arkansas after the 2020 census.

Voting

Energy Policy

Energy information

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as available natural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

Fracking

Environmental Policy

Environmental information

Environmental policy aims to conserve natural resources by balancing environmental protection with economic growth, property rights, public health, and energy production. Federal, state, and local government entities develop and implement environmental policies through laws and regulations. This page features information about environmental policy in Arkansas.

Environmental governance in Arkansas

• The Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate's standing committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor is responsible for environmental and pollution issues.
• The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is the state's chief environmental protection agency. The department is responsible for preventing, controlling and regulating air, water and land pollution. The department also engages in educational outreach, investigations into environmental problems and issues, and enforcing environmental quality standards.^[8]

Environmental budget

See also: Environmental spending in the 50 states

The table below features annual budget information for the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality from 2011 to 2022:

Air

Clean Air Act

See also: Implementation of the Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act is a federal law aimed at maintaining air quality and reducing air pollution. The law requires states and private industries to meet national air pollution standards. Each state must implement an EPA-approved plan to reduce air pollutants from industrial facilities such as chemical plants and utilities. Over 47,000 facilities nationwide were regulated under the Clean Air Act as of February 2023.^{[9][10][11][12]}

The table below features information about the number of regulated facilities under the Clean Air Act in Arkansas from 2014 to 2023:

Mercury and air toxics standards

See also: Mercury and air toxics standards

Citing its authority under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011 issued a rule (commonly known as the MATS rule) limiting the amount of mercury and other toxic air pollutants emitted by power plants. Mercury and air toxics standards (MATS) target mercury and other hazardous pollutants from over 580 coal and oil-fired power plants nationwide. The MATS rule was issued by the Obama administration as part of its larger policy limiting emissions from coal-fired power plants.^[13]

The EPA later reconsidered the MATS rule and, in 2020, determined "that it is not 'appropriate and necessary' to regulate electric utility steam generating units under section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA)."^[14]

A 2021 proposed rulemaking from the EPA seeks to revoke the 2020 action and reinstate the MATS rule.^[15]

During the period that the MATS rule was in effect, Arkansas had eight power plants subject to the mercury standards.^[16]

Ozone standards

See also: Ground-level ozone standards

Federal ozone standards establish the acceptable amount of ground level ozone, commonly known as smog, which is formed when nitrogen oxide combines with other organic chemicals in the atmosphere. Automobiles, power plants, factories and manufacturing centers emit the nitrogen oxide necessary for ozone formation. In high concentrations, ozone is harmful to human health.^[17][18]

EPA in 2015 lowered the acceptable amount of ground-level ozone (smog) in the air. The standards went into effect in 2025. States would have between the years 2020 and 2037 to create and establish a plan to meet the standards, depending how much ozone forms in certain areas of a state.^[19][20]

Clean Power Plan

See also: Clean Power Plan and climate change

The EPA in 2015 finalized a regulatory action known as the Clean Power Plan aimed at mitigating what the agency views as potentially human-caused climate change. The plan aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants (fossil fuel-fired) and natural gas-fired power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. Each state would have to meet goals based on the number of fossil fuel- and natural gas-fired plants in the state.^[21][22][23]

After several states challenged the plan in court, arguing in part that the plan exceeded the EPA's statutory authority, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit delayed the rule's implementation in June 2016. The Trump administration later moved to replace the Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy rule. The D.C. Circuit vacated the Trump-era rule in January 2021, "giving the incoming Biden administration a clean slate for" drafting a new rule, according to Bloomberg.^[24][25]

Carbon dioxide emissions

The following table provides information about annual carbon dioxide emissions in Arkansas from 2010 to 2020:^[26]

Land

Federal land policy

See also: Federal land policy

Federal land policy involves the conservation and management of natural resources on land owned by the federal government. Most federal land policies focus on conservation, recreation, oil and natural gas extraction, wildlife and forest management, and grazing.

The federal government as of 2018 owned around 640 million total acres of land (about 28 percent) of the 2.27 billion acres of land in the United States. Four federal agencies (the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Park Service (NPS), the Forest Service (FS) oversee public lands for conservation, recreation, wildlife protection, grazing, energy production, and other purposes. The Department of Defense also oversees federal lands used for military, training, and related purposes. The majority of federal land is located in Alaska and 11 coterminous Western states^[27]

Federal land ownership

See also: Federal land ownership by state

The table below features information about changes in federal land ownership in Arkansas from 1990 to 2018:^[27]

Federal land management by agency

The following table features information about federal land management in Arkansas by federal agency in 2018:^[27]

