Our View

Our View

House, Senate have plenty to do in upcoming session

The state’s political players are in place, seat assignments have been made, committees have been formed and, once again, the Republicans are calling the shots leaving the few state Democrat senators with little power and minimalistic influence when it comes to running Arkansas government.

Leading the pack will be Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, who has already shifted what committees have jurisdiction over alcohol, tobacco, firearms and medical marijuana legislation.

Hendren, who was chosen over Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, as the Senate president pro tempore- elect, succeeds Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, who served in that position since November 2014.

Of particular interest ins that the Senate will include 26 Republicans and just a meager nine Democrats, including Sen. Keith Ingram, D-West Memphis, in the 92nd General Assembly which will begin Jan. 14.

Furthermore, highly popular Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson is strutting into his second term talking about a gradual reduction in the state’s top individual income tax from 6.9 percent to 5.9 percent over four years as well as wanting to simplify the state’s individual income tax code, which would mean reducing the number of tax tables from three to just one.

Now, we all know that the minority Democrats, sitting in the wings on most of what is now going on in Little Rock, cringe at the idea of giving tax cuts to the state’s top income earners.

And, we suspect these Democrats aren’t overjoyed over the prospect of Hendren pushing bills that will cut individual income taxes and corporate taxes that would go beyond the governor’s proposal.

For those among us who don’t really know this Hendren, he is 55 years old, served in the Senate since 2013 and was in the House of Representatives from 1995-2001, which certainly makes him highly knowledgeable as to how Arkansas politics works.

Oh, by the way, Hendren’s uncle is none other that our governor and his farther is departing Rep. Kin Hendren, R-Gravette.

Let’s remember, this is a political fraternity and one’s popularity goes a long way as to what committees you are assigned to, especially those committees that are of particular importance such as the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee, which considers tax-related legislation or even the Joint Budget Committee.

Some of the other committees include the Senate Education, Senate Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development, Senate Insurance and Commerce, Senate State Agencies and Government Affairs, Senate Transportation, Senate Rules, Senate Efficiency, Legislative Joint Auditing, Joint Performance Review, Joint Energy, Joint Children and Youth as well as the Joint Public Retirement and Social Security Programs.

We suspect this will be a very busy legislative session and one, we’re sure, will bring about legislation we like and dislike, but that is politics.

Bible Verse

And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying*,The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe* the gospel. Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them,Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

Mark 1:13-18