State GOP focuses on gains, unity

Party committee re-elects chief in post-election meeting

BENTON -- Arkansas Republicans started their state committee meeting Saturday with applause for President-elect Donald Trump, but their main focus was on gains made for the party at the state and local level.


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During the meeting, officials preached unity among the surging number of Republicans in state and local office and told them, "Don't screw it up."

In interviews, Doyle Webb, who was re-elected chairman of the state party Saturday, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson said more disagreement among party members is possible as their numbers increase. But both also stressed that debate is healthy.

"As the party grows, there will always be room for differing ideas, and I'm hopeful we approach that as families do, listen to divergent views and then come together and move forward together," Webb said.

Just 11 percent of partisan offices in the state were held by Republicans in 2010, Webb said. Now, the party holds 40 percent of partisan offices in the state -- most of those at the county or city level.

The state Republican party also has a larger majority in the General Assembly. Republicans picked up nine seats in the 100-member House because of last month's election, and two Democrats have since switched parties. Republicans also picked up two seats in the 35-member Senate.

In total, 101 Republicans and 34 Democrats are expected to serve in the state House and Senate next year, but the number of Republicans could grow further, Webb said.

"You never know when someone decides that they should switch, not because their values have changed, but because their values align closer with ours," he said. "There have been conversations with others who are considering switching parties."

The governor has said he would ask the Arkansas Legislature to enact an income tax cut that would take effect Jan. 1, 2019. It would reduce general revenue by $25 million in fiscal 2019 and by $50 million a year thereafter.

But other Republican lawmakers have said they want to cut income taxes by more than $100 million a year. The cuts would be financed in part by keeping the sales tax on groceries at 1.5 percent, rather than cutting it to 0.125 percent as a 2013 law requires.

"As you grow larger and your party becomes larger, more diverse, you're obviously going to have differences of opinion, and so it's about managing those," Hutchinson said in an interview Saturday.

"I look at the legislative session. We've never had this large of a majority before, and I recognize there's going to be some differences, there's going to be some fights in there, and that's all good. I've always believed that you have to win in the marketplace of ideas. We don't want to stop being an idea party.

"I think that debate is healthy, and if you don't have that debate, you become stagnant."

During the meeting, U.S. Rep. French Hill outlined why he thought Trump won the presidential election. Hill said Democrat Hillary Clinton saw low unemployment numbers and never recognized that there was little to no ongoing economic growth in rural areas.

Hill said that in his district -- composed of Van Buren, Conway, Faulkner, White, Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties -- there are only 3,000 more people working now than in July 2007.

According to Hill, Republicans have gained seats at the state level throughout the South.

He said Republicans in 2009 controlled about 37 percent of the seats in general assemblies throughout the country. Now, the party holds about 72 percent of seats in general assemblies, he said.

Republicans should be proud but stay vigilant for 2018, Hill said.

"Y'all think that's a cakewalk? No. Off-year election. Donald Trump president," he said. "Who loses seats in an off-year election? Party in charge."

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who stumped for Trump in dozens of television appearances, said she had met with the president-elect but had no announcement concerning a possible job in his administration.

A rumor began Friday when her parents parked a moving truck outside of her house to deliver a few pieces of furniture, she said.

"There's no announcement to be made today," she said. "I love being your attorney general. I'm honored to be your attorney general."

Webb said he would continue to be paid $60,000 per year, with a possible $38,000 bonus if he met fundraising goals.

More than 150 people attended the meeting Saturday.

Metro on 12/04/2016

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