Arkansas lawmakers have approved Gov. Asa Hutchinson's $50 million low-income tax cut plan, setting the stage for a debate over deeper tax reductions the Republican has vowed to champion in two years.
The proposal to cut taxes for more than 650,000 residents making less than $21,000 cleared the House Monday on a 90-2 vote. The Senate earlier approved an identical version of the plan on a 33-0 vote. A final vote is expected later this week before the legislation heads to the governor's desk.
Hutchinson won the support of fellow Republicans who had wanted deeper cuts, proposing a 16-member legislative task force that would recommend comprehensive tax code changes by the fall of 2018. The House postponed a vote on a competing $40 million tax credit proposal.