Natural State News

The Arkansas House of Representatives met recently with Grover Norquist, founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, regarding tax cuts being considered by the state.

In a tweet Oct. 21, Arkansas state Rep. David Ray (R-Maumelle) shared photos of the meeting, saying it was great to have him in to discuss reducing the tax burden on Arkansas families.

“Grover is a national leader when it comes to the issue of taxes, so hearing his perspective on what he's seeing in several states across the country is extremely valuable,” Ray told the Natural State News. “Folks in Little Rock tend to want to preserve the status quo, so it's helpful to get the perspective of someone who is a reformer and has a national perspective and whose thinking isn't influenced by the Little Rock bubble.”

According to Ray, the governor is the only person with the authority to call legislators back into session.

“Now that his previously announced timeframe is delayed, I'm not sure when we will come back into session," Ray said. "I am hopeful we pass legislation to cut income taxes before we head into the new year."

With other states such as Mississippi, Arizona, Louisiana and West Virginia making changes to lower taxes and phase out their income taxes, Ray said he is encouraged. 

“To me, that emphasizes the fact that we need to take bold action to lower our taxes in Arkansas so that we don't fall behind other states in the race to be competitive for new movers, new job growth, etc.,” Ray said. 

Gov. Asa Hutchinson delayed the special session that would have included discussions about tax cuts, citing the need for more time to develop a comprehensive package, KATV reported Oct. 20.  The session is still expected to take place in the near future. 

The Natural State News recently reported on the governor's intent to reduce income taxes in the state. Currently, multiple plans are being discussed by legislators but a consensus has yet to be reached.

This comes as the state received higher than expected income tax revenue, resulting in a surplus on its budget for the past 31 months, as well as competition from the state’s neighbors, the Natural State News reported. 

Texas and Tennessee, two of Arkansas' nearby neighbors, already have a tax system in place that does not collect individual income taxes, the Tax Foundation reported. Mississippi and Louisiana both offer lower rates than Arkansas.