New Group Formed To Contest Nelson Severance Tax Proposal

Sheffield Nelson’s effort to raise Arkansas’ severance tax on natural gas to 7% has formal opposition.

This past week, a ballot question committee called Arkansans for Jobs & Affordable Energy filed paperwork with the Arkansas Ethics Commission. The group will fight the severance tax proposal, which is collecting signatures in an effort to appear on the November 2012 general election ballot.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) has approved the proposal’s language.

Arkansans for Jobs & Affordable Energy defined its effort in its statement of organization in this manner: "The committee will seek to defeat the passage of the ‘The Natural Gas Severance Tax Act of 2012.’"

Randy Zook, President of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, is listed as the chair of the ballot question committee. Linda Linn of Conway is listed as vice-chair and Marcia Hillard of Jonesboro is listed as treasurer of the committee.

Zook, spokesman for the group, was not immediately available for comment due to his travel and participation on a 10-day business trip to China.