Arkansas Legislature tackled big items during session

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected]

The Arkansas Legislature handled a lot of it’s business, but one major item still remains. Here’s a recap of the General Assembly’s big to-do agenda.

Budget
The legislature approved a $4.6 billion budget packed with more money for schools and prisons, but austere in many other areas. The General Assembly blocked Gov. Mike Beebe’s proposed 1.86% pay increase for state employees … and went further on tax relief.

Tax cuts
Beebe proposed taking another half-cent off the sales tax on groceries and argued that no further tax cuts could be afforded. Lawmakers disagreed and pushed through an additional 5 tax cut measures for a total of $35 million in tax relief. The areas of additional tax relief included used cars, low-income heads of households, manufacturers, tourism and back-to-school shoppers.

Prisons
A hallmark piece of legislation to reform prison and sentencing standards sailed through the General Assembly after a compromise was struck with prosecutors. Beebe warned that slowing state spending on prisons during the next decade would be crucial to maintaining the state’s criminal justice system. The reforms included reducing sentencing for lower-level drug offenders to free up space for more violent criminals.

Health care
It became one of the most contentious issues of the session. New GOP lawmakers fought passionately to stop the state from spending and implementing a $1 million grant for federal health care reform. In the end, state regulators got the money, but agreed to involve legislators through an interim study of health care exchanges during the next year while the fate of the federal measure is decided in the U.S. Congress and courts.

Highways
Speaker of the House Robert Moore successfully pushed through measures that could refer to voters to two tax hike proposals for highway construction and maintenance. If approved, a half-cent sales tax hike would generate $1.7 billion for four-lane highway construction. Another proposal refers a five-cent diesel fuel tax increase to pay for up to $1.1 billion in interstate building and maintenance.

Ethics
There were advances made in reforming legislative ethics, although some critics said efforts could have gone further. State lawmakers agreed to make more uniform reimbursement rates for out-of-state travel by allowing themselves to only be paid for the lowest travel costs allowed. A second provision restricts future state lawmakers from lobbying the Arkansas legislature until after a one-year "cooling off" period expires. A third bill, yet to be signed by the Governor, calls for a "cooling off" period for state regulators.

Redistricting
The biggest item left undone for this session could prove the trickiest. Legislators were unable to agree on a map to redraw Congressional District lines. A map known as "Fayetteville to the Fourth" made it through the House on a party line vote, but Senators never advanced a plan. They plan to regroup on Monday and try again.