The newspaper headline says Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson confronted “knotty state issues” during a recent appearance in Norfork? Confronted, maybe. Answered? No.

The report is from the Baxter Bulletin. The article makes no mention of the biggest single “knotty” issue of the era — the private option expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare. The current governor, Mike Beebe, supports it. The leading Democratic candidate, Mike Ross, supports it. More than 75 percent of the legislature, including the majority of the Republican delegation, supports it. Asa? He won’t say.

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But there was also this, another knotty question. Asa was first clueless. Then non-committal.

Baxter County Judge Mickey Pendergrass asked Hutchinson if he plans to continue the status quo with the state’s General Improvement Fund.

“Counties are starving,” Pendergrass said.

Hutchinson did not immediately recognize the issue when the fund was referred to by its call letters “GIF.”

“I think it’s a question for broader discussion,” Hutchinson said.

The list of of broad discussions without yes or no answers grows for Hutchinson.

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PS — He did support the federally supported fish hatchery.

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