Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Committees Ready With 3 Ballot Issues

IN THE SENATE--

Senate and House committees have agreed on three proposed constitutional amendments to put before voters in next year's general election.

Proposal one could make it more difficult to enact sales tax increases. It would require an extraordinary majority of 60 percent in both chambers of the legislature to raise the tax. Now, an increase in the state sales tax requires a simple majority of 51 percent.

It would require a 75 percent majority to raise many other taxes, such as income taxes and corporate taxes. Under the proposed amendment, the requirement would drop to 60 percent.

Proposal two would authorize retired and special judges to hear cases. It also would give the governor 30 days to appoint a replacement when a justice of the state supreme court recuses.

Proposal three would allow cities and counties to incur debt of up to five years. The Senate and House Committees on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs recommended passage of the three proposed amendments. Each chamber must approve the proposals.

Also last week, the Senate passed House Bill 1182 to provide tax relief on the sale of used motor vehicles. Now, when a used car is sold for less than $2,000 it is exempted from the state sales tax. HB 1182 raises the threshold to $2,500.

The bill also gives car owners a tax break if they sell their old cars on their own, rather than trade it in to a dealer. For example, if you sold your vehicle through the want ads and bought a new car, the sales tax would be collected on the difference in prices. Now, you must trade in your old car to receive this type of sales tax reduction.

The legislature is completing work on a bill to streamline the process of renewing car tags. Senate Bill 574 passed the House. It would eliminate the requirement that cars undergo a yearly safety inspection. Also, when renewing car tags the owner should not have to bring to the revenue office proof of insurance or proof of property tax payments and assessments.

This is one of the headaches that would be eliminated because SB 574 would equip county assessors and collectors's office with computer equipment to keep records. Clerks could run a computer check when people renew their tags, therefore, car owners wouldn't have to bring proof of assessments and tax payments.

A companion measure, HB 1156, would set up a computer link between the state and insurance companies. The companies would make regular reports to the state listing the motor vehicles that are properly insured. The bill sets a mandatory fine of $50 to $250 for motorists who are found to have no insurance.

Other major legislation approved by the Senate included HB 1295, the welfare reform bill, and SB 545, a school funding formula. The welfare reform bill sould cut off cash benefits after two years, beginning on July 1, 1998. It enourages the placement of welfare recipients into the work force, and change the mission of the Department of Human Service's welfare office. Rather than merely being an office that distributes benefits, one of its main duties will be to locate recipients in jobs, training programs or schools.

HB 1501, to create a separte Department of Workforce Education, is another part of the state's effort to find jobs for welfare recipients. It has passed both chambers.

The school funding formula distributes state aid to public schools, and keeps statewide per pupil expenditures within a range that the courts would find constitutional. All schools in Arkansas would spend more than $4,000 per student per year.

IN THE HOUSE--

With the regular session of the 81st General Assembly nearing an end, state representatives approved legislation to simplify the car registration process and endorsed two proposed constitutional amendments for Arkansas voters to consider in the November 1998 General Election.

In other action through Thursday, March 27, the House approved bills to add the burning of churches to the state's arson law, to ban partial birth abortion and to further regulate the sale and distribution of tobacco products.

Representatives voted to extend the regular session to Friday, April 4, and during their 11th week of work addressed several key issues of the regular esssion, including major state budgets.

Managed by Rep. David Bisbee of Rogers, the legislation to simplify the car-tag renewal process would eliminate the requirement for annual vehicle inspections and would establish a computer network to confirm whether motorists met other licensing requirements, which include proof of liability insurance, assessment of personal property and payment of personal property taxes. While the annual inspection requirement would be eliminated, motorists still must maintain mechanically safe vehicles.

The two proposed constitutional amendments endorsed by the House would change the number of votes necessary for the General Assembly to raise or lower taxes and would authorize cities and counties to arrange short-term financing for construction projects and certain other purchases.

The General Assembly is authorized to refer to the voters up to three proposed amendments every two years. If endorsed by the Senate, the proposals would appear on the November 1998 general election ballot.

Rep. Charlotte Schexnayder of Dumas sponsored the proposed constitutional amendment to designate a three-fifths majority vote of the House and of the Senate to raise or lower taxes.

A 1935 amendment to the state's Constitution established a three-fourths majority vote of the House and of the Senate to raise taxes or fees then in existence, which would include income taxes and motor fuel taxes. Taxes enacted since then, such as the sales tax, may be increaseed with a majority vote of the House and Senate.

The proposed constitutional amendment recommended by the House would establish a three-fifths majority vote -- 60 votes in the 100-member House and 21 votes in the 35-member Senate -- not only to increase taxes and fees, but to reduce taxes or fees.

The second proposed amendment winning House approval would authorize Arkansas cities and counties to arrange short-term financing for construction projects or for certain other purchases. Rep. John Dawson of Camden sponsored the proposal, which would limit short-term financing to no longer than five years. Restrictions also would be placed on the amount financed and on interest rates charged.

Rep. Jim Hendren of Sulphur Springs managed the legislation to ban partial-birth abortion, a procedure in which a live fetus is partially deliverd before the abortion is completed. Violation of the law would be a felony offense punishable by imprisonment and fine. A defense to the charge would be that the abortion was the only altern