A nonpartisan coalition announced plans Tuesday to encourage Arkansas legislators to focus on community-based policy decisions during the 2023 legislative session.
Officials with Arkansas Coalition for Strong Families want legislators to use state surplus money to create strong, thriving communities around the state.
"The coalition envisions an Arkansas where everyone -- no matter their age, background, race, gender, disability, or status -- has the opportunity to live meaningful, fulfilling lives in strong, thriving communities," said Candace Williams, co-chair for Arkansas Coalition for Strong Families and executive director of the Rural Community Alliance. "That is why we are all here today. To have this coalition join together to advocate for that strong Arkansas and those strong communities that we all want."
The coalition is made up of a group of organizations working on mental health care, education, disability rights, racial equity, and family economic well-being, among other issues.
"For the past 10 years, our state budget has been shrinking and outcomes for kids have gotten worse," said Syard Evans, co-chair of the coalition, in a news release. "This is not a coincidence. We need to be investing in housing, childcare, nutrition and healthcare."
Coalition members include: the American Association of University Women-Arkansas; Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families; Arkansas Association for Infant Mental Health; Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese; Arkansas Community Organizations, Arkansas Education Association; Arkansas Public Policy Panel; Arkansas Support Network; Arkansas Waiver Association; Citizens First Congress; Disability Rights Arkansas; Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas; Marshallese Education Association; Rural Community Alliance; Urban League of the State of Arkansas and About Arkansas Coalition for Strong Families.
Ideas released by the coalition for the 2023 legislative agenda include: extended Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months; increasing access to period products in schools by amending Act 933 of 2021; eliminating sales tax on period products; establishing supported decision-making and alternative guardianship; allowing online voter registration and more.
"The past two years have made clear the importance of community investments and public services," Williams said. "Now is the time for the state to do its part and build an economy that works for everyday Arkansans."
Bruno Showers, senior policy analyst for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said the organizations have met for about a year and half and have found that having healthy children, thriving communities and a strong care workforce should be top priorities.
"It's very hard for us to succeed as a state if we don't have healthy kids. Because if the kids are not healthy, then it makes it hard for them to do well at school and it makes it hard for them to grow up and reach their full potential," he said. "If those kids grow up to reach their full potential, but there is nowhere for them to thrive here in Arkansas, then that doesn't help us either."
Christian Adcock, voting rights and public policy specialist for Disability Rights Arkansas, said online voter registration is important because allows those with disabilities the ability to register without having to leave their home.
"Individuals with disabilities will have trouble with postage; they could have issues with transportation, and they could have issues with even handwriting on the forms required for voter registration," Adcock said. "Additionally, online voter registration is a good idea for the state because it saves money and reduces the workload for county officials which leads to more accurate voter roles."
Alternative guardianship also was discussed, with Adcock pointing out that most don't realize this means giving up their right to vote.
"Rather than one-size-fits-all measures for individuals to receive the help they need to live independently in their communities, such as a guardianship, we could look into something like supportive decision-making or other methods that are less restrictive," Adcock said.
He said this would allow people to maintain the maximum amount of freedom and would increase productive outcomes.
Act 933 of 2021 allowed public schools and open-enrollment public charter schools to use funding to provide feminine hygiene products at no charge, but Maria Jones, co-president of the Arkansas affiliate of the American Association of University Women, said this isn't enough.
"There are still schools relying on community donations and school nurses, and teachers are still having to pay some of their own money to make sure these things are available for kids so they won't miss class," Jones said.
The coalition wants to amend Act 933 to require that period products be more easily accessible and be made available to lower grades free of charge.
Jones said it is also time for the state to eliminate the luxury tax on feminine hygiene products.
"We call it the 'tampon tax,' and it costs Arkansas consumers around $2 million to $3 million a year," she said. "Twenty-eight states have removed the tampon tax in their state. We are encouraging legislators to try to get this passed again in the 2023 session."