Category Archives: Legislature

What I was talking about

Debt and deficits, Legislature

My Arkansas News Bureau column this week took state legislators to task for cutting taxes without first cutting spending. My point: With the state already owing the federal government $330 million for unemployment benefits, the responsible path would be to cut spending, pay down the state debt, and then cut taxes – in that order. You never know when unexpected expenses may occur.

Such as the $23.5 million legislators learned about yesterday that the state will have to pay in state employee salaries because the calendar squeezes in an extra pay period this year. It happens every 10 years, and of course, the calendar we use today was invented more than 400 years ago, so this shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

But it did, which is why responsible adults leave extra leeway when they think about reducing their revenues.

Read more about the $23.5 million shortfall here.

And if you’re interested, here is my column from Wednesday.

For Grand Master Lee, it was a “Land of Opportunity”

Legislature, State government

Grand Master Lee
Independent Arkansas acknowledges and even defends opposing points of view because healthy debate is the cornerstone of our democracy. And also because none of us have all the answers, even if we think we do.

I bring this up to share this anecdote about Rep. David Sanders’ efforts to change the state’s nickname from “The Natural State” back to “Land of Opportunity.” I have written on this blog and in my Arkansas News Bureau column that it’s my opinion that both nicknames are too vague to mean anything. Sanders argues that “Land of Opportunity” can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we see Arkansas as a land of opportunity, it can become one.

So here’s the anecdote. In 1977, Haeng Ung Lee moved the headquarters of the American Taekwondo Association from Omaha to Little Rock. It was the early days of the ATA, but since then it has grown into an organization representing 350,000 members worldwide. Its annual world championships attract 6,000 competitors and 20,000 spectators, making it the city’s largest annual convention. Grand Master Lee became a local legend. After he died in 2000, a $1.4 million memorial was erected in downtown Little Rock.

Why did he move here? According to the ATA’s current CEO, Jim Wolf, Lee always said there were two reasons. One was that the hills of northwest Arkansas reminded him of his native Korea. And the other was that he saw the words “Land of Opportunity” on a license plate and decided this was the place for him.

I haven’t changed my mind yet. But I thought this was worth sharing.

Column: Study medical weed more

Legislature, State government

My Arkansas News Bureau column this week is about medical marijuana. My take: If it helps certain medical patients, it should be legal – but only after it receives extensive study, just like we do with any other drug that is released to the public. The medical community needs to determine if smoking marijuana is beneficial and, if so, how best it can be administered. Law enforcement needs to weigh in on how marijuana can become a medical product without endangering other efforts to enforce drug laws.

You can read the column here.

Best less-government idea in a while

Legislature


Sen. Sue Madison (D-Fayetteville) has proposed eliminating the office of constable. It would require a constitutional amendment.

Amen. Constables, a throwback to bygone days, have the power of law enforcement officers but not necessarily the training, and they are not paid. They are not often utilized by the real law enforcement agencies with actual trained officers.

I’m sure there are a number of them who do their “job” responsibly, but there also are potentially a bunch of Barney Fifes running around. Get rid of the office and shorten the ballots, please.