Category Archives: State government

Hutchinson’s new team of not-so-rivals

State government

By Steve Brawner

© 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

May 23, 2019

The book “Team of Rivals” by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explains how President Abraham Lincoln appointed and led an often discordant cabinet through the Civil War.

What happened in Arkansas Wednesday was not nearly so dramatic, but it’s worth a newspaper column.

That day, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced his 15 cabinet-level secretaries as part of his transformation initiative.

The cabinet has been composed of 42 agency directors – 27 more cabinet officials than the United States president has. Plus, the state has had more than 200 boards and commissions floating around with no one above them except the governor.

It’s been an unwieldy arrangement, especially for a governor who likes things tidy. The 42-member cabinet can’t really serve as an advisory body. It only meets two or three times a year, because what could you hope to accomplish? Continue reading Hutchinson’s new team of not-so-rivals →

Let’s talk politics – for 2022

Politics, State government, U.S. Congress

By Steve Brawner

© 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

May 14, 2019

Next year’s politics will be dominated in Arkansas by the presidential race, despite Sen. Tom Cotton’s already contested re-election race and several interesting ballot initiatives.

It’s in 2022 that the focus will be on Arkansas races. Sen. John Boozman will be up for re-election, and the state’s most prominent statewide officials will be term-limited.

It’s early, but let’s speculate. Continue reading Let’s talk politics – for 2022 →

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 →

Sanctuary bill: Prevention, or fixing the unbroken?

Legislature, Politics, State government

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

In politics, is an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure? Or if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it?

With one bill dealing with illegal immigration, Arkansas lawmakers went with the first adage, despite Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s concerns.

On the day the Legislature recessed April 10, the House voted to ban Arkansas municipalities from adopting “sanctuary city” policies.

Act 1076 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, is a response to some cities like Los Angeles and Chicago that have declared themselves sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants.

“Sanctuary cities” is a political term, not a precise legal one, but this bill does describe the policies it seeks to counteract. Among its provisions are these: Cities could not limit municipal employees and officials from cooperating with federal immigration agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They also could not grant to illegal immigrants the right to a lawful presence.

No Arkansas cities have enacted sanctuary policies, so lawmakers are using an “ounce of prevention” to fix something that’s not broken. Continue reading Sanctuary bill: Prevention, or fixing the unbroken? →