Ready to roll

guest commentary by Arkansas Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith

For those into ceremony and tradition, the previous week was a big week at the State Capitol, interrupted only by the inclement weather, as central Arkansas received more than 6 inches of snow and ice on Sunday night (Jan. 9).

We began the 88th General Assembly on Monday, Jan. 10th, with all the new members being sworn in. It was historic in that Republicans occupied more seats in both Chambers than ever before, and it is yet to be determined how that will play out in terms of how business is conducted, how things will change, and how everyone gets along. I don’t anticipate any of the partisan gridlock or rhetoric that you see in Washington, but there is a definite sense that things are different.

On Tuesday, the Constitutional Officers were sworn in before a Joint Session of both Chambers. Gov. Mike Beebe was sworn in for his second term and presented formal remarks that outlined his agenda and budget, as well as general remarks.

He was well received and expressed how “fortunate” we were in Arkansas, and the “envy of 46 other states” who were dealing with budget shortfalls and deficits. He specifically identified education spending, which will receive a 2% increase in his budget, and corrections, which will be a big topic of interest as it relates to public safety and the rising costs to incarcerate.

In dealing with the budget and our economy, Arkansas has been blessed to have had Revenue Stabilization (fancy words for can’t spend more than you have). The positive part is that we haven’t posted large deficits that must be dealt with by current and future generations. The negative part is we typically spend everything that comes in.

This budget is based on a forecast of $125 million dollars in growth, and yes, we find a place for every dollar. There is a small amount of tax relief ($20 Million from a one-half percent grocery tax cut), but in my opinion, there could be a lot more. From almost every single person I talk to, there NEEDS to be a lot more.

The Governor was very clear in his speech that to cut more taxes, you need to identify the corresponding cuts in spending. Fair enough. I appreciate the fact that he is responsible and is looking to lead responsibly. I also think we as legislators have a responsibility to look for more ways to cut spending. The voters of this state were very clear in the General Election in my opinion. Stop the growth of government. Stop the spending. Start the transparency. Start the ethics reforms.

Moving on to the issue of criminals and corrections we have a big problem, and it is only getting bigger. The way we have dealt with crime and punishment is not working, and it has become much more expensive. Our incarcerations continue to increase, and we now are to the point of making hard decisions about how many prison beds we want to build, maintain, and staff now and in the future.

As many other states, we are dealing with how to adequately fund these decisions and improve public safety at the same time.

The Governor appointed a task force to work with the Pew Foundation on this issue, and I was asked to be a part of the group along with other legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, members of the judicial branch, and others. We presented a Consensus Report earlier this month that has recommendations that we hope to see acted on in the Session. They are not perfect, but we simply cannot continue on the path we are on without action. We are open to hearing opinions and seeking input, and the premise of the study was dealing with crime in a way that protects our citizens, punishes our criminals, and preserves our resources. Look for much more on this subject in the coming days, and I hope to hear from anyone who has an opinion for ways we can improve the system.

In closing, it would be nice if this week was optional for future Legislatures, as very little is done and a lot of time is wasted, but I doubt that will happen. For me, I am ready to get to the job we were elected to do and not waste a lot of time (or money) doing it.