Democrats In Charlotte Still Focusing On Arkansas

As Arkansas Democrats descend on North Carolina and their national Charlotte convention, they are likely to focus on their home state as much as the home team.

That’s one of the takeaways from this report from James Jefferson with the Arkansas News Bureau:

So what will the focus of Arkansas Democrats be at the national convention? Arkansas.

The national assembly “gives us an opportunity to highlight to some of the other states our history of fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets,” Bond said as the state delegation prepared for the trip to North Carolina, where they planned events to celebrate former President Clinton, Gov. Mike Beebe and the state’s long history of Democratic rule.

“We’re excited to highlight their incredible record of fiscal responsibility,” Bond said.

Under Democratic leadership, Arkansas is one of four states to end the fiscal year with balanced budgets in each of the last three budget cycles. In slashing the state sales tax on groceries from 6 percent to 1.5 percent, Beebe and the Democratic-controlled Legislature have “returned to the taxpayers the largest tax cut in Arkansas history,” he said.

The party chairman also credited Democrats with increasing public education funding and, in a struggling economy, creating or announcing more than 28,000 new jobs.

“It’s important with regard to our Southern neighbors to hear the story of Arkansas Democrats,” Bond said. “Other Southern states have had more difficulties. We think it’s important not only to remind our own folks, but to let the others hear the record we think is impressive.”

Read more from Jefferson’s report at this link.