Analysis: Platform change gives Democrats opening on pre-k

(AP) — The Arkansas Republican Party's decision to remove any mention of pre-kindergarten from its platform gives Democrats a new line of attack on what they view as a popular issue.

The platform change at the state GOP convention earlier this month came after some delegates cited fears prekindergarten could become mandatory in the state, rather than voluntary, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

There's no sign that Republican hopeful Donald Trump's polling woes nationally will make Arkansas competitive in the presidential race this fall.

[...] state Democrats hope it could still spill over to a handful of legislative races, and they see pre-k as a popular program that can help in connecting to voters in those districts.

With Hutchinson eyeing another round of income tax cuts when the Legislature returns in January, expect Democrats to remind Republicans of their platform change when pre-k funding comes up.