Category Archives: State government

Voters: Better roads, same taxes

By Steve Brawner
© 2015 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

One thing is clear from two recent polls: Arkansans want better roads, but they don’t want their taxes raised much to pay for them.

The latest poll comes from the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation, a group that supports more highway spending. It released a poll this week where 98 percent of likely voters said roads and bridges are important for economic development and job growth.

But roads and bridges have a problem. Traditionally, they’e been funded by gas and diesel fuel taxes paid at the pump. The 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax (24.4 cents for diesel) hasn’t been raised 1993, while Arkansas’ 21.5-cent gas and 22.5-cent diesel taxes have been the same since 2001. Those taxes were not indexed to inflation, so Arkansans are paying the same 39.9 cents they were paying in 2001. As in most walks of life, 39.9 cents does not buy the same now as it did then.

Adding to the problem is that vehicles are becoming more fuel efficient, so drivers buy less gas and pay less in gas taxes to drive on roads becoming more expensive to construct and maintain. Drivers who can afford gas-electric hybrids pay less, while electric car drivers pay almost nothing.

The whole idea behind the gas tax is that it’s a user fee: The government service is funded by the citizen benefitting from it. But that stopped being the case in 2008, when fuel tax revenues at the federal level stopped being sufficient, and Congress started filling the gap with transfers from the general fund – the one running a $439 billion deficit in 2015.

In other words, the highways we’re driving on are being partially funded by the passengers riding in a child safety seat in back. Then when they become adults, they’ll pay to fix those worn out roads, unless they follow our example and stick their own kids with the bill.

Some highway funding supporters say the simplest fix is just to raise motor fuels taxes for now and figure out how to address the shortfall caused by increasing fuel efficiencies later.

But that’s clearly a no-go with voters. The Good Roads Foundation poll found a gas tax hike had the support of only 32 percent of respondents, with 53 percent opposed – 40 percent strongly so. When pollsters offered more detailed ideas, they found that 53 percent would support a 2-cent-per-gallon increase. After that, the numbers dropped fast: Only 32 percent would support 5 cents, and only 17 percent would support 10 cents.

Those numbers confirm the results of a poll released a couple of months ago by the Arkansas chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which is always against all tax increases. That poll found that while half of Arkansans believe that the condition of the state’s roads is “a major problem that deserves attention,” 64 percent oppose raising fuel taxes to address it.

What 63 percent of Arkansas do support, according to the Good Roads Foundation poll, is shifting new and used car sales tax receipts to highways. That money currently goes into general revenues, where it pays for everything else – schools, prisons, and health care services, mostly. Obviously, more money for highways means less money for those things.

A group appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to sort through all this, the Governor’s Working Group on Highway Funding, is sending him a menu of options. Most members would like to increase highway funding however they can. But Hutchinson has made it clear he will support no plan that increases overall government revenues or taxes. Earlier this year, one of the members of that working group, Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, proposed a bill that would have done what those 63 percent of Arkansans said they supported: transfer car sales tax revenues to highways. At the time, Hutchinson was opposed, but money doesn’t grow on trees, and maybe something can be worked out.

Seventy percent of Arkansas highway construction dollars come from the federal government. This week, Congress did what it has not been able to do in a long time: produce a long-term highway funding bill. If passed, it will provide an additional $50 million for Arkansas each of the next five years.

To qualify for all of it, the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department must find matching money somewhere – which is the problem it already has. At least it’s not a new one.

To reduce prison growth, remember Texas

By Steve Brawner
© 2015 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

There’s much that policymakers don’t agree about these days, but something like a consensus is emerging about one issue: criminal sentencing reform.

Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, moderates, President Obama, people who don’t like President Obama – many of them agree the United States imprisons too many people, and they even agree why that’s bad. Liberals agree with conservatives that locking up 2.3 million people nationwide is a waste of money. Many conservatives agree with liberals that it’s a waste of lives.

So we might actually get somewhere on this one.

Here’s the extent of the problem in Arkansas, as explained Monday by the Council of State Governments Justice Center to the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force. The Council is a national nonprofit organization. The task force is a group of Arkansas legislators, law enforcers, attorneys and judges who are considering reforms.

From 2012-14, Arkansas had the country’s fastest growing prison population. In 2013, the state imprisoned 14,825 people. Then a parolee, Darrell Dennis, kidnapped and murdered a man, and reforms were enacted that kept many parolees of all types in prison. Two years later, the population is now 17,977.

