Natural State News

While other states have struggled to keep their unemployment numbers low, Arkansas has sustained a low rate of unemployment that has been crucial to the state's strong economic recovery.

The state of Arkansas announced that its unemployment rate has stayed stable at 4.4% for the month of June, marking three months of stability at that rate, according to a release by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

The rate is 1.5% lower than the current national average.

Hutchinson was among the governors who opted out of the extra federal unemployment insurance benefits early and reinstated Arkansas' work-search requirement for collecting benefits.

"The $300 federal supplement helped thousands of Arkansans make it through this tough time, so it served a good purpose," Hutchinson said, according to another article by Natural State News. "Now we need Arkansans back on the job so that we can get our economy back to full speed."

An opinion piece in Forbes makes the case for eliminating Arkansas' state income tax in order to further grow and strengthen the state's economy.

Adam A. Millsap, the piece's author, makes the case that by eliminating the income tax and cutting spending in a prudent manner, the Natural State's economy would continue to grow.

For Arkansas to get the greatest economic impact from eliminating its income tax it must control spending, Millsap added.

“All taxes—sales, income, property—pull money out of the private economy,” Millsap said. “Governments that can do more with less leave more resources in the hands of taxpayers who can invest it or spend it.”

Arkansas State Sen. Trent Garner (R-El Dorado) filed a bill during this past legislative session that would have eliminated the income tax.

Garner said the move would have allow the state to move ahead.

"BOLD reforms require BOLD actions," Garner tweeted March 10. "I filed a bill to reduce our state income tax to ZERO. It’s time to move Arkansas forward."