Bless his heart. Senator James Sturch (R – Batesville) knows Republican voters don’t like the way he has been voting in Little Rock. He can’t change his RINO voting record so he keeps trying to fool voters instead. This time his mailer wants you to think he is a TAX CUTTER. For starters, he fails to mention a long list of taxes for which he voted.
Is there a candidate in your Senate or House district making the same deceptive statements about taxes? Then you will want to read on.
Here is what Sturch said in his latest mailer.
STATEMENTS 1 & 2:“A Record of LOWERING YOUR TAXES” AND “A Proven Record on LOWERING TAXES by over $330,000,000 a year.”
Sturch’s “proven record” is one of voting for some tax cuts but also voting for a lot of tax increases.
Sturch is a give-and-take away politician. Yes, Sturch and all Arkansas legislators except a few Democrats voted for income tax cuts. But at the same time, Sturch was voting to take back the money by voting FOR more taxes. He voted for so many taxes that the state of Arkansas is expecting over a BILLION DOLLAR surplus in general revenues (which came out of your pocket).
Sturch doesn’t want you to know about his votes FOR MORE TAXES:
- Voted FOR a new Internet Sales Tax paid by Arkansas consumers (SB576 of 2019)
- Voted FOR the increase in gas and diesel taxes (SB336 of 2019)
- Voted FOR a $300 million proposal for a new one-half percent sales tax for highways and roads (HJR2018 of 2019)
- Voted FOR an increase in tax/fees on water bills (HB1737 of 2019)
- Voted FOR an increase in tax/fees on cell phone bills (HB1564 of 2019)
- Voted FOR an increase in taxes on the sale of tobacco products, cigarette paper, and e-cigarettes (HB1565 of 2019)
- Voted FOR an increase in tax on soft drinks and candy, new sales tax on digital downloads (e-books, movies, music etc.), and making unemployment compensation taxable under the income tax. The bill also gave income tax credit for military retirees but other veterans and the general public only got tax increases. (HB1162 of 2017)
Also on higher taxes, Sturch doesn‘t want you to remember he was the deciding vote to STOP a bill which would have prohibited cities and counties from passing local tax increases at special elections. He walked out of the vote so local governments will still be able to pass taxes at special elections when voter turnout will be low knowing it is easier to pass taxes then. (SB723 of 2017) Note:James Sturch first voted FOR the legislation, but then when the vote was challenged he realized he would be the deciding vote to pass the bill so he walked off the House floor causing his vote to be stricken. This move became known as the “Sturch Lurch” – where you vote FOR something, then lurch on over to voting AGAINST it when special interests tell you to. See video HERE.
STATEMENT 3.“Making Taxes More Fair. Senator Sturch supported sales taxes to ensure online vendors pay the same rate as brick-and-mortar stores. These reforms have allowed us to continue lowering the income tax, making the system more fair on everyone.”
Here Stuch is talking about his vote to impose the Internet Sales Tax. No, it is not about what online vendors pay because they don’t pay anything! All sales taxes are paid by Arkansas consumers, not the sellers. The sellers only collect the taxes FROM YOU.
And, instead of using the tax windfall from the Internet Sales Tax to further cut taxes, it has instead helped the state amass over a BILLION DOLLAR surplus in general revenues (out of your pocket).
STATEMENT 4: “Ensuring Tax Dollars Go to the Right Place. Senator Sturch has worked to see tax dollars spent correctly, like phone taxes paying for the 911 and fuel taxes for roads.”
Sturch was not voting to ensure taxes were going to the right place. Instead, he was VOTING TO INCREASE TAXES and some of the increases happened to be going for specific designated uses. This includes: the gas and diesel tax hike; one half percent sales tax to replace one scheduled to expire; tax increase on cell phone bills, tax increase on water bills, and tax increase on tobacco products, cigarette paper, and e-cigarettes
STATEMENT 5 &6: “Tax Cuts shouldn’t just benefit politicians and their friends. Those cuts should benefit all working Arkansans. That’s why I’m an advocate for lowering the tax burden across the board!” AND “Senator Sturch has voted for the two largest tax cuts in state history and is supportive of efforts to phase out the state income tax.”
If Sturch’s idea for phasing out the income tax is like his past votes we will all be in the poor house because, while voting for income tax cuts, he keeps voting to increase other taxes, increasing spending, and amassing a BILLION DOLLAR surplus of general revenues (out of your pocket).
Plus, here is something you need to know about the “two largest tax cuts” which were income tax cuts. Even after the cuts Arkansas’ income tax is higher than in all six of the surrounding states. Even when the cuts are fully implemented in a few years Arkansas’ income tax will still be higher than all the surrounding states other than Missouri and that is assuming Missouri doesn’t cut their income tax rates in the meantime. Arkansas would have been lower than Mississippi in a few years but Mississippi’s plan will cut their income tax more than the Arkansas cuts.
STATEMENT 7:“Republican Primary May 24th. Early Voting Begins May 9.”
We included this statement because we wanted to give him credit for saying something that was not a deception. Sturch is one of three candidates in Senate District 22.
IS A CANDIDATE IN YOUR SENATE OR HOUSE DISTRICT MAKING THE SAME TAX CLAIMS AS STURCH?
Maybe the candidate in your district voted against major tax increases in 2019 or maybe the candidate has a record as bad as Senator Sturch’s. Find out how the candidate really voted on tax increases in 2019. Use the links in our article: “I Cut Taxes” – Campaign Words
For more information on Senator Sturch’s false and deceptive campaign statements see these articles exposing his lies and deceptions about fighting against Critical Race Theory when his votes and positions protected the racist indoctrination from being banned in Arkansas. See: Sen. Sturch Continues Deception About Fighting Critical Race Theory; Sen. Sturch Falsehood Worse Than We Realized; and False And Deceptive Claims – Sen. James Sturch
