Category Archives: Elections

Highway tax supporters might keep this in mind

Elections, Legislature, Politics, State government

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Supporters of the legislatively referred constitutional amendment that’s most likely to pass in 2020 might want to think about how they’ll distance their proposal from the two that probably won’t.

The one that’s most likely to pass would indefinitely extend a half-cent sales tax for highways. Voters first passed the tax with 58 percent support in 2012 to fund the Connecting Arkansas Program, but it’s due to expire in 2023. Pre-legislative session polling by supporters found an extension had similar support. Gov. Asa Hutchinson made fixing roads a priority this session. The state’s most powerful business groups were big supporters. Lawmakers were hearing from constituents who want the potholes filled.

In response, legislators placed the extension on the 2020 ballot – one of three proposals the Constitution allows them to make.

One problem for highway supporters could be the other two. Continue reading Highway tax supporters might keep this in mind →

Did you know there’s an election coming up?

Education, Elections

Alabama, blue wave, school boards, Hixson, Breanne, red tide, judicial electionsBy Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Elections are approaching, but they won’t be covered by the 24-hour national news stations. You won’t see 30-second ads on any Arkansas TV stations, either.

I’m talking about the annual school elections, which will be May 21. Early voting begins May 14.

When it comes to political glamor, school board elections rank somewhere around the county clerk’s race. The state’s nearly 1,500 board members don’t run under party labels and aren’t paid for their service. (Pay varies across the country. Many make nothing. In Mississippi, they get $67 per meeting or a flat $2,400 a year. In Los Angeles, they received a 174 percent raise in 2017 to $125,000.) In Arkansas, board members have no power individually and no power when not participating in a called meeting. If you complain to your board member about some issue at school, he or she is supposed to direct you to someone who gets paid to fix it.

But they do play important roles. Probably their most important is hiring and firing the superintendent. They work with school administrators to pass a budget and set policy (while being constrained by many state and federal dictates). School boards decide when it’s time to ask the community for a millage increase to pay for a new building. There is evidence that good boards are associated with improved student performance. Continue reading Did you know there’s an election coming up? →

Webb chairs Arkansas’ new majority party

Elections, Politics

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

As of this past election cycle, the Republican Party can be described as the majority party in Arkansas, and its chairman had something to do with that happening.

It may surprise you to learn that Republicans only now are the majority. The party has controlled all congressional seats and statewide offices since 2014 and three-fourths of the Legislature since 2016.

But Democrats still controlled enough local offices to maintain a majority of the total partisan offices in Arkansas. As of 2016, Republicans controlled 621 of the 1,524 total offices, not counting constables and not counting municipal offices, which often aren’t partisan. That’s less than 41 percent.

The flip occurred this past election. The Republican Party of Arkansas says the party controls 754 seats, or 49.48 percent. Eight more offices would be half, but independents occupy some offices, so almost certainly there are more Republicans than Democrats.

It’s been a historic turnaround since 2008, when Republicans controlled only 220 offices, or 14 percent. Continue reading Webb chairs Arkansas’ new majority party →

Term limits proposals not limited to one

Elections, Legislature, Politics

LegislatureBy Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Arkansans will vote on changing the state’s term limits law in 2020. In fact, they might vote on two proposals, and at the moment, they have the same name.

On Monday, the House voted 51-26 to advance the Arkansas Term Limits Amendment by Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale. It now is in the Senate, where it originated, for approval of a technical amendment. The first version passed that chamber, 27-3.

The proposed amendment would change the limit to 12 consecutive years of legislative service, and then legislators could run for office again after sitting out four years. Legislators currently are limited to 16 years combined in the House and Senate, plus two more for senators if they only served part of a term because lines are redrawn every 10 years after the census. Once term limited, they cannot return to the Legislature. Continue reading Term limits proposals not limited to one →