Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer of Arkansas, there were some bills, at least 15 by my count, that we might want to step back and rethink as the 90th General Assembly comes, mercifully, to a close this week.
These bills, some passed into law and others didn't, were largely the handiwork of some of the more radical Republicans in both the upper and lower chambers of the Arkansas Legislature.
The impact of all these bills can mean only one thing -- higher cost to the state and more taxes for you.
This list places no exact order on their importance.
No. 1 and No. 2: Jointly goes to State Rep. Dan Douglas, R-Bentonville, who shall forever be known as the legislator (just like the little boy in the fairy tale) who cried "Wolf!" Douglas got a tricky highway improvement bill out of the House allowing the state Highway Department to raid General Revenues. The state Senate was to say "No." But Douglas pulled the bill. Another of his bills was to ban California wine. He later, also, pulled back that bill.
No. 3: Charter School Enrichment Bill by Rep. Bruce Cozart, R-Hot Springs, to allow the state to take over a school or school district deemed to be in distress and turn it over to a private charter school operator. It died in committee.
No. 4: The Merry Christmas bill, from state Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork. A bill to allow folks to say "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hanukkah" and other faith-based greetings in the public schools. It died in committee.
No. 5: Need Assistance, Take a Drug Test, by state Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning. This bill requires drug testing of those who receive benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Implementation will cost $1.75 million to start and more than $2 million a year to maintain.
No. 6: Jesus Is My Homework, another Harris bill. A proposal to mandate that public schools allow children to write, draw or submit any type of Christian work as their theme or homework. It failed in committee.
No. 7: Belief Discrimination (or better known as HB 1228) by Rep. Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville. This bill created a state and national firestorm that caught everyone, including the bill's backer, by surprise. It was pulled back and changed slightly.
No. 8: Not So Fast You City Councils (or SB 202) by state Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs. This bill prohibited local governments from outlawing discrimination. It was so "hot" Gov. Asa Hutchinson refused to sign it.
No. 9: No State License? No Problem, by state Rep. Richard Womack, R-Arkadelphia. This bill would have just about eliminated licensing requirements for occupations such as electricians, architects, accountants and others. The state Senate stopped this madness.
No. 10: Lower the Soda Syrup Tax, by state Sen. Jake Files, R- Fort Smith. This bill would have cut the Medicaid Trust Fund by $4 million a year. The sticky bill got stuck in committee.
No. 11: No One is Too Rich for an Arkansas Tax Cut, by state Rep. Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado. This bill raised the capital gains exemption and exempts capital gains of $10 million benefiting only about 10 to 12 people. The bill became law.
No. 12 and No. 13: Kill the Private Option At All Costs, almost twin bills from state Rep. Donnie Copeland, R-North Little Rock and state Rep. Josh Miller, R-Heber Springs, trying to kill the Private Option. Copeland's bill would end the program on Dec. 31, 2015, while Miller's bill would end it on June 30, 2016. Both bills failed.
No. 14: Protecting A Cancer Causing Industry, by state Rep. Rick Beck, R-Center Ridge. This would protect just one company, Crown Cork & Seal, from "future liability for asbestos claims." The bill became law.
And No. 15: Let Us Kill The Killers At All Costs, a bill by state Rep. Douglas House, R-North Little Rock. This will restart execution in Arkansas by expanding the permissible list of drugs used in lethal injections, placing the state back in the execution business.
Aren't you glad the session is over?
MAYLON RICE, AN AWARD-WINNING COLUMNIST, HAS WRITTEN BOTH NEWS AND COLUMNS FOR SEVERAL NWA PUBLICATIONS AND HAS BEEN WRITING FOR THE ENTERPRISE-LEADER FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
Editorial on 04/22/2015