Master Log: Morning Roll Call~ News You Need to Know

Praying for our Troops and our Leaders will do a nation good!

National Guard soldiers deploy for Texas, Iraqhttp://bit.ly/fiLRJw
About 130 soldiers from the Arkansas National Guard have left for training in Texas that will be followed by deployment to Iraq.

The Calendar for the week at the Capitol~ Here.
You can watch many of the committee meetings and the House here.

Moore Roads to Taxes

Arkansas House Speaker Robert Moore (D-Arkansas City) will file a bill this week to increase taxes to pay for road repairs in Arkansas. He will support a second proposal (HJR1001), filed by Rep. Jonathan Barnett (R- Siloam Springs) to give voters the option in November 2012 to increase taxes for highway construction.

Last Thursday the AP reported that "Moore told reporters that he planned to file legislation next week that would raise taxes while the chairman of the House Public Transportation Committee plans to ask the Legislature to refer a half-cent sales tax hike to voters in 2012"

The article also stated that "Arkansas has $23 billion in highway needs over the next decade, but only $4 billion in funding." Sounds to me like we need to really start curtailing some other spending. Barnett expects his  "half-cent sales tax would end after 10 years and could raise about $200 million a year for new road construction. Barnett said he expected to file more details on the proposed constitutional amendment in the next two weeks."

#4 Tax cut in the Barrel

Today during the Senate Committee on Revenue and Tax SB274 filed by Senator Gilbert Baker (R-Conway) will be heard. This bill would  double the sales tax exemption on used vehicles from $2,500 to $5,000. Baker said he plans to amend the bill Monday to bring the number of co-sponsors to about 22 of the state’s 35 senators. This is the fourth tax cut to be heard by committees so far this session.

Keep your fingers on the dial to contact your legislators.

Being Good Stewards According to Governor Beebe

In his weekly radio address, Governor Beebe pays homage to the ADEQ (Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality) for their "reducing our environmental impact." He goes on to say that the ADEQ "has shown tremendous progress toward these goals in recent years. As it strives to protect and enhance the state's environment, it not only "talks the talk", it "walks the walk"."

As you may know the Governor has his Commission on Global Warming, which according to the web site is tasked with giving  "Arkansans our own perspective on the scope and potential impact of this phenomenon and recommend the best steps to take to protect ourselves, our environment and our economy for the future."

I am trying to get more details on this venture. If you want to know more I encourage you to Google "Beebe's global warming commission" a plethora of information will just pop up, let me know what you find out.