LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas’ Republican governor and legislative leaders
say they’re hopeful they can find a highway funding solution that’s been elusive
in recent years. But the two main ideas, raising taxes or tapping into existing
tax revenue, still face significant hurdles.Gov. Asa Hutchinson, incoming Senate President Jim Hendren and House Speaker
Matthew Shepherd called highway funding one of the top priorities when lawmakers
convene on Monday for this year’s legislative session. So far, no plan has
emerged yet on how to close the funding gap for roads.
Arkansas officials say the state highway system needs $478 million in
additional funding a year just to meet its current maintenance and improvement
needs. But recent efforts to significantly close that funding gap have stalled.
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