Talk Business & Politics Daily: The Rep. Reggie Murdock is in the House edition

Editor’s note: You can watch the full video of today’s Talk Business & Politics Daily at the end of this report, or download an audio version through the iTunes store under “Talk Business & Politics.”
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Thursday’s Talk Business & Politics Daily digital newscast features State Rep. Reggie Murdock, D-Marianna, who discusses his take on insurance rate adjustments, educational adequacy, pre-K and Donald Trump.

Murdock, vice-chair of the Health Reform Task Force, was in town earlier this week for a committee hearing. He has concerns about the stability of the private option market, but isn’t prepared to make a prediction on how things might play out.

TB&P: Insurance rate adjustments. There is a hearing going on earlier this week about some of the insurance companies wanting rate adjustments for the private option and the exchanges. Are you worried that the exchanges may be in some jeopardy as a result of some of this volatility?

Rep. Murdock: I have some concern there… I want to see it play out and see exactly what the input is that we are going to get from these participants to see exactly what they are saying. Some you know – rate conversation, increased conversation, makes sense – so I just want to play it out and don’t want to make a prediction right now as to where we are going with that. But there is concern, obviously, whenever there is this type of conversation.

TB&P: In 2017, tell me a piece of legislation that you are going to be willing to put your name on as a sponsor.

Murdock: Wow, there’s two or three things that are very important specifically in the educational arena as we deal with adequacy and opportunity to address the ten poverty districts that we are really dealing with specifically in the state that are being affected by this. How do we solve this? We are here now, I am here at the capitol now in a working group and we are trying to deal with adequacy so we can try to really address the issues along with ForwARd Arkansas being a part of something that they are coming. They are partnered with ADE (Arkansas Department of Education), so I’m excited about the potential of that. We are still going to see what that looks like, but I am really interested to be a part of that effort.

TB&P: In 2017 can you guys cut taxes and fund pre-k education?

Murdock: I am concerned with funding pre-K education to way beyond the limits that we’ve done in the past. Cutting taxes at this point has to make sense. I mean I am not against cutting taxes, but I am certainly not in favor of cutting taxes with some of the other cuts that I’ve seen to services and specifically some of the other areas not being addressed. So I don’t, at this time, see cutting taxes as a viable option for the overall growth of the state of Arkansas in the areas that really need growth.

TB&P: But you might be in the minority on that in terms of where the votes are…

Murdock: Absolutely. I may be, but all I have is my voice and I’ll advocate as much as I can to those in the majority so that they will become sensitive to what the minority is experiencing and so that our whole state can grow… We can’t just continue to allow the rich to get richer, if you will, in hopes that they will somehow ingratiate or encapsulate the others. Let’s make sure that we address all areas when we come to these types of situations.

Murdock, a Hillary Clinton for President supporter, was also asked what advice he might have for GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Watch the video below for his response.

Also on today’s program, George Jared, TB&P’s Northeast Arkansas reporter, shares thoughts on a wet/dry legal challenge that may have statewide ramifications and the latest controversy surrounding two convention centers in Jonesboro. And, we go Inside the Numbers for a look at 3 numbers making an impact in politics.