ROGERS, Ark. — One of the issues residents are being asked to vote on in Arkansas is Issue 1.
On Monday (Oct. 19) Governor Asa Hutchinson and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge visited five cities across the state to tell voters why they should vote for Issue 1.
In 2012, voters approved a temporary half-cent sales tax for roads. If Issue 1 passes, the half-cent sales tax would continue and not end.
The governor says by voting "yes" you are investing in roads, bridges and infrastructure without raising taxes by continuing the tax we are already paying.
“There’s a lot of local initiatives that they use the sales tax to invest in projects and what is important here is this is not a new tax, this is not raising the sales tax,” Gov. Hutchinson said.
The Arkansas Liberty Coalition is against the issue because Arkansas already has one of the highest sales tax in the nation. Board member, D-Fo Ray says we already had a tax increase on gasoline last year that was also for roads.
“We don’t have a revenue problem in the state, we have a spending problem and they just want to keep wanting to steal more money out of the pockets of the people and in the current economic situation we are all in, this is not the time,” Ray said.
The governor says both Benton and Washington Counties are at risk of losing more than $5 million every year if the half-cent sales tax ends if Issue 1 doesn’t pass.
Attorney General Rutledge says it’s very important that Issue 1 passes. She says funding roads is a long-term problem and we need a long-term solution
“We don’t need our cities and counties giving up that revenue stream and taking away from other projects in order to take care of our infrastructure," she said. "Roads and bridges are again the upmost, again to safety and job growth all across Arkansas and especially right here in Northwest Arkansas."
George Wise with the Central Arkansas Chapter of the Arkansas Sierra Club opposes Issue 1 because ArDOT continues to only include roads in their plans and doesn’t recognize the need for expanded bike trails and support of public transit.
He says they agree the state needs funding for road maintenance but doesn't think the right way to do that is with a permanent tax in the constitution.
“Or is the way to generate that income by negotiating with all the stakeholders and looking at a method that would make those that cause the damage pay rather than a regressive tax,” he said.
The governor says food and groceries are exempt from this sales tax. He and the attorney general went to four other cities in other parts of the state Monday campaigning for the issue.