Washington, D.C. – Club for Growth Foundation has published its 2023 Arkansas State Economic Scorecard, offering an in-depth look into where legislators stand on key economic policies in the state.
The mission of the Club for Growth Foundation is to inform the public on the benefits of free-market economics and limited government ideals. At both the federal and state levels, the legislative process is often shrouded with backroom deals and technical language that can limit the general public’s understanding of bills that have a direct impact on their lives. By publishing this information and making its scorecards widely available, the Club for Growth Foundation provides Americans across the country with a detailed breakdown of how their legislators vote on key issues.
The Foundation conducted a thorough examination of each lawmaker’s record on votes related to pro-growth policies and calculated an Economic Growth Score on a scale of 0 to 100. A score of 100 indicates the highest support for pro-growth policies. This year, the Club for Growth Foundation evaluated over 2,000 floor votes and, in the end, included 19 Arkansas House votes and 19 Arkansas Senate votes. These votes included support for significant income tax reform that lowered the top individual and corporate rates for hardworking families and businesses and support for transformative education savings accounts that made Arkansas the fourth state to enact a universal school choice approach for K-12 students. Votes also included opposition to a 12.5% increase in Medicaid spending as well as to a massive Hollywood tax giveaway that essentially subsidized wealthy production companies at the expense of hardworking taxpayers.
“By publishing its state economic scorecards, the Club for Growth Foundation allows Arkansans, and Americans across the country, deeper insight into where their legislators stand on economic policies,” said Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh. “This legislative session, Arkansas moved to prioritize welfare reform, lower and limit taxes, and pass life-changing ESA programs. The increased transparency provided by the Club for Growth Foundation’s scorecard offers the people of Arkansas a first-hand look at where their state legislator stands on these key policy positions.”
Club for Growth Foundation plans to release similar scorecards for state legislatures across the country.
Key Takeaways on Arkansas 2023 Scorecard:
Arkansas Senate:
- Senate Members = 35
- Republicans: 29
- Democrats: 6
- Vacancies: 0
- Average Republican Score: 57%
- Average Democrat Score: 2%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Jim Dotson SD-34: 73%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Reginald Murdock SD-09: 12%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Jim Hickey SD-03: 32%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Linda Chesterfield SD-12, Sen. Stephanie Flowers SD-08, Sen. Greg Leding SD-30, Sen. Frederick Love SD-15, and Sen. Clarke Tucker SD-14: 0%
Arkansas House:
- Members = 100
- Republicans: 82
- Democrats: 18
- Vacancies: 0
- Average Republican Score: 61%
- Average Democrat Score: 4%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Austin McCollum HD-08: 88%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Rep. Mark Perry HD-66: 20%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Jim Wooten HD-59: 29%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Multiple Members with 0%
Click here to read the full 2023 Arkansas Economic Scorecard from the Club for Growth Foundation.
This scorecard is based on selected votes of importance to the Foundation and does not include the complete voting record of any legislator. There are inherent limitations in judging the overall qualifications of any legislator.