Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced a special session of the state legislature to discuss tax reductions and the budget for the agency that oversees hunting and fishing.
In a message on social media, the Republican governor outlined plans for $500 million in income tax cuts and $50 million in property tax cuts during the upcoming session, set to begin next Monday.
Sanders aims to lower Arkansas’s top income tax rate from 4.4% to 3.9% and the top corporate rate from 4.8% to 4.3%, starting from January 1. Additionally, she proposed increasing the homestead tax credit from $425 to $500.
The decision follows the adjournment of this year’s legislative session without finalizing a budget for the state Game and Fish Commission, creating uncertainty for hunting and fishing programs unless approved before July 1, the start of the fiscal year.
People walk along the shoreline in Navarre Beach (Via Damon Black/Shutterstock)
Lawmakers failed to pass a $175 million budget for the agency due to concerns, particularly regarding the potential salary increase for its director, resulting in the first session in over 20 years ending without budget approval.
Since assuming office in January 2023, Sanders has signed two income tax reduction bills into law, with the latest cuts being proposed amid projections of a $708 million surplus by the end of the current fiscal year.
