Beebe, leg. leaders look to session

Jan. 4, 2007 (Arkansas Times delivered by Newstex) --

The upcoming Arkansas legislative session will probably include a determined but diplomatic fight over cutting the grocery tax, a move to ban gay people from being foster parents and even consideration of eliminating the sales tax exemption on motor fuel, according to comments today by Gov.-elect Mike Beebe, state Senate president pro-tem Jack Critcher and state House speaker Benny Petrus to a journalists' forum hosted by the Associated Press Managing Editors and the Arkansas Press Association.

Beebe said he will outline his specific legislative agenda (which will include budget proposals different from those Gov. Mike Huckabee submitted last month) next Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. in a "state of the state" address before a joint session of the legislature. He will unveil the broad themes of that agenda in his inaugural address the day before.

All three men said that the first priority of state funding is meeting the constitutional obligation to adequately fund public education. Improving school facilities will likely absorb a significant portion of the budget surplus (expected to be around $800 million), and other areas will receive appropriations based on what remains. Beebe, Critcher and Petrus also indicated they are interested in exploring the possibility of establishing a "rainy day fund."

Critcher and Petrus both re-stated their opposition to cutting the sales tax on food, but for different reasons. Critcher is concered about eliminating it as a source of general revenue, whereas Petrus would rather target the tax relief toward lower-income families, with an earned income tax credit mentioned as one possibility.

Beebe said he is "steadfast" in his intent to eliminate the tax. "I understand their opposition, but it doesn't cause me to waver in my beliefs," Beebe said, adding that he believes a majority of Arkansas citizens indicated their support for cutting the grocery tax when they elected him governor.

(More after the jump.)