Lawmakers approve totally unnecessary Capitol tunnel

It will only cost $4 million to let lawmakers hide from constituents

Arkansas kids can’t have health care, but our lawmakers can have a super secret tunnel on Capitol grounds.

No, really. That’s what’s happening.

We told you about their dumb tunnel idea back in July. Last week, the Arkansas Legislative Council approved a spend of $3.87 million to construct the tunnel from the capitol building to the nearby Multi-Agency Complex building where some business is conducted.

Lone-wolf Representative Lane Jean opposed the idea. Others appeared to be less than thrilled but still gave the thumbs up.

It’s worth noting that our neighbors in Tennessee just had two very heated legislative sessions. The public showed up to protest gun violence, including parents who had kids in the Covenant School shooting near Nashville in March. This week, the Tennessee legislature ended a special session with these parents crying out in desperation for lawmakers to do something to protect their children.

Arkansas lawmakers have never had to feel this kind of heat, but they will earn it someday soon. And now they’ll have a comfy “secured walkway” in which to traverse from one building to another in attempts to dodge members of the public aiming to hold them accountable.

Why do lawmakers need this nonsense tunnel after all? If it’s not public backlash Arkansas lawmakers are trying to avoid, what could it be? There isn’t much braving of the elements happening in the 150 feet from the Capitol to the complex building, so what gives?

It could be as simple as their need for exclusivity and superiority, which is a shame in its own right.

Arkansas lawmakers are meant to be cut from the same cloth as the people they represent. We deserve lawmakers who don’t think themselves so important that they can’t use the same entrance as their constituents.

Now they’re setting themselves up for ever more special treatment at the expense of the Arkansas taxpayer.