National parks

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) as of February 2023 oversaw what the agency describes as 424 units (often referred to as parks) and more than 150 related areas within the National Park System. The agency assists in managing national historic areas, wild and scenic rivers, historic landmarks, and national trails. The National Park System contained more than 85 million acres as of February 2023, including national parks, historical parks and sites, national monuments, battlefields and military parks, recreation areas, seashores, and parkways. More than 297 million visitors attended sites in the National Park System in 2021. NPS employed around 20,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal employees as of February 2023.^[28][29][30]

NPS operated 7 national parks in Arkansas as of February 2023.^[31]

The following table features visitation statistics for national parks in Arkansas from 2017 to 2021.^[32]

Payments in lieu of taxes

See also: Payments in lieu of taxes

The U.S. Department of the Interior pays local governments each year to offset what they lose in property taxes due to non-taxable federal land within their borders, commonly known as payments in lieu of taxes (PILT). PILT payments go toward fire and police departments, public schools, road construction, and other local services. PILT amounts are based on population and the amount of federal land in a county. From 1977 (when PILT payments began) to 2022, the Interior Department paid out around $10.8 billion to states, territories, and Washington, D.C. PILT payments can be used for any governmental purpose.^[33][34]

The following table features information about payments in lieu of taxes received by local governments in Arkansas from 2017 to 2021.^[35]

Oil and natural gas activity

See also: Oil and natural gas extraction on federal land and BLM oil and gas leases by state

The federal government leases its land to private individuals and companies for energy development, including drilling for crude oil and natural gas, solar energy, and geothermal energy. Oil and natural gas drilling on federal lands in the United States is primarily overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Private oil and natural gas companies apply for leases from the BLM to produce energy on federal land. About 26 million acres of federal land—12.8 million of which produced oil and gas in economic quantities—were leased to about 24,000 oil and gas developers operating 96,000 wells at the end of fiscal year 2018.^[36]

The following table features information about oil and natural gas activity on federal land in Arkansas from 2017 to 2021:^[37][38]

Water

Clean Water Act

See also: Implementation of the Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act is a federal law regulating pollutants discharged into all waters of the United States, including lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. The federal government approves water quality and technology standards for major sources of water pollution, such as chemical plants, steel manufacturers, municipal facilities, and others. Each state must establish water quality standards for all bodies of water within its boundaries.^[39]

Under the Clean Water Act, it is unlawful to discharge any pollutant from any source into navigable waters without a federal permit. The permit specifies what limitations or conditions apply to a facility before the facility may discharge any pollutants. Federal permits may contain facility-specific requirements and limitations depending on the water source.^[40]

The following table provides information about the number of Arkansas facilities subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act from 2014 to 2023:^[41]

Waste

Superfund sites and hazardous waste facilities

See also: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act

Superfund is a federal program that addresses contaminated waste sites and their return to practical use. Superfund sites include oil refineries, smelting facilities, mines and other industrial areas. The federal government can compel the private entities responsible for a waste site to clean the site or face penalties. If the federal government cleans a waste site, it can compel the responsible company to reimburse the government for cleanup costs. Because Superfund sites are added and removed from a prioritized list on a regular basis, the total number of Superfund sites since the program's inception in 1980 is unknown.^[42][43][44]

The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act covers hazardous wastes, including their generation, treatment, storage and disposal. States may regulate hazardous wastes rather than the federal government. The EPA is responsible for all hazardous waste requirements if no state program exists. Hazardous waste regulations cover waste generators, transporters, treatment centers, storage and disposal facilities.^[45]

Arkansas had nine Superfund sites and 2,372 regulated hazardous waste facilities as of February 2023.^[46][47]

Endangered species

Endangered Species Act

See also: Endangered species in Arkansas

The Endangered Species Act is a federal law that mandates the listing and conservation of endangered and threatened species. The legislation aims to prevent the extinction of vulnerable species throughout the United States and to recover a species' population to the point where listing the species as endangered or threatened is no longer necessary. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the law's implementation.^[18][48]

Arkansas had 36 federally listed endangered or threatened plant or animal species as of February 2023. To view the full list, click here.^[49]

Environmental ballot measures in Arkansas

The following list features historical information about ballot measures relating to environmental issues in Arkansas.

Natural resources

Ballotpedia staff have tracked no ballot measures relating to natural resources in Arkansas

Environment

• Arkansas Water, Waste Disposal and Pollution Abatement Bonds, Referred Question 1 (2008)
• Arkansas Waste Disposal and Pollution Abatement Facility Bonds, Referred Question Act 686 (1988)

Water

• Arkansas Water Resource Development Bonds, Referred Question Act 496 (1982)
• Arkansas Water, Waste and Pollution Facilities Bonds, Referred Question 1 (1998)

Recent environmental legislation in Arkansas

The following list features information about environmental bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Arkansas General Assembly in the last five years. To learn more about these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

See also

• Endangered species in Arkansas
• Energy policy in Arkansas
• Federal land policy
• Federal land ownership by state
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S. National Park Service

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Footnotes

Endangered species

Endangered species policy in Arkansas involves the identification and protection of endangered and threatened animal and plant species. Policies are implemented and enforced by both the state and federal governments.

