Economic Development and Justice Update - February 17

We Support:

• Victory! Congratulations again to everyone who worked together to pass HB 1204 to increase the tobacco tax to fund an improved health care system in Arkansas.  The Governor’s and Speaker’s leadership were instrumental, and so were the calls and efforts of countless community members like you.
• Fair Taxes is one of our 10 Priorities for a Better Arkansas and we are supporting HB 1378 to provide income tax relief to head of household taxpayers with 2 or more dependents.  The bill is currently in the House Revenue and Tax Committee and it faces an uphill fight.  Last legislative session we helped pass legislation that exempted Arkansans below the poverty line from paying state income taxes – but a mistake in the language leaves single parents with 2 or more children subject to income taxes even if they are in poverty.  This bill will correct that mistake to give low-income single parents a break.  Arkansas has one of the most unjust tax systems in the country where we tax low-income people over twice the tax rate that we tax the wealthiest Arkansans.
• We are nearly finished developing legislation on another of our priority issues: providing incentives for rural and minority small business development.  We are modeling it on successful programs from other states that are proven to revive rural economies.  We hope to have legislation in the next week or two.

We are monitoring:

• SB 124 will require haulers of rock and gravel to cover their open truck beds, thus saving many an Arkansas windshield.
• HB 1281 requires the state to perform random drug testing of people receiving public benefits.
• HB 1059 provides tax credits for rehabilitating central business districts in communities.
• HB 1004 provides for the termination of severed mineral rights that are not used within a certain time period.