Arkansas
Arkansas priorities: Cash for the rich, nothing for school teachers or anyone else at bottom of the scale
AR has 1.6 Billion greenback surplus. @AsaHutchinson has a plan to boost instructor’s pay. We now have a few of lowest pay of any state within the area. Petty politics shouldn’t stop the legislature from doing it – now.
— Jim Hendren (@JimHendren1) July 9, 2022
A rear guard motion — which means by minority Democrats and the occasional rational thinker — is underway to discourage Governor Hutchinson and the legislature from focusing a particular session totally on earnings tax cuts for the wealthy whereas doing nothing for public providers, notably a pay elevate for varsity lecturers.
One rational individual, as Twitter exhibits, is the governor’s nephew, former Republican Sen. Jim Hendren, now an unbiased.
Democratic Sen. Joyce Elliott, a former instructor, tosses some details into the combo.
In accordance with Dept of Ed Secretary,Johnny Key, going into 2022-23 schl yr, base salaries in OK,MO,TN and MS are all increased than Arkansas, and Mississippi simply elevated its base wage to $41,500 together with an roughly $5,000 wage enhance for each instructor. #arpx #arleg
— Joyce Elliott (@xjelliott) July 8, 2022
The progressive group, ForARPeople, in encouraging a petition marketing campaign on behalf of lecturers, highlights the wealthy part-time pay of legislators (enhanced for many by $10,000-$15,000 in tax-free per diem bonuses for turning up at committee conferences — or not turning up in case you are entitled prigs like Alan Clark.)
Earlier than you head into your weekend, take 5 min to signal our #payARteachers petition + electronic mail @ARGOP #arleg members, asking them to help wage will increase for public college workers. Retweet + share. That is folks energy. #arpx
hyperlink to petition: 👇👇👇https://t.co/91Mib4HuS5 pic.twitter.com/53H63bpzV9
— For AR Folks (@ForARPeople1) July 8, 2022
Once more, the easy rundown on Arkansas legislative priorities, primarily based on the reported earnings tax lower settlement labored out between the governor and legislature:
State surplus this yr, plus accrued catastrophic reserve:
$3 billion
Value of chopping the highest earnings tax charge from 5.5 to 4.9 p.c retroactive to Jan. 1:
$449 million this yr. With tens of tens of millions extra in coming years.
Share going to the highest 15 p.c of taxpayers:
91 p.c
Share going to the highest 5 p.c of taxpayers
68 p.c
Share going to folks making between $40,000 and $80,000
9 p.c
Share going to 771,000 taxpayers (and doubtless much more primarily based on final yr’s figures) who make lower than $40,000,
ZERO
Median family earnings in Arkansas
$49,000
Pay raises proposed for Arkansas lecturers
ZERO
Elevated spending proposed for meals, well being, housing, daycare and different wants of low-income households and new moms, a quantity to extend with authorized abortion now banned
ZERO
Elections matter.