LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas lawmakers are back at the capitol for another special session.
This time around, they're discussing Gov. Asa Hutchinson's plan to cut the state income tax. But as we know with these special sessions, sometimes they can get a little off track.
Right from the start in the Senate on Tuesday morning, the tax cuts almost got sidelined by a bill that's not on the agenda for this session.
It's something similar to what we saw during the last special session for redistricting.
State Sen. Jason Rapert (R-35) proposed a bill that would provide an income tax credit for law enforcement, but the Senate ruled it not relevant on Tuesday morning.
Later in the afternoon when the tax-cut bill, the focus of this session, was proposed in a Senate Committee, Rapert brought up his bill again.
He wanted it added to the current tax-cut bill, which he's a co-sponsor of.
This led to back-and-forth between several senators. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R-28), even said it was 'disrespectful' for Rapert to bring his bill back up after the Senate shut it down earlier in the day.
"One of the things I did not want to do is have a hostile amendment put on that these co-sponsors didn't agree to. This isn't what they signed on to support," Dismang said. "They may support the idea in general, but at the same time, that issue hasn't been vetted. It hasn't been through committee and it definitely hasn't been out there for 3 months for the members to review."
That amendment ultimately failed in committee, but the tax-cut bill did pass.
The plan, if approved, would combine the low and middle-income tax tables and provide a tax credit for people who make less than $24,700.
It would also lower the top tax rate for individuals and corporate tax rate.
Dismang said, bottom line, every Arkansan who pays income tax will benefit from this bill.
The House and Senate will reconvene on Wednesday, Dec. 8, morning.