And they don’t want gas companies to pay for tearing up roads and fouling the environment.

The above are things you might say to the Republican Party’s effort to produce a partisan legislative veto of the severance tax agreement. But the Repubs can’t do it alone. Stephens Media story today shows the GOP House members, who constitute a quarter of the House, aren’t unanimous against the proposal yet. And, lacking a 25 percent contingent in the Senate, Republicans may not be able to count on all the members they do have there, based on comments from Sen. Dave Bisbee. He notes acidly that the party chairman does not speak for elected legislators. Rep. Horace Hardwick (R-Wal-Mart) also supports the tax.

Advertisement

Speaking of the severance tax: John Brummett interviews Death Star Bob Johnson. The cromagnum senator will oppose the tax, but the key nuance seems to be that he isn’t vowing to whip up The Brotherhood to join his evil games this time around.

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article Shop Arkansas at the Clinton School Next article Everybody is entitled to a lawyer