ROGERS -- None of the state House candidates attending a legislative forum Thursday are ready to sign off on the governor's plan to reorganize state government, with each saying they want to see details first.
"Kids are getting lost in the bureaucracy already, and I worry about the mission of those organizations being lost," said District 95 candidate Celeste Williams of Bella Vista. "I need to sit down and look at how they are being lumped together." Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced his plan, if he is re-elected, to merge the 42 agencies reporting directly to him into 15 in the next legislative session, which begins in January.
The Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce hosted the hour-long forum for candidates in the District 90, 92 and 95 House races. Each race has a Democrat and a Republican nominee for the Nov. 6 general election. One candidate for each race attended the event at 6 p.m. at Rogers City Hall: Rep. Jana Della Rosa, R-Rogers, the incumbent in District 90; Gayla Hendren McKenzie of Gravette, Republican nominee for District 92; and Williams, a Democrat in District 95.
Della Rosa is opposed by Kati McFarland of Bethel Heights, a Democrat. Chris Birch, a Democrat from Gravette, is running against McKenzie for an open seat. Williams is challenging incumbent Rep. Austin McCollum, R-Bentonville. Early voting begins Oct. 22.
Della Rosa said she supports the reorganization in principle. "I'm likely to support it but I make no promises to ever vote for any bill before I see it because the devil's always in the details," she said. Although the governor has outlined his plan, the implementing legislation hasn't been introduced yet. McKenzie agreed, adding as a private business owner she's inclined to let a chief executive decide how he needs to organize but still wants to see the details first.
There are no easy answers on how to find more money for highways, all three candidates agreed. They also agreed getting more money for roads is a top priority for voters in each of their districts. Hutchinson said he'll encourage legislators to put a measure on the ballot for voters to consider in the 2020 election.
"I don't know how we are going to raise the money for what we truly need," said Della Rosa. Roads conditions are deteriorating to the point repairs will not do. Replacement or rebuilding will soon be necessary on much of the highway system, and that will cost five times as much as repair, she said.
"I would love to see a solution that does not involve new taxes," Della Rosa said.
McKenzie said the state needs to consider making state taxes on fuel a percentage of the price of fuel instead of a flat rate of 21.5 percent for gasoline, for instance. That rate has remained flat while fuel prices have increased for years. Fuel prices and the costs of highway repairs and material closely correlate, she said.
Williams questioned the wisdom of a proposed state income tax cut, another priority of the governor for the next session, when the state has glaring needs for money for highways among other things, such as expanding pre-kindergarten classes.
"No, I'm not for cutting taxes further when we cannot pave our roads now," Williams said.
On the topic of pre-K, McKenzie said such programs should be targeted to children in need. Children with a good home environment will learn as well without it but children from disruptive home environments cannot do well without it. As the system works now, public schools with a pre-K option offer it to all student. Della Rosa said she supports expanding pre-K but, again, that raises the question of where the taxpayers would get the money.
On education, McKenzie said she was frustrated at schools "hiring coaches and asking them if they can teach math. How about we hire math teachers and ask them 'Can you coach?' We need to quit asking coaches to teach algebra."
All three candidates said they would support the "Arkansas Works" health care program run by the state, which subsidizes private insurance policies for the working poor rather than expand Medicaid, as the federal government had originally expected. The federal government agreed to waivers to allow Arkansas to adopt the plan.
"Yes, I support it because nobody's come up with a better idea," Della Rosa said.
NW News on 10/05/2018