Washington, D.C. – The Club for Growth Foundation published its 2025 Arkansas State Economic Scorecard, providing Arkansans with a detailed analysis of how elected officials in Little Rock approach limited-government economic policies.
The Scorecard analyzes policies and votes to assign an Economic Growth Score from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest support for limited-government policies. In 2025, the Foundation’s study examined over 2,000 floor votes and, in the end, included 20 Arkansas House votes and 20 Arkansas Senate votes.
“The Club for Growth Foundation’s economic scorecards work to shed light on how legislators vote on policies that limit governmental influence,” said Club for Growth Foundation President David McIntosh. “Although Arkansas has made valuable steps toward reducing sales taxes and protecting Arkansas teacher retirement funds from ESG investments, there is still a great deal of work to be done on economic policy. Implementing corporate welfare tax carve-outs along with a $573 million taxpayer-funded spending increase will make Arkansas less competitive than its neighboring states and limit opportunities for the next generation of Arkansans.”
Click here to view the full 2025 Arkansas State Economic Scorecard from the Club for Growth Foundation.
Key Highlights from the 2025 Arkansas Scorecard
Arkansas House:
- Average Republican Score: 40%
- Average Democratic Score: 13%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Austin McCollum (HD-8): 100%
- Highest Rated Democrats(s): Rep. Tara Shephard (HD-79): 23%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Rep. Jeff Wardlaw (HD-94): 16%
- Lowest Rated Democrats(s): Rep. Lincoln Barnett (HD-63): 3%
Arkansas Senate:
- Average Republican Score: 41%
- Average Democrat Score: 17%
- Highest Rated Republican(s): Sen. John Payton (SD-22): 70%
- Highest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Frederick Love (SD-15): 29%
- Lowest Rated Republican(s): Sen. Missy Irvin (SD-24): 28%
- Lowest Rated Democrat(s): Sen. Jamie Scott (SD-12) and Sen. Clarke Tucker (SD-14): 10%
Notable Pro Limited-Government Legislation
HB 1307 – PROHIBITION ON TAXPAYER-FINANCED ESG INVESTMENTS
- Constrains those charged with overseeing the nearly $21 billion in Arkansas’ teacher retirement system to only engage with companies for the sole purpose of maximizing shareholder value, as opposed to those that prioritize woke Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) practices.
HB 1685 – STATE GROCERY TAX REPEAL
- Repeals the state’s 0.125 percent sales tax on food, reducing the tax burden on households and families by an estimated $15.3 million through FY2027.
SB 184 – MODEST STATE BUREAUCRACY CONSOLIDATION
- Abolishes both the Arkansas Educational Television Commission and the State Library Board and moves the statutory responsibilities of both entities within the state’s Department of Education.
Notable Anti Limited-Government Legislation
HB 1017 – NEW GOVERNMENT PAID LEAVE PROGRAM
- Provides twelve weeks of paid leave for government school employees who give birth, adopt, or foster a child.
- The new program is estimated to cost at least $3.4 million, assuming full school district participation and without including adoption and fostering costs.
HB 1922 – MASSIVE CORPORATE WELFARE TAX SCHEME
- Significantly expands tax carveouts for special interests under the existing investment tax credit program.
- Allows eligible business entities to offset either their income tax liability or sales tax liability, expands the credit to 10 percent of eligible project costs, and creates a new income tax credit for businesses that relocate to Arkansas, equal to 50 percent of payroll for qualifying employees.
- Includes an exorbitant phasedown of the credit’s income tax liability offset for relocating businesses, equal to 100 percent for the first five years and 20 percent through year nine.
SB 636 – SUPPLEMENTAL SPENDING BINGE
- Appropriates massive new funding ($573 million) by tapping into the state’s existing surplus, setting a reckless precedent for significantly expanding government through “one-time” appropriations and viewing the state surplus as little more than a government-run piggy bank.
- Allocates $100 million for the Medicaid Sustainability Set Aside Fund, $50 million for corporate welfare projects, $25 million to reward well-connected businesses through the governor’s “quick action” economic development program, and $20 million for crony historic renovation handouts.
Note: This Scorecard is based on selected votes and does not reflect a legislator’s entire voting record. The Club for Growth Foundation does not endorse or oppose any legislator for public office.