TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
A STATE UNITED AGAINST HUNGER BY ARKANSAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE CAROL DALBY
A s your representative, one of my top priorities is to ensure that every Arkansan has access to the food they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives. In our great state, more than 567,000 people, about 18.6% of our population, experience food insecurity, meaning they don’t always know where their next meal is coming from. Tragically, this includes nearly one in four of our children. Our state’s food insecurity rate is the second highest in the nation, and it’s been steadily increasing since 2020. This issue is both pressing and personal, and the General Assembly is working hard to address it. As legislators, we understand that hunger is not just a matter of food—it’s a matter of health, education, and overall well-being. To that end, we have been working on a range of legislative actions to reduce food insecurity and improve access to nutritious food. Below are some of the key pieces of legislation that we are pushing
grocery taxes, so local governments can still fund vital services. However, this legislation is a step in the right direction by helping to make groceries more affordable for all Arkansas residents. The bill has been assigned to the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, and we are hopeful it will move forward quickly. The Good Neighbor Act: HB1682 A critical part of fighting hunger is ensuring that food donations flow smoothly from donors to food banks, which play a pivotal role in getting food to those in need. This is why we have introduced HB1682, the Good Neighbor Act. This bill would expand liability protections for food donors, including retail grocers, wholesalers, hotels, motels, restaurants, caterers, farmers, nonprofit food distributors, schools, churches, religious organizations, and hospitals. These protections ensure donors are shielded from legal repercussions when donating food in good faith to food banks or other charitable organizations. Food banks are lifelines for many Arkansans, and we want to encourage more donations to these organizations. By expanding liability protections, the Good Neighbor Act helps ensure that more nutritious food can be safely distributed to those who need it most. This bill has been assigned to the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee for review, and we are working diligently to get it passed. Free Breakfast for Students: Act 123 We know that children who are well-nourished are better equipped to succeed academically. Studies consistently show that
forward to combat hunger in Arkansas. Eliminating the Grocery Tax: HB1685
A major step forward in addressing hunger is reducing the burden of living costs on Arkansas families. In this session, we introduced HB1685, which aims to eliminate the state’s 0.125% sales tax on groceries. Govenor Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently announced this bill, which would return approximately $10.9 million annually to Arkansas taxpayers. For families who are already struggling to make ends meet, this tax break will ease the pressure on their grocery bills. Although this bill will provide relief to many families, it’s important to note that it does not affect county and municipal
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