Ingram offers preview of upcoming legislative session

Ingram offers preview of upcoming legislative session

Senator shares views on economic development, health care, ethics By Mark Randall

news@theeveningtimes.com

Tax cuts, boosting starting teachers pay, Medicaid expansion, and government reorganization are expected to be the top priorities facing the Arkansas legislature when they convene in Little Rock in January.

State Senator Keith Ingram offered his thoughts on what to expect from the upcoming session during a visit to the Earle City Council and said that the budget will be a big topic because of the governor’s proposed tax cuts.

“Everything that we are hearing that has gone on in the pre-budget hearings is that it is going to be somewhere in the $200 million range,” Ingram said.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has already cut taxes three times – $100 million, $50 million, and a tax cut for military veterans.

Ingram said that while he isn’t opposed to cutting taxes, he would rather see it directed at increasing the starting pay of teachers.

“I think we are all for paying less taxes, but it is how we go about it,” Ingram said. “I am very concerned about the budget that we won’t have money for raises for teachers.”

Lawmakers are recommending the state raise the minimum starting salary from $31,800 to $36,000, and $4,000 over the next four years, which would make it the highest of all surrounding states.

“We don’t want to get in a situation like we’ve seen in Kansas or Oklahoma,” Ingram said. “They’re not having a hard time finding teachers in northwest Arkansas because they cut taxes so much in Oklahoma that teachers are only working four days a week and they are going to northwest Arkansas to get a job. So that is sort of driving everything right now.”

Ingram said the facilities funding match dollars used to help schools build new

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