Arkansas Senate Report: Tax accord, public safety and amendments

Editor’s note: Arkansas Sen. Jake Files, R-Fort Smith, provided the following commentary on the previous week of the 88th Arkansas General Assembly.

The end of the Session is drawing nigh, and there is still a lot to be accomplished, but last week saw several items marked off the list in terms of completion.

There was an accord on tax cuts, the Public Safety Improvement Act, and the narrowing of Constitutional Amendments just to name a few. I anticipate that you will continue to see big action in this week as we are still aiming for an April 1 dismissal.

The Tax Cut Accord was something that took much negotiating and compromise as you finally see what will save Arkansans around $35 Million dollars next year (and more in the future). There was the grocery tax cut that was championed by Gov. Mike Beebe, a manufacturing tax cut that was fought for by me and several others, a used car tax cut, a sales-tax holiday like so many of our neighboring states, and a couple of other smaller tax bills as well.

The money will come from projected growth in next year’s fiscal budget, thereby ensuring that necessary services will not be hindered but additional services will be put on notice. Arkansas is one of but a few states, and very few indeed, that are cutting taxes and keeping their fiscal house in order. Very un-Washington like, if you ask me.

Note for the future — Government spending must be reviewed line-by-line in the next Session, but more on that another day.

The Public Safety Improvement Act was passed by the House and will be signed into law on today (Mar. 22). Everyone who participated in the Governor’s Working Group is excited about the opportunities that this will provide, but we also are going to be diligent about making sure the recommendations are followed and necessary outcomes are achieved. This could prove to be one of the best and most lasting things we do this Session, and I look forward to seeing positive results in the future.

On another front, every Session, the Legislature has the option to refer three Constitutional Amendments to the voters for the next General Election. The process is fairly simple. The Senate State Agencies Committee selects a few, and the House State Agencies Committee selects a few. They then form a Joint Committee and vote on the ones they like best. The Senate sent two to that Joint Committee this year.

First, a Resolution by Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson to bring the Highway Department under Legislative oversight, and second, a Resolution sponsored by me to create an economic development option for cities and counties for non-industrial development (STAR bonds), among other things. I am quite hopeful that my Amendment gets referred to the voters because it helps Arkansas stay on track with what some other progressive (and I don’t mean this in the liberal ideology way) states are doing and helps us be more competitive.

This week, we should also flesh out what the referred Amendments will be, and I hope other legislators see things as I do in this regard.

Redistricting will take center stage these last two weeks as well, as Congressional Lines are drawn by the Legislature. The actual House and Senate districts are done by the Board of Apportionment (Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General) later this spring (hopefully).

If no plans are agreed to, then it will be referred to the Courts to make this decision. There are several plans in circulation, and I believe most of the more credible plans have Sebastian County staying put in the 3rd Congressional District, which is what seems to be the prevailing thought from everyone I have heard from in the district.

It is very hectic around the Capitol as committee calendars are backed up from so many bills being filed in the last few weeks and some long days are ahead.

I continue to get great feedback on the progress we are making, and I encourage anyone to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, or opinions. While we may not all agree on every item, your contact helps me make better informed decisions, and I want to continue to represent our area as best I can in Little Rock.

The direct phone to the Senate is (501) 682-2901, and my e-mail is [email protected]