Budget chair says Game & Fish fate in Governor’s hands for special session call; tax cut prospects look positive

State Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Beebe, co-chair of the Joint Budget Committee, says the governor is the only person who can help the legislature resolve its impasse over the Game & Fish Commission budget now that lawmakers have adjourned their fiscal session.

Gov. Sarah Sanders must call the General Assembly into a special session to pass the Game & Fish Commission budget that failed to get the votes needed in the Arkansas House of Representatives before adjournment.

“The only way that we can resolve it is, at this point, is through a special session. Which, you know, despite my feelings, I just wish we weren’t in that posture. There is no reason that the legislature take its one most important function and delegates it to the executive branch,” Dismang said on this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics.

Lawmakers were split over paying the executive director of the Game & Fish Commission an additional $40,000 or less in a pay increase. A special session will cost at least $100,000 to convene.

Dismang also said that state finances were healthy enough that lawmakers will have confidence in making future tax cuts to the personal and corporate income tax rates. Over the last decade, legislators have whittled the top personal income tax rate down steadily from 7% to a 4.4% personal income tax rate. Dismang said 4% will be within striking distance based on current economic conditions.

“I think with the reserves that we have in place, with the catastrophic reserve that have we in place, we’re positioned to do something fairly significant, and I think the numbers justify that,” he said.

When pressed if a 4% top tax rate was possible, Dismang said maybe.

“I think you may get close based on where we are. I mean if you’re showing another surplus that’s going to bump around $400-$600 million… I think you’re justifying a fairly significant cut,” he added.

You can watch Dismang’s full interview in the video below.