LITTLE ROCK (KFSM) -- A state senator from Northwest Arkansas wants to reduce state spending by cutting funding to the historic War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said he promised to cut spending in Arkansas and that is part of his plan.
“$900,000 a year to fund a football stadium that is only used a handful of days is not a good use of taxpayer money,” Hester said. “One of the easiest things to do when you are running for office is to say ‘I want to cut government spending.’ It is very hard to actually name items [to cut].”
Hester said cutting funding to the aging stadium could save millions of dollars over the next few years.
“The football stadium is very old, it is not functional anymore,” Hester said.
Some students at the University of Arkansas said they have been to games at the stadium and noticed the stadium was deteriorating.
“It is getting old, but I still feel like it is useful,” said Lynzee Jones, a freshman.
“I do think it is getting old, but I do feel like it is history,” said J’Lynn Lowery, a freshman. “Everybody goes [to the games], even if it is getting old.”
Jones and Lowery, who are friends at the university, are split on whether cutting the funding is necessary.
“I think that it would be more efficient if we just rented it out, because that is costing a lot of money,” Jones said.
“I do not think it is that much money,” Lowery said.
Meanwhile, Hester said he believed he will have bipartisan support for the proposal to cut funding for the stadium.
He added the sale of the property could create more funding for the Little Rock School District and the property would be able to create tax revenue for the local area under new management.