Arkansas Legislative leaders seek quick action on big issues

The leaders of the Arkansas House and Senate hope the Legislature takes quick action on Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson’s middle class tax cut and on the private option, and both say there is little interest in the Legislature for building a $100 million prison.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, and Speaker of the House Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, said Hutchinson’s $100 million tax cut plan will be an early priority, one that Dismang said the Legislature “might could get behind us in the first couple of weeks of the session.”

The two legislators, both White County residents and both graduates of Beebe High School, spoke to reporters Tuesday during a capitol forum sponsored by the Arkansas Associated Press Managing Editors.

Both also hope the private option is settled early in the session. The program, which uses federal dollars to purchase private health insurance for lower-income Arkansans through the state’s insurance exchange, was barely passed in 2013 and barely reauthorized in 2014.

Dismang, one of the program’s primary architects, said new legislators are still gathering information on the program. He said it’s “too early to say” if a path to reauthorization exists.

“I have faith in my colleagues – not faith that they’re going to reauthorize the program, but I think that they’re going to be diligent in how they approach the program,” he said.

Dismang said the Legislature will pass a package of Medicaid reforms “with or without the private option.” He said greater emphasis will be placed on the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, created by the Legislature in 2013.

Ahead of the Q&A with Dismang and Gillam, Hutchinson told reporters that he would make a major speech on health care reform that would outline his positions on these items.

Both said they have talked to no members who support a proposed $100 million state prison but have heard from a number who oppose it. They both said they also oppose it.