Week 15 Legislative Report 2021
Week 15 Summary of CFA Bill Analysis (see Details Below):
OPPOSE
SB650 – Increasing Welfare Dependency on Food Stamps – OPPOSE
HB1845 – Restricted Free Speech on Sale of Alcohol at Private Club – OPPOSE
HB1899 – Denial of Free Speech in Judicial Elections – OPPOSE
HB1904 – Requiring Sales Tax and Rental Vehicle Tax on Ride Sharing – OPPOSE
SUPPORT
SB680 – Tax Credit Scholarship School Choice Program – SUPPORT
SB671 – Transparency on “Cost Savings” from Governor’s Transformation – SUPPORT
HB1902 – Tying the Growth in Government to Personal Income Growth – SUPPORT
Bill Details
SB650 – Increasing Welfare Dependency on Food Stamps – OPPOSE
By: Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R – Beebe)
This bad bill would double the asset limit qualification in AR for food stamp eligibility compared to the federal limit qualification. This would increase the number of people eligible and thus enrolled in food stamps, increasing welfare dependency in Arkansas.
SB680 – Tax Credit Scholarship School Choice Program – SUPPORT
By: Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R – Beebe)
This good bill would create a tax credit scholarship program, capped at $2 million. It would result in just over 200 scholarships for Arkansas K-12 students to attend a school of their choice. The program is funded with private donations that would be incentivized through an income tax credit given to those who donate.
SB671 – Transparency on “Cost Savings” from Governor’s Transformation – SUPPORT
By: Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton)
Though arguably a bit late, this bill would require a detailed report specifically showing the actual savings from the Governor’s recent “transformation” efforts. It would require a before and after analysis of the number of employees in departments. The amount of appropriations and spending before and after the transformation must also be explained and reported. Transparency in government is good.
HB1845 – Restricted Free Speech on Sale of Alcohol at Private Club – OPPOSE
By: Rep. Mark Perry (D – Jacksonville)
This bad bill would restrict free speech when advertising for the sale of alcohol at a private club when that private club is in a dry county or area. This is a direct attack on the free speech of those private club owners, silencing them from advertising their business.
HB1899 – Stopping Free Speech in Judicial Elections – OPPOSE
By: Andrew Collins (D – Little Rock)
This bad bill would require “noncandidates” who say things about a judicial candidate running for AR Supreme Court or AR Court of Appeals to disclose their spending and their donors. This is a direct assault on the first amendment which protects people from having their identities disclosed when they decide to donate to private organizations who do not directly support or oppose a candidate for office but reveal positions and actions taken in the candidates’ career. The trigger speech in this bad bill is that which merely “impacts” voters. This bill is an attempt by the left in Arkansas to overturn the right to free speech in judicial elections. Because of current law, it is often difficult in our state for the voter to learn or know the position of judges in races, including those running for Supreme Court. In 2016 and 2018 outside groups came into Arkansas and educated voters on the record of a specific candidate, Justice Goodson. It is thought that information, though not false, may have impacted those races. As a result, the left, now championed by these two very progressive bill sponsors, wants to stop such free speech activity in our appellate judicial races. If passed this bad bill would require pro-life groups who simply highlight a judicial candidate’s prior Pro-Abortion opinions, to disclose and report their donors as though they were contributing to campaigns in an election. It is the hope of these bill sponsors that such reporting would chill this free speech in Arkansas and continue to allow judicial candidates to be elected with their records hidden from the public. This is a horrible bill similar to efforts last session to silence free speech in appellate judicial elections.
HB1902 – Tying the Growth in Government to Personal Income Growth – SUPPORT
By: Rep. David Ray (R – Maumelle)
Government does not produce goods nor services and thus make money. It is financed and grows only by taking money from its citizens through taxes. Arkansas government basically spends all that it takes in from its citizens. Since 2013, AR government has grown (spent money) at a faster rate than the incomes of Arkansas residents have grown. This good bill would tie the allowed rate that government expenditures (growth) can be increased year to year to the amount of personal income growth rate of the Arkansas people. This would help prevent government from growing faster than the incomes of hardworking Arkansans.
HB1904 – Requiring Sales Tax and Rental Vehicle Tax on Ride Sharing – OPPOSE
By: Rep. Jon Milligan (R – Lake City)
This bad bill would require car sharing programs to collect and remit sales and use tax and rental vehicle tax as they are defined as a “marketplace facilitator” by using apps like UBER and LYFT. This follows the Internet Tax 2.0 bill passed last session that extended Internet Sales Taxes to marketplace facilitators who sell items as a third- party seller through online marketplaces. Although we understand that this bill sponsor is an ex-mayor, we must continue to pause and ask, “Why are such tax increasing bills continuing to come from Republican sponsors!!!”