Finance Policy

Financial regulation information

The United States financial system is a network that facilitates exchanges between lenders and borrowers. The system, which includes banks and investment firms, is the base for all economic activity in the nation. According to the Federal Reserve, financial regulation has two main intended purposes: to ensure the safety and soundness of the financial system and to provide and enforce rules that aim to protect consumers. The regulatory framework varies across industries, with different regulations applying to different financial services.^[1]

Individual federal and state entities have different and sometimes overlapping responsibilities within the regulatory system. For example, individual states and three federal agencies—the Federal Reserve, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)—regulate commercial banks. Other sectors of the financial market are regulated by specific entities.^[2][3]

Some, such as the Brookings Institution, argue that expanded governmental regulation of banks and financial products (e.g., mortgages) can prevent large-scale financial crises, protect consumers from abusive practices, and stabilize financial markets. Others, such as the Cato Institute, argue that over-regulation of banks of banks and financial products burdens business, stalls economic growth, and does little, if anything, to stabilize financial markets. Beyond this basic debate about the role of the government in regulating the private financial sector, there are varying opinions about the proper extent of governmental regulation.^[4][5]

Healthcare Policy

Healthcare information

Healthcare policy in Arkansas involves the creation and implementation of laws, rules, and regulations for managing the state's healthcare system. The healthcare system consists of services provided by medical professionals to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental and physical illness and injury. The system also encompasses a wide range of related sectors, such as insurance, pharmaceuticals and health information technology.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the 50 state legislatures collectively "make thousands of health policy decisions each year," not including the decisions made by local governments, which often oversee hospitals, and private bodies, such as insurers. These decisions can include budget appropriations, requirements for doctors obtaining their licenses, which services are covered by insurance, how personal health information is managed, and which immunizations children must receive, among many others.^[6]

Healthcare policy affects not only the cost citizens must pay for care, but also their access to care and the quality of care received, which can influence their overall health. A top concern for policymakers is the rising cost of healthcare, which has placed an increasing strain on the disposable income of consumers as well as on state budgets.

Other issues in healthcare policy include state Medicaid expansions, health information technology and privacy, uninsured and underinsured portions of the population, a shortage of primary care physicians, and mental healthcare access and coverage.

Medicaid spending

Arkansas' Medicaid program provides medical insurance to groups of low-income people and individuals with disabilities. Medicaid is a nationwide program jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Medicaid eligibility, benefits, and administration are managed by the states within federal guidelines. A program related to Medicaid is the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which covers low-income children above the poverty line and is sometimes operated in conjunction with a state's Medicaid program. Medicaid is a separate program from Medicare, which provides health coverage for the elderly.

Effect of the Affordable Care Act

The impact of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), also known as Obamacare, has been debated among politicians, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The ACA was signed into law in 2010 by President Barack Obama (D). The law facilitated the purchase of health insurance through a system of health insurance exchanges, tax credits, and subsidies. Initially, states were required to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the law; a 2012 ruling by the United States Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion voluntary for states. The law also required insurers to cover healthcare services within a standard set of benefits and prohibited coverage denials based on preexisting conditions. Under the law, all individuals were required to obtain health insurance.

Immigration Policy

Immigration information

Immigration policy determines who may become a new citizen of the United States or enter the country as a temporary worker, student, refugee, or permanent resident. The federal government is responsible for setting and enforcing most immigration policy.

Meanwhile, states assume a largely supportive role, enacting their own supplementary laws and setting policies that may, for example, determine which public services immigrants can access, establish employee screening requirements, or guide the interaction between related state agencies and their federal counterparts.

Some jurisdictions, including some states, cities, and counties, have adopted policies of not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement; these jurisdictions have become known as sanctuary jurisdictions.

Pension Policy

Public pensions

Arkansas public pensions are the state mechanism by which state and many local government employees in Arkansas receive retirement benefits.

There were 136 public pension systems in Arkansas as of 2020. Of these, six were state-level programs while the remaining 130 were administered at the local level. Membership in Arkansas' various pension systems totaled 276,299, as of fiscal year 2020. Of these, 134,121 were active members.^[7]

Public policy in other states

Click your state for an overview of policy information in your state.

Footnotes

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