What about the ‘other’ state highway bill

Our View

What about the ‘other’ state highway bill

As we’ve pointed out, there was no lack of “brilliant ideas” that came out of this recent special legislative session called by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to deal with the state’s crumbling roads besides what the governor wanted and eventually got.

Anyone keeping up with this age-old problem that goes back many years with no real long-term acceptable solution. Now then, there has certainly been no shortage of critics of Gov. Hutchinson’s plan, including our very own Sen. Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis.

We won’t waste this space rehashing Hutchinson’s plan other than to say it calls for no new taxes, and utilizes existing revenues, unlike what so other proposed legislation that was presented.

Most anyone who has kept up with this issue knows our disdain for the arrogance that has been displayed by one Arkansas senator by the name of Jimmy Hickey of Texarkana.

Hickey’s latest display of thinking that he should be sitting where Gov. Hutchinson is now came in the form of proposed legislation that called for circumventing the vote of the people and raising gasoline taxes by eight cents and also raising the tax on diesel fuel. Such action would have resulted in Arkansas’ fuel taxes to be substantially higher than any neighboring state and clearly negatively impacting thousands of struggling Arkansans.

But, we were e-mailed a copy of Senate Bill 12 , also sponsored by Hickey, one that Sen. Ingram said he supported, that called for “a one-time transfer of $40 million from the state’s so-called “Rainy Day” fund and given to the State Highway and Transportation Department.

Plus, the bill called for the state Treasure to make a one-time transfer of another $1.5 million to the highway fund only in fiscal year 2017.

From what we read into the bill, this was a one time transfer for one year, effective and there is no mention in Senate Bill 12 that called for raising fuel taxes.

And, there is no mention of what would occur when this (also) short-term temporary fix ended in a year but, our guess is Hickey would have tried to sneak in his higher tax plan without the input of the taxpaying citizens of Arkansas.

Ingram has made it clear he is opposed to draining budget surpluses, and says Hutchinson’s method is a big gamble. He said it has always been a basic principal of governing in Arkansas that users pay for the cost of maintaining roads (taxes), and said there is a basic unfairness in asking senior citizens, children and poor people to pay for the upkeep of highways.

Ingram said he supported Hickey’s Senate Bill 12 that was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee because it contained a sunset provision that would compel the legislature to deal with long-term solution to the state’s road issues.

“Under the situation I felt it was the best alternative,” Ingram said, adding, “There is a possibility that the Legislature will consider a better highway package when we convene in regular session next January.”

It will certainly be interesting to see what actually develops between now and the first of the year.

But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

BIBLE VERSE

30:1-20

Deuteronomy