Senate President Bart Hester says session will deal with schooling, public security reforms

Senate President Professional Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, says enhancing youngsters’s studying will likely be a precedence for higher academic outcomes, and he believes 3,000 new jail beds could also be wanted to deal with the state’s public security challenges.

Showing on this week’s version of Discuss Enterprise & Politics, Hester, who was elected to guide the State Senate within the 94th Basic Meeting, mentioned public schooling has a spending downside not a funding downside.

“Extra money in schooling isn’t fixing any issues. We’re already spending over 40% of the state’s finances on schooling, and we’re failing. We’re failing college students, we’re failing lecturers, we’re failing in every single place,” he mentioned. “So the cash will not be being spent appropriately. This isn’t a funding downside, it is a spending downside. We’re going to have to actually dive in on how the cash that we’re already sending is being spent. And with over 40% of the tax {dollars} in Arkansas going to schooling, you possibly can’t argue we’re not spending sufficient. We’re spending a lot. We’re not spending it proper.”

Hester mentioned he plans to work with Gov.-elect Sarah Sanders to undertake various schooling reforms, together with extra parental empowerment, within the common session that begins in January.

“A 3rd of Arkansas youngsters, a 3rd of them, can learn at grade degree and that’s kindergarten via twelfth grade. It’s not acceptable. It’s been that approach ceaselessly. And if we wish to change issues, we’ve obtained to behave in a different way, we’ve obtained to have totally different philosophies and totally different processes coming via our Division of Training,” Hester mentioned. “Children have gotten to learn earlier than they will do math nicely, youngsters have gotten to learn earlier than they will do something. So we’ve obtained to deal with studying and a whole lot of that can be going to return to parental empowerment.”

Gov. Asa Hutchinson proposed an extra $550 million in schooling spending within the balanced finances he submitted this week. The outgoing governor mentioned the cash could possibly be allotted for instructor pay raises, if the legislature desired. Hester mentioned the cash spent on schooling must have extra deal with studying.

“I’m going to be a proponent of eradicating virtually something out of the way in which that’s maintaining these youngsters from studying. They will grow to be well-rounded after they will learn,” he mentioned. “Children shouldn’t have to do as a lot athletics. They don’t have to do as a lot artwork. They don’t have to do as a lot band. They don’t have to do as a lot science. They don’t have to do as a lot historical past, if they will’t learn. As soon as they will learn, then they will deal with historical past, then they will deal with science, then they will deal with issues – band and music and artwork and different issues – which can be important to a well-rounded pupil. However all these issues are secondary to studying.”

Hester mentioned the 94th Basic Meeting can even heart on parole reform and including jail beds. Lawmakers and state officers have begun the method to find a brand new 1,000-bed state jail. Hester mentioned that’s not sufficient.

“Some folks say 1,000 beds. I say we want 3,000 beds, proper? And we’ll proceed to speak about that because the legislature. However the excellent news is when you’ve a major quantity of financial savings, and we do, we’ve obtained a few billion {dollars} which can be obtainable to us, you actually have choices,” he mentioned.

Arkansas completed its final fiscal yr with a $1.6 billion surplus, however has allotted about $600 million of that for accelerated tax cuts. Price range officers anticipate the state to have a $600 billion finances surplus on the finish of June 2023, and there could possibly be one other $555 million finances surplus within the subsequent two fiscal years. The state additionally has $2.7 billion in reserve and wet day funds.

“Now, I’m not focused on spending all of that cash, however when you’ve financial savings and you’ve got important wants – and jail beds is a major want in Arkansas. We’ve obtained violent offenders that we’re having to show again out into the general public which can be harming folks. It’s making them unsafe at their houses, making them unsafe of their streets. We’ve obtained to get extra jail beds to maintain violent offenders locked up,” he mentioned.

Hester mentioned he expects tax cuts to be thought of this legislative session, relying on financial circumstances, and he predicted there could be “tinkering” with the state’s Medicaid enlargement program as a result of new administration and new lawmakers. He additionally talked about his election as State Senate chief and the stripping of seniority of Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale. You’ll be able to watch his full interview within the video under.