Little Rock - Democrat Bill Halter today urged voters to support the December 13th education bond ballot question and to reject the transportation bond question. "I urge my fellow Arkansans to vote 'No' on Question One and 'Yes' on Question Two," said Halter.

Halter Supports Education Bond Ballot Question #2

"We must fulfill our commitment to higher education in Arkansas because it is vital for making our economic engine run stronger," remarked Halter. "A robust higher education system in Arkansas means a better-trained workforce which will help attract new jobs to our state."

"Investing in higher education is also investing in our future leaders, our future new small business owners, researchers and scientists," continued Halter. "I hope my fellow Arkansans will join me on December 13th and make an investment into our state's economic future as well as our children and grandchildren's future."

The education bond issue is Question One on the December 13th statewide ballot. If passed, it would approve $250 million in new bonds to be divided among the state's two- and four-year universities as well as the University for Medical Sciences. Some of the bond money will be used to retire previous bonded indebtedness.

Halter Opposes Transportation Bond Ballot Question #1

Question 1, if approved, would empower Arkansas' Highway Commission to keep up to $575 million in bonds issued at any time for the improvement of interstate highways. Arkansans would no longer be allowed to vote on new transportation bonds.

"Without question, the current highway bond program approved by voters in 1999 has been an improvement over a pay-as-you-go system. Many people have already seen a noticeable difference in some of our state's roads. I believe we should continue to have the capital available to make necessary improvements," remarked Halter. "But I think we got it right, then - there was a need and average Arkansans authorized the bonds necessary to make it happen."

"This bond proposal is a close call, but it seems only reasonable that Arkansans should not rush in to the ballot box and approve a measure that still has many unanswered questions and will take the power of accountability out of their own hands," said Halter. "I don't see an urgent need or reason that justifies taking the power of the bond purse strings away from average Arkansans. We got it right in 1999. There is no reason why voters can't continue to get it right with future bond authorization votes."

Halter added that the cost of taking bond authorization power away from the people could "cost us a lot more than the cost of a special election."