Scandals hurt lawmakers’ work

Corruption stains institutions’ service to voters

As Arkansas lawmakers get to work this week, they face an ambitious agenda from second-term Gov. Asa Hutchinson and more than a few challenges, including some that come courtesy of former colleagues.

This legislative session convened in the wake of scandal that has seen indictment of several lawmakers and lobbyists.

For a long two years, they have dominated the headlines.

The latest came just days ago as a federal grand jury indicted a former lawmaker/lobbyist in connection with bribing a judge.

Other charges arose out of a scheme involving lawmakers’ direction of state grant funds to certain recipients in exchange for kickbacks.

Some of the lawmakers and lobbyists pleaded guilty or were convicted. Others await trial.

They are barely more than a handful of the 135 state lawmakers who hold these positions of trust at any one time. But they’ve made the job harder for those who serve now.

For all the lawmakers — newly seated and returning — who weren’t party to such schemes or any of the other misconduct that got their colleagues in trouble, the challenge is to restore public confidence in this Legislature.

To their credit, the current legislative leadership has already begun that work.

The state Senate, led by its new president pro tempore, Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, has changed its own rules on ethics and conflict of interest and has taken steps toward more transparency in day-to-day operations.

Hendren underscored the message on Monday as the Senate convened.

“Let us begin the session of the General Assembly today with a determination that the culture of greed and corruption is over,” he said. “We will not participate in it, we will not ignore it and we will not tolerate those who do.”

On the other end of the Capitol, House Speaker Matthew Shepherd encouraged state representatives to focus on their constituents. He, too, has made the point that lawmakers must rebuild public trust in the institution.

Lawmakers do intend to pass some new ethics legislation to back up their leaders’ pledges. Their success in rehabilitating the legislative image will depend as much, however, on how they go about their work.

Their plates will be full as Hutchinson sets out his second-term agenda. It includes cutting the state’s top income tax rate and raising minimum teacher salaries at the same time the state is searching for funding for highways and other needs.

The governor is also calling for reorganization of state government to reduce the number of departments answering directly to him to just 15, compared to the 42 that do so now. He expects no resulting job losses but anticipates better efficiency in operations.

Lawmakers also must address again funding for the state’s Medicaid expansion program.

The good news is that Gov. Hutchinson and the legislative leaders don’t expect a fight this time around, even though continued funding will again require a three-fourths vote in both chambers.

The program purchases private insurance for low-income residents with state and federal funds.

With federal approval, the state instituted a controversial work requirement that has been challenged in court.

Nearly 17,000 Arkansans lost coverage due to non-compliance. That’s a troubling development the lawsuit is intended to address.

Even if a federal judge should stop enforcement of the provision, the governor and the Senate and House leaders don’t anticipate renewed efforts to defund Medicaid expansion.

If they are right, that alone will help move this session along. Those federal dollars figure heavily in the Hutchinson’s overall budget plans for the state.

And those are but a few of the challenges awaiting this year’s lawmakers.

None of it is ever particularly easy.

This year, with that stain of corruption left by a relative few former lawmakers and lobbyists, the job is just that much harder.

Brenda Blagg is a freelance columnist and longtime journalist in Northwest Arkansas. Email her at brendajblagg@gmail.com.