Halter cuts debt from campaign $735 in quarter
Posted on Thursday, April 17, 2008
Lt. Gov. Bill Halter trimmed his campaign debt in the last quarter by $ 735 to $ 498, 122, he reported Tuesday.
At the end of 2006, his reports showed his campaign owed him $ 1. 05 million of the $ 1. 17 million in personal loans he made to it.
“Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day, and the lieutenant governor has spent an increasing amount of time traveling throughout Arkansas to promote his lottery initiative,” said Halter spokesman Bud Jackson when asked why Halter reduced his debt by less than $ 1, 000 in the quarter that ended March 31.
“Overall, his debt retirement continues to be successful, now having already retired more than half of his original campaign debt owed to himself,” Jackson said. Halter has no specific timetable for retiring the debt, Jackson said.
Reports for the period Jan. 1-March 31 had to be filed or postmarked on Tuesday. Halter filed one for the primary, a second for the primary runoff, and a third for the general election.
For the primary and primary runoff, he raised and spent nothing last quarter. For the general election, he raised $ 32, 282 and spent $ 31, 546.
Separately, the Hope for Arkansas committee created by Halter to promote his proposed lottery measure reported contributions of $ 30 and expenses of $ 47, 946 last month. The expenses included more than $ 24, 000 to the Nevada-based signature gathering firm, National Voter Outreach Inc., and $ 12, 842 in legal fees to Williams & Anderson PLC of Little Rock.
Hope for Arkansas reported it has received total contributions of $ 304, 661, most of which is from the family of Little Rock businessman John Bailey, and spent $ 269, 520. That left it with $ 35, 141 on March 31.
The committee has until July 7 to turn in 77, 468 signatures to the secretary of state to qualify Halter’s proposal for the Nov. 4 ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment would authorize the Legislature to create one or more state lotteries to fund college scholarships.
Jackson said tens of thousands of signatures have been collected. “We look forward to submitting the signatures,” he said.
Three committees opposing a state lottery filed reports.
The Arkansas Committee for Ethics Policy reported raising $ 4, 000 and spending $ 81 last month. Its total contributions are $ 15, 000 and expenses of $ 675, leaving it with a balance of $ 14, 324.
The Families First Action Committee raised $ 1, 300 and spent $ 822, leaving it with $ 477, according to its report.
To oppose the proposed lottery, the Family Council Action Committee reported raising $ 75 and spending $ 159 last month. Its total contributions are $ 1, 490, expenses are $ 1, 443, and its balance $ 46.
To promote a proposed initiated act that would bar cohabiting unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children, the Family Council Action Committee raised $ 2, 240 and spent $ 9, 135 last month. Its total contributions are $ 24, 357 and total expenses are $ 24, 214, leaving it with a cash balance of $ 142.
A group opposed to the proposed initiated act, Arkansas Families First, raised $ 7, 340 and spent $ 22, 732 last month. That increased contributions to $ 39, 315 and expenses to $ 22, 732, leaving it with $ 16, 582.
Contributions included $ 2, 000 from the Stonewall Democratic Caucus of Arkansas, $ 500 from former Rep. Jodie Mahony, D-El Dorado and $ 200 from Sen. Jim Argue, D-Little Rock.
A group that’s proposed an initiated act aimed at cutting state services to illegal aliens, Secure Arkansas, reported raising $ 800 and spending nothing last month, leaving it with $ 800.
Besides Halter, two other constitutional officers filed campaign finance reports for the last quarter. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel of Jonesboro reported spending $ 6, 360 and receiving no contributions in the quarter, leaving him with $ 30, 386 on March 31.
McDaniel’s Leadership PAC reported receiving $ 3, 750, refunding a $ 1, 250 contribution from the Isle of Capri casino in Lula, Miss., and contributing $ 1, 250 to five candidates. The PAC gave $ 250 apiece to House Speaker-designate Rep. Robbie Wills, D-Conway, and Reps. Bruce Maloch, D-Magnolia, Greg Reep, D-Warren, and Earnest Brown, D-Pine Bluff, who is running for circuit judge; and House candidate Jim Nickels, a Democrat from Sherwood. It reported cash on hand of $ 29, 705 on March 31.
State Treasurer Martha Shoffner of Newport reported receiving $ 8, 250 in contributions and spending nothing from Jan. 16-April 15 as she reduced her 2006 campaign debt from $ 21, 076 to $ 12, 826.
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