Bid to send highway plan to Arkansas voters fails in House
LITTLE ROCK—An effort to ask Arkansas voters to approve a $200 million highway improvement initiative failed Tuesday in the state House after several Republicans objected to an accompanying plan to raise fuel taxes.
The proposal to put the 20-year bond initiative on the ballot next year received 38 votes in favor and 35 against, falling far short of the 51 needed for a majority in the 100-member chamber.
The lawmaker behind the plan asked the chamber to skip a vote on a companion measure to levy the state's 6.5 percent sales tax on the wholesale price of gasoline and diesel to pay for the bonds. The tax would have only taken effect if voters approved the bond issue.
"I'm not coming here today to ask you all to raise the revenue," Republican Rep. Dan Douglas said before the vote. "I'm coming here today to ask you all to let the citizens of the state of Arkansas decide if this is the way they want to fund their highway system."
Read more: http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/arkansas/story/2017/mar/15/bid-send-highway-plan-arkansas-voters-fails-house/665574/