No to Taxes and One Less Arkansas School District

Delay didnt prove to be the right strategy today for the tax package expected to fund most of the 400 million dollars needed for school reform. Sponsors in the house still werent able to get enough votes to send the multi-level tax plan to the senate. House bill 1030 would increase state sales tax by 7/8ths of a cent and add tax to certain services like dog grooming. Members of the Black caucus and the womens caucus have been holding joint meetings trying to create an amendment that could drop the proposed sales tax to at least 5/8ths of a cent if not lower. In addition to turning down a large sales tax increase, representatives also said "no" to administratively consolidating the Pulaski county special school district. House members attacked sponsor Linda Chesterfield for introducing the bill only after a bus strike in Pulaski county. Chesterfields husband is one of the districts bus drivers. She maintains that the move to reorganize the district is all about efficiency, the same kind of efficiency that motivated lawmakers to consolidate 59 other districts.