Arkansas Legislators gather for first-ever fiscal session

story by Roby Brock, editor and owner of TalkBusiness.net
roby@talkbusiness.net

The Arkansas General Assembly convened at noon today (Feb. 8) to start the first fiscal legislative session in its history.

“Let’s get in, let’s get the job done, and then let’s go home,” House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, told Arkansas House members after gaveling the House to order around midday.

Amendment 86, approved by voters in 2008, calls on the Arkansas legislature to meet in even-numbered years to consider a state budget. The fiscal session can last no more than 30 days but can be extended by 15 days with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Gov. Mike Beebe addressed a joint body of the House and Senate in the early afternoon. He told lawmakers that he was “notoriously conservative about money” and was presenting a budget that was “overly conservative.” His $4.5 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2010 restores the nearly $200 million in budget cuts that have taken place in the current fiscal year due to troubling economic conditions.

“But that’s all it does. It keeps everything flat,” Beebe told legislators.

Beebe and state lawmakers will also take up one non-fiscal bill. There is consensus from legislators to set dollar amounts for scholarships to be awarded in the fall of 2010 from net lottery proceeds. Scholarships are expected to be set at $5,000 for four-year college students and $2,500 for two-year college students.

(Link here for a recent interview Brock conducted with four Legislative budget leaders — State Senators Gilbert Baker and Paul Bookout and Reps. Bruce Maloch and Robbie Wills. The four talk about how the budget session will unfold and how legislators are coping with the rocky economy.)

FORT SMITH REGIONAL LEGISLATORS
• Arkansas State Senate
District 3
Sen. Ruth Whitaker, R-Cedarville

District 6
Sen. Ed Wilkinson, D-Greenwood

District 13
Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith

• Arkansas House of Representatives
District 62
Rep. Terry Rice, R-Waldron

District 63
Rep. Frank Glidewell, R-Fort Smith

District 65
Rep. Tracy Pennartz, D-Fort Smith

District 66
Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren

District 67
Rep. Steve Breedlove, D-Greenwood

District 83
Rep. Beverly Pyle, R-Cedarville

District 84
Rep. John Paul Wells, D-Paris

District 87
Rep. Mark Martin, R-Prairie Grove