Summers gets set for legislative session
Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008
BENTONVILLE — Taxes, education and other issues will be among his top priorities for the upcoming state legislative session, said state Rep.-elect Tim Summers, R-Bentonville.
The representative-elect for state House District 99, the 62-year-old Summers is a longtime member of the Benton County Quorum Court. He is also director of development and services at Decision Point, an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center for adults.
The next regular state legislative session will begin in January 2009.
Summers said he is anxious to do all he can to help people facing current economic challenges.
“ At this point, I’m not ready to introduce any bills. I’m interested in the big picture, and obviously, economic times are very troubling, ” he said.
Apparently, Gov. Mike Beebe plans to ask lawmakers for a reduction of 1 percent in the current 3 percent sales tax. (It was reduced from 6 percent in 2007. ) Summers said he would support that proposal, if it is made, and hopes to see the sales tax eliminated altogether later on.
He’s working on the state budget, aware that even in its final form, the budget can’t please everyone, Summers said. Education, prisons, and social services, including medical services, account for most of the budget, and education is still a “ work in progress, ” he said.
Set to be a member of the House Education Committee in the upcoming session, Summers is ready to insist on accountability in return for state spending on public education, he said. “ My whole point is that … we can’t just keep throwing money at education without expecting results, and we’ve got to determine how we get those results. How do we hold everybody accountable ? ” he said.
Also, he hopes, during his time in the Legislature, to work toward expansion of the state’s drug courts and to supplement them with alcohol courts and family courts, Summers said.
Drug courts are special courts in which judges are given responsibility and considerable flexibility to help nonviolent drug offenders to overcome their drug problems. Drug courts include counseling and other incentives, vocational and educational opportunities, and drug testing, among other things.
Drug courts are very successful at changing offenders ’ lives for the better, and in the long run, current drugcourt programs need to be expanded from nine to 18 months to 36 to 60 months, Summers said.
Also, he hopes similar courts will someday be set up to help deal with alcoholrelated and family-related problems, the state representative-elect said.
He also has a nonlegislative priority, Summers said. He would like to encourage and help Benton County residents to come to Little Rock and see for themselves and learn about the state’s Capitol, ” Summers said.
“ I would really like for people to know that I want them to come to Little Rock and see the Capitol. And they can call me (at (479 ) 273-0773 ), and I’ll be glad to arrange it. … I want people in Benton County to see what a beautiful state Capitol we have. It’s a beautiful structure. And I’m in awe when I go down there, and I just walk around with my mouth open, ” he said. “ And I’m thrilled to get to represent Benton County. ”
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