Natural State News

The recent special election in Little Rock revealed a majority of eligible voters who participated in the election voted against a proposed increase in sales tax aimed to improve the city. 

The mayor of Little Rock, Frank Scott Jr., recently had his tax bill defeated after 62% of the special session votes went against his "penny tax" bill, THV 11 reported. The bill would have raised the city's sales tax from 9% to 9.625%.

"As a single mother of two on a fixed income, I can't afford to pay a higher tax right now, especially in a time when things are already gone up during this pandemic," Valencia White told Natural State News. "So low-income families don't need to support a sales tax increase right now that won't benefit them in their own communities." 

White is the co-chair of the Vote No Sales Tax on Sept. 14 ballot committee and member of Arkansas Community Organization.

Producer price index, a metric used to track inflation that measures the prices that producers in the United States receive for their goods, rose 7.8% year over year ending July 2021, CNN reported. This is the highest this rate has ever been since it started getting calculated in 2010.

Twitter user Chalmer Wayland congratulated the group efforts taken to defeat the tax bill from both sides of the aisle in a Sept. 15 post. 

"The defeat of the LR tax increase was a team effort. Several groups from all sides of the political spectrum worked together. Congratulations," Wayland said.

"ACO has already made a difference for low-income and working families in Arkansas," according to Arkansas Community Organization's website.