LITTLE ROCK House Speaker Robbie Wills said lawmakers can't use the worsening economy and tight budget as an excuse to avoid the tough issues facing the 2009 General Assembly.
"Now, more than ever, the people of Arkansas look to us for leadership, responsibility and results," Wills told House members as the Legislature convened on Monday.
In the Senate, President Bob Johnson didn't lay out his goals for the session and instead focused on his family. The Senate leader later told reporters, "I think everyone knows what's at stake."
At stake is a tight budget proposal that leaves $147 million in state programs unfunded without the use of surplus money or a spike in revenues. Despite the nation's recession, Gov. Mike Beebe is continuing to push for another cut in the state's sales tax on groceries.
Beebe is to address a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday and is expected to lay out his agenda on the tax cut, plus his plans for raising the state's cigarette tax to pay for establishing a statewide trauma system.
Lawmakers also said they're looking to Beebe for direction on establishing a state-run lottery approved by voters in November and how to hand out the millions in scholarships it's expected to fund.
The session began with a grimmer financial outlook than two years ago, when Beebe was inaugurated and the state enjoyed a nearly $1 billion surplus.
Wills said he wanted lawmakers to avoid the temptation to back out of the tougher tasks facing them.
"I'll ask you to do something and accomplish something. ... I know these decisions won't be easy, but you didn't run for an easy job," said Wills, D-Conway. said. "If it were easy, anyone can sit in your chair."
The toughest task for Beebe may be convincing lawmakers to support the 1-cent grocery tax cut, which will remove about $30 million annually from the state budget while the nation is in the middle of a recession. Beebe won support in 2007 for his plan to cut the tax from 6 cents to 3 cents. That cut was among $121 million in tax reductions that year.
Several said Monday that they want to see how the economy fares before they sign on to the governor's tax cut proposal.
Sen. Jimmy Jeffress, chair of the Senate Education Committee, said he wants to see if there's money available for teacher health insurance before he'll say whether he support the tax cut.
"I really don't have a groundswell of people saying they want the tax removed," said Jeffress, D-Crossett. "I mean, of course they'll take it, but it's just not something where they're coming out of the woodwork asking for it."
Beebe also wants to set aside some of the state's projected $300 million surplus to establish a fund the state could tap into for emergencies and to pay for some of the unfunded appropriations.
The Legislature convened without the cloud of an ongoing school funding case hanging over it after the state Supreme Court ruled that Arkansas was adequately funding its public schools. Freshman Sen. Larry Teague said lawmakers still need to make education the priority even without the school funding case.
"We just got out of trouble. I want to make sure we don't get back into trouble," Teague said.
Talking to reporters, Johnson repeated his argument that setting up the state's lottery and distributing the revenues for scholarships is the biggest issue that faces the Legislature.
Wills told House members that he want the lottery to be run by an independent commission with "integrity, transparency and accountability" but didn't offer details on how the scholarships should be distributed. Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, who championed the lottery amendment, has proposed creating a new scholarship program to be funded by the proceeds.
Beebe, who opposed the lottery, has instead said he wants to focus on expanding existing scholarship programs.
"Let's make it our goal that every person wanting to continue their education after high school will have help paying for it," Wills said. "We can do it, and it's the right thing to do."
Wills assigned his shell bill dealing with the lottery to the House Rules Committee, which typically handles gambling issues. The panel is chaired by Rep. Robert Moore, D-Arkansas City, who is running for House speaker for the 88th General Assembly.
The Senate version of the lottery proposal was assigned Monday to the State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is headed by Sen. Steve Faris.
Faris, D-Malvern, has said Halter was premature by sending out a list of proposals for setting up the lottery.
Wills also called on lawmakers to increase the state's cigarette tax to pay for establishing a trauma system and for other health programs, including a northwest campus for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and community health centers. Beebe has said he will ask lawmakers to increase the 59-cents a pack tax by at least 50 cents.
The measure is expected to face opposition from Republicans, and the House minority leader has said he expects an alternate plan to pay for the trauma system by increasing fees for reckless and drunken driving.
Johnson used his brief address to talk about his family, and to honor former Rep. Ray Thornton, D-Ark., for whom he worked as a staff member and who briefly spoke to the Senate.
"As much as this has been a blessing to me, and as much as it's been an honor to serve, the greatest adventure of my life has yet to begin, and that's raising my family," Johnson said.
