More tax cuts for the rich

Passing more tax cuts for the rich in Arkansas is like taking candy from a baby. Except the baby is just regular people trying to make ends meet.

Gov. Sanders once again dolled out tax cuts for the third time in 15 months. The most recent batch of cuts reduces the top individual and corporate income tax rates.

Let’s break it down: Sanders claims these cuts are a win for the “hardworking Arkansans.” Yet, financial experts point out the cuts will fatten the wallets of the wealthy while leaving the rest of us out to dry. The state’s top individual income tax rate is now 3.9%, down from 4.4%, and the corporate rate is slashed from 4.8% to 4.3%. Not sure how we’ll pay for schools, roads, or healthcare moving forward, but at least the wealthy can expand their vacation home portfolios.

Democrats, who seem to be the only ones with a pulse in this circus, argued that these cuts would drain the state’s ability to fund vital services. They suggested, wildly, that we should fund programs to reduce childhood poverty or help folks get affordable housing. The audacity.

Meanwhile, Speaker Matthew Shepherd’s claim that this is a “historic day” because state income tax is at its lowest ever is a bad joke for working class Arkansans.

Sanders’ tax cuts are a masterclass in making sure the rich get richer and the rest of us stay exactly where we are—wondering why our grocery bills keep going up. The only thing lower than our income tax rate is the state’s regard for its middle class.