While Arkansas lawmakers have already filed bills on gun registration, automatic voter registration and other topics, one of the main issues leadership wants to fix during the 2019 session that begins Monday is ethics reform.
Speaking during a session preview event for members of the media on Friday, Senate President Pro-Tem Jim Hendren, R-Gravette, said during the past two sessions, the main issue the legislature dealt with was passing the Medicaid expansion program Arkansas Works, since it needs to be approved every year. However, with that program in place, Hendren does not think passing the Medicaid expansion will be the largest project this year. Instead the "big mountain" as Hendren called it, will revamping ethics in the statehouse.
"We’ve had scandals just non-stop it seems like for decades and it’s culminated now and it has to stop. So we’ve already taken a lot of steps to begin to try to change the culture and increase the transparency for what we’re doing," Hendren said.
One bill filed for this year’s session would strip a legislator of their right to collect retirement benefits as a lawmaker. Hendren agrees with the bill.
"I think all of us agree that somebody who violates the trust that they are given when they are in the state senate should not be entitled to retirement from their service in the state senate," Hendren said.
Another step the legislature is taking includes preparing the Senate so it can livestream video of the chamber to the public. While the House and the committee rooms were already equipped to do so, this will be the first year for the Senate. The Senate previously only streamed audio. The Senate has also created an ethics committee and undertaken what Hendren calls one of the largest revamps of its laws.
While the legislature has taken clear steps to address ethics reform, the state’s highway plan is proving to be more complicated. House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, says the legislature will be looking at all options when it comes to increasing the amount of money for highways.
"Everything has to be on the table. We have to take a close look at that. I’ve expressed my interest in trying to look internally first at what revenue might be available to be allocated towards highways, however small that may be," Shepherd said.
Hendren says he’s grateful the legislature has an entire session to figure out a plan. When asked about a potential state highway plan, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said lawmakers are working on the plan and could not give any details on specifics. He did say this issue needs to be a priority.
"There’s a limit as to how long we should wait on that because this is something that needs to be vetted very carefully and so I hope that by mid-term in the legislative session we can actually have the framework for that highway plan out," Hutchinson said.
As far as numbers go, Hutchinson considers a $200 million plan as a "big plan" while acknowledging that some lawmakers and transportation officials may want $300 million or even $400 million.
Democrats plan to outline their legislative priorities for the session on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in the old Supreme Court room at the Capitol.