LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial hopeful Asa Hutchinson derided Democratic rival Mike Ross’ tax cut plan as “pie in the sky,” while Ross accused Hutchinson of acting like a “slick lawyer” in his support for a minimum wage hike as the two squared off in a debate Tuesday.
The two ex-congressmen traded jabs over a range of issues as they met for their second televised debate of the heated and expensive Arkansas governor’s race. The two are running to succeed Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe, who is barred by term limits from seeking re-election.
Hutchinson criticized Ross’ proposal to cut individual income taxes gradually by $575 million as the budget allows, and called his plan to cut income taxes by $100 million in his first year more doable.
“He won’t even say what he wants to do next year,” Hutchinson said at the debate, held at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “His (plan) is really pie in the sky, unworkable. Mine is a very specific and doable plan.”
Ross in turn defended his plan, saying it would benefit more taxpayers, and he compared his approach to Beebe’s push to gradually reduce the state’s sales tax on groceries. Beebe defeated Hutchinson in the 2006 governor’s race.
“This is the same debate we heard in 2006 when Congressman Hutchinson was running against Gov. Beebe and he said Gov. Beebe was making an empty promise because he wouldn’t give us a timeline,” Ross said. “Gov. Beebe said we’re going to do it as we can afford it, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”
Ross criticized Hutchinson for saying he’d support a proposal on the November ballot to gradually raise Arkansas’ minimum wage from $6.25 an hour to $8.50 by 2017 after months of saying he’d prefer to see a hike enacted by the Legislature.
“I can’t figure out whether he sounds more like a slick lawyer or a slick D.C. politician … He was against the ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas before he was for it,” Ross said.
Hutchinson said he’s been consistent on the minimum wage, and that the debate has been more about the process. He said the focus should go beyond the hike measure.
“I want to have folks move up that economic ladder,” Hutchinson said. “It’s about better paying jobs, not minimum wage jobs.”
The two continued sparring over the tone of the race - a common theme in a race that has blanked the state’s airwaves with thousands of ads from the candidates and affiliated groups. Ross complained about out of state groups and said he’d back new campaign finance restrictions.
“If you do not live in the state of Arkansas, you should not be able to contribute to a candidate for governor or any other office in the state of Arkansas,” Ross said.
Hutchinson indicated he wouldn’t support such a restriction, saying “there is such a thing as the Constitution.”
“I think what’s important is the candidates take responsibility for their own ads,” Hutchinson said.
The Arkansas governor’s race is one of the most closely watched in the country, with Republicans hoping to complete a takeover of the state’s top offices after winning control of the Legislature two years ago.
The debate was televised by Little Rock television station KATV. The two are scheduled to face off again in a televised debate hosted by the Arkansas Educational Television Network in Conway on Oct. 16. Unlike the past two televised debates, the next one will include Green Party nominee Joshua Drake and Libertarian Frank Gilbert.
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