Summary
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders proposed a $6.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year, with half of the $182.5 million spending increase allocated to a school voucher program.
The plan boosts funding for private and home-school expenses to $187 million and sets aside $90 million in reserves for the program.
Critics warn the program could divert resources from public schools, potentially leaving them underfunded as voucher costs grow
The budget also includes $13 million for maternal health, $50 million for corrections, and $3 million to raise state employee pay, but some lawmakers criticized reliance on one-time funds.