Arkansas

Arkansas governor proposes $6.3B budget as lawmakers prepare for session

Published

2 years ago

March 6, 2024

Arkansas governor proposes .3B budget as lawmakers prepare for session

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday proposed a $6.3 billion budget for the coming year, with most of the increase in spending going toward a school voucher program.

Sanders’ budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1 increases state spending by 1.76% over the previous year, with nearly all of the $109 million increase going toward education. Sanders, a Republican who took office in January 2023, touted the proposed budget’s increase as being below the 3% the state has seen in recent years.

“I am proud that this year’s budget puts an end to government’s spiraling growth, while still fulfilling the priorities Arkansans elected me to implement,” Sanders said in a letter to lawmakers, who kicked off budget hearings ahead of a legislative session set to begin next month.

About $100 million of the increase is related to a education overhaul Sanders signed last year that included a raise in minimum pay for teachers. More than $65 million of the increase will go toward a school voucher program that is being phased in through the new law.

Democrats said they were worried about how much of the increase is going toward the voucher program and other parts of the overhaul while the rest of the budget remained flat.

“I’m concerned about what LEARNS might mean for the budget in the years to come,” Senate Minority Leader Greg Leding said, referring to the overhaul. “But also in the effort to keep spending as low as possible, basically all of the increases we are seeing this year are going toward LEARNS.”

Sanders’ budget proposal did not mention any additional income tax cuts. The governor has signed into law two individual and corporate income tax cuts since taking office and has said she wants to push for more.

Rep. Lane Jean, a Republican who co-chairs the Joint Budget Committee, said he didn’t expect additional cuts to come up during the session.

“I think what we have decided is we would get out of this fiscal session and let’s monitor the year until we get into the next fiscal year,” Jean said. “Maybe if we’re still running a fairly healthy surplus, maybe come back in a special session later on.”

Finance officials are projecting the state will end this fiscal year with a $240 million surplus and $376 million the following year. Sanders’ office did not say whether she plans on seeking additional cuts in the coming session.

“The Governor is proud to have cut income taxes not once, but twice, over the last year,” spokeswoman Alexa Henning said. “She will continue to work with the legislature to look for every opportunity to responsibly phase out the state income tax.”

Sanders on Wednesday also proposed a one-time 3% increase in state employee pay, part of a temporary plan that would also raise every state employees’ pay to at least $15 an hour by July 1. In a letter to state employees, Sanders said she also plans to seek a more comprehensive overhaul of the state employee pay plan in the 2025 legislative session.

The temporary plan is projected to cost the state $42.4 million total, with $19.3 million coming from general revenue, Alex Johnston, chief of staff for the Department of Transformation and Shared Services said.

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Related Topics:arkansas Business education Education costs F Featured General news government budgets n P Politics Sarah Huckabee Sanders school choice U.S. News®

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Arkansas

$6.2 million college football coach ‘in the mix’ for Arkansas HC job

Published

16 hours ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

.2 million college football coach ‘in the mix’ for Arkansas HC job

Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. — Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack yells to his defense after they force a punt by Eastern Illinois at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

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Arkansas

Campaign finance reports detail special primary election candidates for Arkansas House and Senate fundraising | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

1 day ago

November 25, 2025

Press Room

Campaign finance reports detail special primary election candidates for Arkansas House and Senate fundraising | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Michael R. Wickline

mwickline@adgnewsroom.com

Mike Wickline covers state politics, and he has covered the state Legislature for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since November 2000. He previously spent several years covering the Idaho Legislature for the Lewiston Morning Tribune.

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Arkansas

Arkansans can gobble up savings with Thanksgiving meals costing 20% less than last year

Published

2 days ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Arkansans can gobble up savings with Thanksgiving meals costing 20% less than last year

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many Arkansans are asking the question: How much will my Thanksgiving dinner cost?

According to new data from the Arkansas Farm Bureau, your Thanksgiving meal may cost less than it did in 2024.

The Farm Bureau released its findings from its annual Thanksgiving Dinner Survey, and it found that meal prices across the board are lower than it has been since before the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“It’s about a 20% drop from last year. I think we said it was around $71 last year and $56 this year,” Director of Commodity Economics with the Arkansas Farm Bureau, Tyler Oxner, said.

According to the survey, the total average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for a family of 10 in 2025 is $56.77, which is $5.68 a person. In 2024, the total cost was $71.29, which is $7.13 a person. The pricing decrease is also evident across various items.

“The protein is what we’re seeing the biggest decrease in. We got a 7% decrease in turkeys year over year. About a third of the price of last year’s ham,” states Oxner.

A 16-pound turkey cost $15.13, or $0.94 per pound. In 2025, that same turkey may cost $14.10 and .88 a pound.

The survey also reports that a 4-pound ham cost Arkansans $21 last year. Now it’s costing $14.07, a 34% decrease.

Several classic Thanksgiving sides have also seen a decline in average cost:

-3-pound bag of Sweet Potatoes from $3.03 to $2.40 (21% decrease)
-5-pound bag of Russet Potatoes from $2.97 to $2.47 (17% decrease)
-12-ounce package of Fresh Cranberries from $1.83 to $1.43 (22% decrease)
-16-ounce package of Frozen Green Peas from $1.44 to $1.02 (29% decrease)
-16-ounce package of Frozen Green Beans from $1.77 to $1.57 (11% decrease)
-9-inch Frozen Pie Shells from $3.29 to $1.94 (41% decrease)
-14-ounce package of Cube Stuffing, Herb Seasoning from $3.99 to $2.61 (35% decrease)
-12-count package of Dinner Rolls from $4.20 to $1.68 (60% decrease)
-30-ounce can of Pumpkin Pie Mix from $4.20 to $3.98 (5% decrease)
-1 gallon of Whole Milk from $4.23 to $3.64 (14% decrease)

Some products did not see the same declines. The price of 1 pound of fresh carrots increased by 12%, jumping from $1.04 to $1.16. The price of 1 bunch of fresh celery jumped up by 66%, from $1.05 to $1.74. A 1/2-pint carton of whipping cream also soared by 54%, increasing from $1.92 to $2.96.

Of course, this all depends on where you shop.

“You’re going to see, depending on what grocery store you go to, what promotional deals they have going on at those stores,” says Oxner.

“Arkansas is normally cheaper, and the South in general is normally cheaper than the rest of the United States,” he adds.

These prices not only depend on what retailer you shop at, but what county you shop in.

The survey reports that prices on Thanksgiving meals range from $50.89 in Boone County to $68.36 in Garland County. All of the other counties that the Farm Bureau surveyed came in under $60:

-Hempstead County: $51.27
-Faulkner County: $53.58
-Craighead County: $55.89
-Sevier County: $56.34
-Sharp County: $57.48
-Carroll County: $58.46
-Lonoke County: $58.54

Oxner credits these pricing trends to one group.

“Arkansas families may see lower prices for their traditional Thanksgiving meal, and they just need to know that this is the work of those Arkansas farmers out there that are working tirelessly to provide sustainable food.”

Oxner says that these prices have the potential to continue to decline in the coming years, but that all depends on various factors, such as changing transportation and production costs, as well as if the Avian Influenza becomes a problem again in Arkansas like it was in 2024.

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