And that’s a problem, because Arkansas only has a prison capacity of 15,416. The excess typically has been farmed out to county jails, and now the state is renting space in a Texas jail that has room for them. More about Texas in a minute.

The Council of State Governments’ Andy Barbee told the task force that Arkansas’ spending on corrections has ballooned from $300 million in 2004 to $512 million in 2015. At that rate, Arkansas will have 25,448 inmates by 2025 and will need to spend $680 million to house the excess, or it could also spend $602 million to build more prisons.

Those cost estimates assume present trends will continue, which they might not. As noted by Ken Casady, a Saline County prosecuting attorney and task force member, the 3,000-inmate increase since 2013 might simply be a one-time spike caused by the parole reforms after the Darrell Dennis case.

Still, prison costs undoubtedly are rising rapidly while other costs, such as health care, are increasing, too. There’s also a task force to study that issue, as well as one looking under the state’s couch cushions for more money for highways. I wish they could have found some before a pothole on I-40 bent my rim and lost my hubcap Sunday.

Following the task force meeting was a panel discussion at the Clinton School of Public Service. It was organized by The Coalition for Public Safety, whose partners range across the political spectrum from the NAACP and the ACLU to conservative groups including Americans for Tax Reform and Freedom Works.

Its funders include Republican backers Charles and David Koch, who’ve been investing a lot of money and political capital on this issue lately. Gov. Asa Hutchinson, in fact, spoke at one of their shindigs in New Orleans last month about Arkansas’ beginning reform efforts.

The panel included former Rep. Jerry Madden, one of the architects of Texas’ successful prison reform package passed in 2007. Madden, who described himself multiple times as a conservative, said he had no experience with criminal justice when the Texas speaker of the House asked him to take charge with a simple eight-word directive: “Don’t build new prisons. They cost too much.”

At the time, Texas had on the table a half-a-billion-dollar prison construction project. Instead, the ultimate law-and-order, remember-the-Alamo state enacted reforms and spent a quarter of a billion dollars on community supervision. Madden said the state stopped wasting money on efforts that don’t work and spent more on things that did, like addiction programs. He said that while violent criminals should be incarcerated, other solutions can be found for “knuckleheads” – minor drug offenders, hot check writers, etc. In other words, the people we’re mad at, not scared of. Those people need a behavior change, not a lengthy prison sentence.

Now, Texas’ crime rate is the lowest it has been since the 1960s. Arkansas’ crime rate is dropping, too, though not as fast. But unlike Arkansas, Texas’ prison population is falling to the point that it’s actually closed three of its prisons.

The consensus developing among policymakers will have to filter down to the public. No political candidate wants to be accused of being soft on crime. But no one should be. Most of us agree the bad guys should be locked up. The knuckleheads? Remember Texas.

Steve Brawner is an independent journalist in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com. Follow him on Twitter at @stevebrawner.

Rookie still trying to shine light on campaigns

By Steve Brawner
© 2015 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Rep. Jana Della Rosa, R-Rogers, is a rookie, and she admits she made some rookie mistakes.

During this past legislative session, her self-described rookie-ness got in her way as she tried to pass a bill that would have required legislative and statewide candidates to file campaign finance reports online in a searchable database. It failed in the House, 48-33, with 19 not voting, and never made it to the Senate.

Arkansas is one of 17 states where legislators have the option of electronically filing those reports, or to file by paper. At least 31 states require electronic reports.

Why does it matter? Filing reports by paper makes it harder for voters to follow the money trail. They can see the reports online at the secretary of state’s website, votenaturally.com, but only in document form. They can’t do a search to learn who is donating to more than one candidate, and how much.

True, it’s possible to print out every legislative report and wade through the information. But that would take an enormous amount of time that few people have – not we in the media who also must cover other news, and certainly not the average Joe citizen.

That information is important – certainly more important than what’s on candidates’ websites. The type of donors who give to multiple candidates are doing so because they want something. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something.

I could be naive, but I think most elected officials at the Capitol imperfectly are trying to do mostly the right thing most of the time – just like the rest of us when we’re put into gray-area situations with conflicting influences. But no matter how noble they are, they can’t ignore the people whose donations made it possible for them to be elected.

Because campaigning is a for-profit enterprise, money will flow to political candidates like water flows downhill. The most effective reform is to shine as much light as possible on the process. That way, voters can determine for themselves which elected officials are navigating an imperfect system appropriately, and which ones are being overly influenced by donors.

