Bipartisan efforts to make sure children get check-ups, dental cleanings, vaccines and other health care regardless of their income bracket have long been a point of pride in Arkansas, and rightly so.

In 1997, nearly 25% of children in the state lacked the health insurance coverage needed to make medical care affordable for their families. By 2016, thanks to a program started by then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Republican, only 4.1% of Arkansas children were uninsured. This marked the rare instance where the state was not only not at the very bottom of socioeconomic rankings, but actually beating the national average.

That significant progress is now being lost, according to a report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families .

“After reaching a historic low of 4.1% in 2016, the unin

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