Normally when the General Assembly of Arkansas meets in regular session, the rallying cry for those of us who aren't elected officials is: Watch your wallet. But what's the rallying cry supposed to be this time, when tax cuts are on the agenda? Washington may be broken, but Arkansas isn't.
This regular session of the 92nd General Assembly (you don't look a day over 91) has a lot going on. Which is normal for a regular session. What's not normal is the font of good ideas this year.
For best example, take the governor's plan to cut taxes--again. It's a habit of his, and one that most of us like. Now, whether the approved plan is the 2-4-5.9 plan or Option A, or a combination of both, or neither if a better plan comes along, at least your taxes will be going down, Gentle Reader. (We think. There's still a fix that needs to be included for some taxpayers. You-know-who is always in the details.)
The point is to get Arkansas more in line with its neighbors when it comes to taxes. We think state Sen. Jim Hendren put it best when he was quoted in the paper over the weekend: "The goal of getting the top rate below 6 [percent] so we don't stand out in the region as the highest-taxed state in the South still has a good chance of passing." Let's hope so.
Still, we've been pushing an idea now for a couple of years that would seem to do even more good for the state, if we could only get a state senator or representative to put it up for debate: Why not include a five-year moratorium on income taxes for people who move to Arkansas? This state could make a splash--and the national business pages--by passing such a law. Because reducing the Arkansas income tax for everybody by a marginal amount is only going to have marginal results. Arkansas could do something bolder, something unique, and tell folks willing to move here that they'd be spared income taxes for half a decade.
Such a rule would put Arkansas on a more than competitive basis with other states for new residents--and not just border states. Imagine somebody in New Jersey or Vermont looking for a four-season state, and hearing that Arkansas would grant them five years with no income taxes to pay. If other states are offering such a deal, we haven't heard of it. And, no, the state wouldn't lose a dime in general revenue--because these people aren't living here now. In fact, every bank account a new person brings with them would stimulate more economic growth.
This doesn't have to be a dream. It could happen, if we only would.
Here's looking forward to the reorg that the governor proposes. Does the governor of Arkansas really need 42 agencies reporting to him? Fifteen sounds about right.
A work requirement for Arkansas Works would make the whole thing more palatable for conservative lawmakers. We the People should vote on whether we want better highways. (We do.) And the Internet is old enough now that it can pay its fair share of taxes. That should be an easy call.
We also like the idea of a red-flag law, like other states have. A family or the local sheriff should be able to petition a court to take away somebody's firearms. A judge would have to decide; this wouldn't be an excuse to harass the neighbors. Anybody whose family or friends go to a court on something like this really should ask: Is something really wrong? It's doubtful these requests will become normal court proceedings, but the few that occur might save a lot of lives down the road. Including the person in question.
More bills will certainly make the news in the coming weeks. Here's hoping that the majority of them do more good than harm. And Arkansas shows the feds how government is done.
Ain't that a hoot?
Editorial on 01/15/2019