Category Archives: Politics

Taxing cigarettes – both kinds

Health care, Politics, State government
Jim Hendren, tobacco tax
Sen. Jim Hendren is considering if tobacco taxes should be raised and if e-cigarette taxes should be enacted.

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

What do these five numbers mean to you: $795 million; $230 million; $1.15; 0; and 1.5 million?

This year, they might mean a tax increase on cigarettes, both the old-fashioned kind and the e-cigarette kind. Or at least, they might should.

The first two numbers compare what tobacco products cost Arkansas taxpayers through the Medicaid program, $795 million, vs. what tobacco taxes raise, $230 million.

The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement says Medicaid spends $795 million annually to treat tobacco-related illnesses among adults ages 30 to 65. That number doesn’t include older Arkansans, young people, or pregnancy-related health issues.

However, the state’s tobacco taxes only raised about $230 million in 2017. That’s about $565 million less than what Medicaid is spending.  Continue reading Taxing cigarettes – both kinds →

No State of the Union? Who would miss it?

Politics, U.S. Congress

Shutdown, impeach, Ryan, No Labels, SOTUBy Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

It just keeps getting worse and worse. That was my initial reaction after reading in the newspaper that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had blocked President Trump from giving the State of the Union address because of their disagreement over the government shutdown.

Upon further reflection: If it doesn’t happen, will anyone really miss it?

If the SOTU were an annual description of national challenges and solutions, it would be worthwhile. Instead, it is boring and pointless political theater.

Year after year, Americans are subjected to the same show. The president makes his way through the crowded aisles. He offers a laundry list of policy proposals, most of which have no chance of passing and often serve mostly to satisfy his base or some political interest group. His party’s members interrupt constantly with standing ovations while the opposing party’s members sit stone-faced. Then the opposing party gets its own speech.

That’s an hour-and-a-half we never get back, and of course it must be followed by pundits – which I guess I’m one – telling us what it all means.

It doesn’t have to be this way, and it wasn’t for much of the nation’s history. Continue reading No State of the Union? Who would miss it? →

Abortion debate continues inside, outside Capitol

Politics, State government
March for Life
Here’s part of the crowd at the March for Life Sunday. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tom Cotton and Rep. French Hill were among the speakers.

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

One issue will draw a large crowd to the Capitol steps on a near-freezing Sunday afternoon along with a smaller but fired up rally to represent the other side the day before. And it’s not Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s plan to combine state government agencies.

That issue is abortion, which was legalized nationwide by the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision 46 years ago.

Clearly, Arkansas’ Republican leadership is pro-life. The March for Life Jan. 20 featured brief remarks by Hutchinson, Sen. Tom Cotton, and U.S. Rep. French Hill. Most of Arkansas’ other statewide officials also participated, as did a number of state legislators.

Pamela Merritt, co-founder of Reproaction, and Philander Smith student and activist Maria Meneses were among the speakers at the Rally for Reproductive Justice.

Hutchinson pointed out that Arkansas ranks second in Americans United for Life’s “Life List” that ranks states based on their abortion laws, behind only Arizona. At least six abortion-related bills have been filed or will be filed this legislative session.

Sen. Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, has filed two of them. Senate Bill 2 would ban abortions when the child has or may have Down syndrome. Senate Bill 3 would require abortion providers to report complications to the state Department of Health, which would annually publish a report online. Senate Bill 149 by Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, would outlaw abortions in Arkansas if the Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade.

Arkansas Right to Life is pushing two bills.  Continue reading Abortion debate continues inside, outside Capitol →

Time for America to fake a punt?

Politics, U.S. Congress

NFLBy Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The 13-3 New Orleans Saints arguably were the best team in football this season – certainly better than the 9-7 Philadelphia Eagles, but they weren’t better than the Eagles during the first quarter last Sunday.

In their playoff matchup, the Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 lead. New Orleans couldn’t stop them or get anything started. Head Coach Sean Payton had to do something to Make the Saints Great Again.

And so, early in the second quarter, Payton called for a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from the New Orleans 30-yard-line. The Saints picked up four yards and scored a touchdown on that drive. They won, 20-14.

Payton knew he had to do something to shake things up, even though failure would have given the ball back to the Eagles with another score within reach. The momentum was all on the Eagles’ side. It wasn’t a crazy gamble; the backup quarterback who took the snap had the authority to call off the fake punt if he didn’t like the defensive alignment. It was a controlled risk, but a risk nonetheless.

Sports-to-politics analogies are overused by newspaper columnists, but let’s go with this one.  Continue reading Time for America to fake a punt? →