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The Arkansas legislature finished the first week of the 2012 fiscal session with clear political lines drawn in the sand. On one side are lawmakers who support a conservative budget for state government and on the other are those who favor an even more conservative budget.
The back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans this year is the first time in memory that the two major political parties have contested budget issues so closely. In that respect, the 2012 fiscal session represents a first in Arkansas political history.
Unlike the federal government, the state of Arkansas operates under a balanced budget law. Whatever the outcome of the political wrangling at the state Capitol, state government will not spend more than it takes in next year.
The governor has proposed a balanced budget and the legislature's Joint Budget Committee is going over it line by line. It would authorize about $4.7 billion in spending from the general revenue fund next year.
If the economy slows and tax revenue declines, state agencies will impose spending cuts. Under the Arkansas balanced budget law, known as the Revenue Stabilization Act, state government will live within its means.
Senator Percy Malone is an Arkadelphia resident and businessman who has dedicated his political career to the district with a focus on child advocacy.