Back to the rookie. Della Rosa said one of the mistakes she made this past legislative session was idealistically focusing only on how the system would benefit the public when lobbying her fellow legislators, which is not the best way to change someone’s personal behavior. If she’s re-elected in 2016, she’ll push a complete redo of the system that will make campaigning easier for them.

Filing campaign finance reports is a huge pain in the neck. It’s very easy to make an honest mistake, and then an elected official finds his or her name in a headline alongside the words “ethics violation.” The current electronic filing system is kind of glitchy. So Della Rosa is promising an e-filing system that will be easier to navigate and will prompt and warn candidates to keep them out of undeserved trouble.

Implementation costs have averaged $500,000 to $2 million per state, but perhaps Arkansas could purchase a system already used elsewhere. Yes, that’s an expense, but it would be worth it to be able to follow the money.

Della Rosa outlined her proposal Nov. 19 before a legislative subcommittee that certainly seemed ready to embrace it. At least, no one was willing to speak publicly against more transparency. Sen. John Cooper, R-Jonesboro, another rookie legislator, was particularly ready to march alongside her.

One of the objections legislators raised earlier this year was that some candidates live in areas without adequate broadband internet access. So she brought along Shelby Johnson, director of the Arkansas Geographic Information Systems Office, who said the entire state is covered by satellite internet service and that a large part of it is covered by other services, particularly wireless. In other words, no one must travel that far to find internet service capable of uploading a simple document.

By 2017, another two years will have passed where some legislators who weren’t comfortable with the internet will become more so, or will be replaced by someone who is. No doubt some legislative opponents don’t particularly want their campaign donors known, but fear of change is often the biggest hurdle any salesperson must overcome. If Della Rosa is still in office, she’ll be able to make an offer that will be hard to refuse – a system that benefits both voters and candidates.

A chance for a second chance

By Steve Brawner
© 2015 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

A graduation ceremony for rehabilitating inmates may not be the ideal place to sell a Subaru, but that’s only one of two reasons Robert Long is attending.

“I’m doing a little prospecting here,” he said. “I know there’s people from all different walks of life. I was just at work. I wanted to be able to make it up here to see some of the guys that I was locked up with and let them see that I’m doing good, kinda spread that joy and that hope.

“So I brought a new 2016 Legacy with me, too, so everyone can look at it because it’s a beautiful car, and it attracts a lot of attention.”

Long was released from Arkansas Community Correction custody Sept. 28. Before that, he completed 240 hours of classes offered by The Exodus Project (exodus.life) on the campus of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock.

Founded by Paul Chapman and ABC President Dr. Fitz Hill, the ministry began seven-and-a-half years ago, but its current form took shape in February. It focuses on ethics and character based on biblical teachings, career development, and helping inmates recover and build a long-term plan for their lives. Participants are encouraged to ask themselves difficult questions in order to change their mindsets.

Fifteen begin each class, and 100 are expected to complete the program this year. Most participants are recovering addicts.

The theme of the ceremony Nov. 6 was “Out for Life.” Graduates wearing brown prison uniforms exchanged emotional hugs with a line of instructors and then received their diplomas from Gov. Asa Hutchinson – who as a former U.S. attorney once worked to put people in jail.

Arkansas prisons are so overcrowded that the state’s county jails can’t hold the excess, and so now the state is sending inmates to Texas. Last year, policymakers considered building a $100 million prison that immediately would have been filled to capacity – in large part by returning inmates. Arkansas releases 10,000 inmates every year – in the past, with nothing but a bus ticket and $100 – and the recidivism rate is more than 40 percent.

We can’t keep building $100 million prisons or relying on Texas. With prodding by Hutchinson, the Legislature this year funded a transitional facility to help 500 inmates re-enter society and stay out of jail, but that’s not enough. This summer, Hutchinson hosted a summit to inspire churches and other faith-based groups to do more to help inmates return to society but not to their old ways of life.

That’s what The Exodus Project is hopefully doing for Robert Long. Describing himself as once a “hopeless drug addict,” he completed the program and then moved into the ministry’s transitional home in Little Rock. At Subaru of Little Rock, he said he sold 11 units in his first month and earned $2,000 in commission on a recent Saturday. He brought promotional material in addition to the car to the graduation ceremony.

Beneath his short-sleeve blue dealership shirt is an impressive physique. He goes to the gym every morning before work to give him the high he’s sought from drugs in his past. I tell him he doesn’t look like a drug addict.

