Our View

Our View

Governor taking ‘cautious, conservative’ approach to budget

On the heels of some liberal Democrat politicians trying to instill grave concerns over Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s leadership abilities – and his proposed tax cuts for the working class – the governor has just proposed a $5.48 billion state budget that calls for an increase in public school funding, as well as a 7.8 percent increase in human services.

Hutchinson pretty much dispelled the fear-mongering during his budget presentation recently to lawmakers in Little Rock, where he also said that he is proposing a 3.2 percent increase in the state Department of Correction’s budget, as well as a 11.3 percent increase in the Department of Community Correction’s budget.

The Republican governor also said he was asking lawmakers, when they convene Jan. 9, for a tax cut that would become effective in the last half of fiscal 2019.

While we’re sure the governor’s critics will continue to find fault with his proposed budget, we believe, as he does, that this budget “reflects a necessary and cautious and conservative approach to tax cuts…”

Hutchinson went on to tell lawmakers that his priority for the proposed $50-million-a-year tax cut would be to reduce income-tax rates on Arkansans.

The following are some of the governor’s budget proposals:

• In fiscal 2018, the budget would increase general revenue for the Department of Human Services by $112.8 million, to a total of $1.55 billion. That includes a $75.5 million increase in Department of Human Services’ grant budget, which includes the state’s Medicaid program, to $1.14 billion, and a $26.7 million increase in the department’s Children and Family Services Division budget to $118.2 million.

• Hutchinson’s budget would increase the Children and Family Services Division’s general-revenue budget by $26.7 million in fiscal 2018 because the number of children in foster care is increasing at nearly 20 percent a year and the state can’t shortchange these children.

• The budget also calls for allocating $14 million of the $229.4 million projected surplus for foster care in a supplement to this year’s budget.

• There is a $3.9 million increase for public school fund to $2.19 billion.

• The school fund also receives money from the educational adequacy fund, financed with a 0.875 percent share of the state’s sale tax.

• When figuring in both funding sources, the increase to the public school fund amounts to about $60 million.

• Hutchinson is also proposing allocating $100 million of the projected surplus for the state’s share of public school facility funding.

• $3 million more for pre-kindergarten programs to provide more highly trained teachers and also restores $1 million a year in funding for libraries and seniorcitizen centers that was cut last year.

We’re sure even with all that is being proposed for public education and the extra tax dollars going to government subsidies, there will be those few liberal Democrats taking to the social media claiming what is being proposed is shortchanging the little children and taking food out of the mouths of the tens of thousands of “poor” Arkansans dependent upon government handouts. To that claim we can only say this is nothing more than typical political fear tactics.