Sales tax reduction on food, partial birth abortion bills filed in Little Rock

Bills filed Friday (Jan. 16) in the 87th General Assembly include the following:

SB 88
This bill, filed by State Sen. Bobby Glover, D-Carlisle, is the much anticipated legislation that would further reduce the sales tax on food and food ingredients. The bill, if approved, would reduce the tax from 3% to 2%. Legislators from the Fort Smith area cosponsoring this bill are State Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, and State Sen. Ed Wilkinson, D-Greenwood.

HB 1113
This proposed bill would make it a felony to perform a partial birth abortion. The bill, which would not penalize the mother, is designed to replace a 1997 Arkansas Act that was ruled unconstitutional in 1999. State Rep. Stephanie Malone, R-Fort Smith, is a cosponsor of the bill and also is the niece of the late Fay Boozman. Boozman was the state health director prior to his accidental death and was the sponsor of the 1997 bill that attempted to ban partial birth abortions.

Other legislators from the Fort Smith region cosponsoring HB 1113 are State Sen. Sharon Trusty, R-Russellville, and State Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith.

SB 90
State Sen. Hank Wilkins, D-Pine Bluff, is seeking to impose a 5% excise tax on liquor and wine. A majority of the proceeds of the tax would support drug abuse prevention programs.

These proposed bills were among 16 posted on the Arkansas Legislature Web site as of 515 p.m.

Link here for more information from Roby Brock’s "The Political Buzz" about recent activity at the General Assembly.