“A lot of people say that about me, you know, and I think that’s been one of the things that’s got me into trouble, too,” he said. “When you look at me in the face, you don’t really know what you’re dealing with. I can put up a pretty good facade even when I’m in the midst of my addiction. But the truth of the matter is I have transformed. You’re looking at a different man.”

Long’s job at the dealership will be one of the keys to his success. The Exodus Project is a Christian ministry, but co-founder Chapman said church involvement and education aren’t enough. The unemployment rate for ex-offenders is 47 percent. That’s a lot of idle hands.

“If we don’t move the needle on full-time employment, everything else (will) struggle to make a true difference,” Chapman said.

At the graduation, Hutchinson asked employers to wait later in the employment process before asking job applicants the disqualifying “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” question. By delaying that question, someone like Robert Long won’t be eliminated before he has an opportunity to interview and impress.

“Let’s get beyond the checking of the box,” Hutchinson said. “Let’s give someone a chance to have a second chance.”

Do needy students merit more scholarships?

By Steve Brawner
© 2015 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Let’s jump straight into the facts. According to a new report, “Closing the Gap,” by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, 94 percent of Arkansas’ state-funded college scholarships are based solely on merit – ACT scores, etc. – while 6 percent also are based on need. Only two states and the District of Columbia are weighted more toward merit. The national average, on the other hand, is 75 percent need-based.

The fact that Arkansas is doing things differently than the rest of the nation should matter, considering it has the second lowest percentage of residents with a college degree. (Thank goodness for West Virginia!) About 14 percent of us have a bachelor’s degree, while 7 percent of us also have a master’s degree or higher. Another 7 percent have an associate’s degree.

The 94-6 percent ratio is the result of the growth of Academic Challenge Scholarships awards, which are largely funded through the lottery and are entirely merit based. In the past, the scholarships went to students who scored a 19 on the ACT or earned a 2.5 grade point average in high school. A law passed this year by the Legislature makes the 19 on the ACT the only requirement, which may have been a mistake because grade point average supposedly is a better predictor of college success than standardized test scores.

The problem with basing scholarships on merit alone is that it makes them harder to attain for students who grew up in tougher circumstances with fewer advantages. Those are the very students who need the money more – as long as they can put it to good use.

Let’s also be blunt about what’s really happening. People of all income levels buy lottery tickets, of course, but a certain percentage of those ticket-buyers are poor people looking for a little hope. That’s their choice, but state resources are encouraging them to “invest” in this pipe dream. Then their money pays for scholarships for bankers’ kids. I’ve got a banker friend who’s outraged by this.

The report says 25 percent of Arkansas scholarships should have a need-based component. If that’s the case, then what should those scholarships pay for?

According to the report, more than half of Arkansans – 57 percent, actually – have a high school diploma or less.

Of course, that describes a lot of smart, successful people. But moving forward, most of the good jobs of the future will require something more, though not necessarily a bachelor’s degree or even an associate’s degree. The report says that, by 2020, Arkansas needs to produce an additional 99,000 people with career and technical certificates, which often can be earned fairly quickly and at low cost to fill existing workforce needs. Arkansas actually will need 786 fewer people with master’s degrees than it has now, the report estimates.

The Academic Challenge Scholarship goes to students attending college, not earning a technical certificate, which is the better choice for many people. And it’s really targeted toward 18-year-old high school graduates, rather than adults who need to retool their skills to be more employable.

So however the state rebalances its state-funded scholarships so that they’re based more on need, it should remember that what people really need is the ability to earn a good-paying job, and preferably in the near future.

***

If you have 30 minutes when you’re washing the dishes or something, listen to Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse’s maiden speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

Sasse waited a year after being elected to make his first speech, which once was a Senate tradition. When he finally spoke, it was a bold call to action. He said the Senate is failing to address the nation’s big issues, allowing the executive branch to take too much power. Senators from opposite parties are privately friendly, even affectionate. But when the cameras roll, they talk in shallow sound bytes using politi-speech that sounds nothing like the way real Americans talk. The Senate doesn’t need less debating, he said. It needs actual debating about important issues in a respectful manner. Senators are elected to six-year terms so they can think long-term in what once was called the world’s greatest deliberative body. If they’re not going to fulfill their role, he asked, does the United States even need a Senate at all?

Good stuff. Last I checked, it had 3,837 views on YouTube. Here it is.