Kerr Hits Graves On Support Of $17 Million In New Taxes

A mailer from Rep. Allen Kerr hit his Democratic opponent Barbara Graves for her prior support for a Pulaski County tax increase.

“In 2006, if Barbara Graves had gotten her way, she would have raised taxes on Little Rock residents by $17 million per year,” reads the mailer.

The tax increase they are talking about was a proposed quarter-cent Pulaski County sales tax to fund a new county jail.  The proposal was rejected by the voters 58% to 43% in a special election.

“I’m absolutely for it,” said Graves during the election in an interview with the Arkansas Times. “The jail is just a tool that we need to use. It’s a quality of life issue, an economic development issue and a safety issue. It’s a mushroom issue, because if it doesn’t pass, we’ll feel the problems even more. Right now, we’re writing tickets and citations for very serious crimes. Unless I kill you, they will just write me a ticket. We don’t have that tool in our toolbox.”

At the time, Graves was challenging Mark Stodola for Little Rock city mayor. She ended up losing that election with 24 % of the vote.

The mailer also highlights Kerr’s record for voting to cut taxes on grocery tax cut, used cars, taxes on utilities for manufacturers, the sales tax holiday, sales of property, and income taxes for heads of household.

I would expect these types of mailers to be a reoccurring theme in state legislative elections across the state.