Arkansas Blog

Much moaning and groaning in this Stephens Media article about the onset of annual legislative sessions -- even among dopes who voted for it. I predict many of them will come to love the extended opportunity for per diem, nights away from home, lobbyist feeds and frolic that will attend a permanent legislature. Sen. Dave Bisbee is right. Annual budgeting means less pressure to be conservative on spending outlook for the second year of what has been a two-year budgeting process.

Who will introduce the legislative pay raise bill?

If and when it is introduced, who will have the backbone to say it should be accompanied by new ethics conntrols -- the end of campaign carryover for incumbents, severe limitation on freebies or, at a minimum, far more thorough and itemized reporting by lobbyists and lawmakers, etc.?