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The 91st General Assembly HENDREN, continued from Page 31


tives for private businesses to provide health coverage for their employees. An effective strategy for containing the spread of government-funded health programs is to allow the private sector to compete fairly in the health insurance market place. Voters have sent a clear message: they believe that the private sector can do the job better. Tat message will be reflected in legislation approved by the 91st General Assembly. Education policy is another piece of the foundation of a


prosperous business environment. In Arkansas this means breaking the grip of the tired old education establishment that has shown so much reluctance to change. Again, voters clearly expressed their desire for change. Legislators will reflect that desire for change by repealing restrictions that hinder the growth of charter schools and by making school choice for par- ents a practical option.


Change will come to institutions of higher education, whose funding will be based not so much on enrollment but on re- sults. If colleges and universities want to maintain their fund-


PITSCH, continued from Page 31


Te 91st General Assembly will face some very difficult deci- sions, as legislators consider tough issues in which they try to continue to “do the right thing.” Issues I anticipate being dealt with in January’s session include education, healthcare, tax rates/cuts, and a permanent solution to highway funding. On education alone in Arkansas, roughly half of every dollar gener- ated in the state goes to K-12 education. Currently we provide $6,646 per student. For every $2 more per student, the total state budget increases by $1 million. Tere is currently a debate ongoing concerning the amount that needs to be increased for special education and you will likely hear more about efforts to increase funding to pre-K in the next session as well. Te governor has also indicated he would like to see $50 million more in income tax deductions. As a legislator, we need to be sensitive to recent revenue reports that show a decline in revenue from what previous estimates have predicted. We


will continue to watch that data closely and act accordingly. One should also note that this list does not include other items for review, such as Second Amendment (gun rights), Seventh Amendment (tort reform), and various other social issues that will in all likelihood be brought before the assembly for con- sideration. Legislative leadership has been working diligently over the past several months to build a framework to ensure we operate on the taxpayer dollar efficiently. It is important to us that no matter what issues come before the 91st General Assembly, we will be civil and make Arkansans proud. Helping to cultivate and energize ideas and policies throughout the state is crucial to moving forward. We must seize every opportunity to advo- cate for and support a state government who creates an envi- ronment for positive job growth, who controls spending, and who strives to make government more effective at every level.


By the numbers Senators


Tose serving fifth term: 3 Tose serving fourth term: 9


COUNTY LINES, FALL 2016 Representatives


Tose serving fourth term: 17 Tose serving third term: 29


33


ing levels, they will have to provide graduates with degrees and certificates that translate into jobs. Our duty as legislators is to create an economic environment that fosters job growth here in Arkansas, so that those graduates have a reason to stay home and use their degrees here in the state. Voters approved Issue 3 to expand the state’s authority to


issue bonds for economic “superprojects.” It is now up to leg- islators to create a business environment that attracts industry to Arkansas, so that we can employ the advantages that Issue Tree affords us. For decades Arkansas government was controlled by political


interests who resisted innovation and who dug in their heels against change, because change threatened their positions of privilege. Now, state government is controlled by people who had to work to get where they are, and who because of their struggles to succeed are not afraid of change. Arkansas has changed course and is embracing innovation. It promises to be an exciting and rewarding legislative session.


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