Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman’s HB 1041, to put an arbitary 3 percent cap on annual state spending increases was at the top of the House agenda this morning but passed over. That’s an indication it remains short of sufficient support of passage. Every single Republican must do the Stepford act, including the speaker, who customarily does not vote, to put this one over the top.

It’s bad policy. It will leave individual agencies with expenses that outstrip inflation — think what runup in gas prices can do to state troopers; what health care increases have done to medical programs — facing real cuts. The requirement that revenue increases be pegged to a three-year rolling averages means that the state, in an upswing year after a recession, couldn’t spend the new money, however great the need. It means that the occasional growth years wouldn’t allow use of extra money to meet long-deferred maintenance or for the building projects for which surplus has typically been used. It also will delegate to the executive making the cuts necessary for the legislatively approved budget to meet revenue flow.

Advertisement

This is a government-strangler, a handcuff on using government when needs are identified and there’s money in hand to meet them.

UPDATE: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families has posted some good information on how Westerman’s bill would be bad for children and other living things. The benchmark for GDP is ambiguous. The result, as charts show, is that modest state revenue growth would be an impossibility. Which just might be Westerman’s point.

Advertisement

Invest in the future of great journalism in Arkansas

Join the ranks of the 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts who know that the Arkansas Times is the go-to source for tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been on the front lines of the fight for truth, and with your support, we can do even more. By subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers and expand our coverage. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make a difference with your subscription or donation to the Arkansas Times today.

Previous article House approves bill to permit guns on college campuses Next article Sunday To-Do: Suzanne Vega