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including representatives Rick Crawford
and Bruce Westerman, who are mem- THE REPUBLICANS STILL HOLD A STRONG MAJORITY
bers of the congressional Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee. IN THE SENATE… THE MAJORITY IS EVEN HIGHER IN
Incumbent Republicans Asa THE HOUSE… SOME LOBBYISTS ARGUE THIS LEVEL
Hutchinson, Leslie Rutledge and Mark OF STABILITY IN LEGISLATORS MAKES IT EASIER TO
Martin, retained their positions as gov-
ernor, attorney general, and secretary of GET THINGS DONE.
state, respectively.
The numbers of Republicans
and Democrats in the state’s House increase in the days leading up to the it’s unclear what, if any, impact the
and Senate also remained virtually election. Hutchinson referred to it as Arkansas court case will have on the
unchanged. The Republicans still hold a potential job killer. Despite the vocal national trucking landscape.
a strong majority in the Senate with 25 opposition of a popular governor who It is also unclear what impact rais-
seats, to the 9 held by Democrats. The won his second term easily with over ing the minimum wage will have on
majority is even higher in the House, 65% of the vote, the minimum wage employment in Arkansas. Research
in which Republicans hold three times proposal passed with over 68% of voters on cities like Seattle, who raised its
the number of seats with 75 to the supporting it. minimum wage to $13 for some large
Democrats 24. Some lobbyists argue This result was only moderately employers and San Francisco whose
this level of stability in legislators makes surprising given that mega-employers minimum is $15, has been inconclusive
it easier to get things done. Amazon and Arkansas’-own Walmart and sometimes contradictory, likely due
both recently raised the minimum to the fact that those increases were
ARK. BALLOT ISSUES RECAP wage for their employees, which may instituted in 2015 and not enough data
By all counts, Arkansas was, and still be signaling a broader national trend. has been gathered. The cost of living in
is, a deeply conservative Republican state, Arkansans had also previously voted to both of the places is also significantly
which makes only one of the state level increase the minimum wage as recently higher than in Arkansas.
election results somewhat surprising. as 2014. The 2014 initiative incremen- Two more initiatives were slated for
Three ballot initiatives joined tally raised the wage from $6.25 to its the Arkansas ballot, but were deemed
the state and local candidates on the current rate of $8.50 an hour. unconstitutional by the state’s Supreme
Arkansas ballot. All three were approved The minimum wage is one area in Court in the days leading up to Nov. 6.
which means – which Arkansas stands apart from its One of those proposals would have set
neighboring states. Of those border- term limits on legislators and the other
1. Crittenden, Garland, Pope and ing Arkansas, only one, Missouri, pays stricken ballot measure sought to set a
Jefferson counties will each be higher than the federally mandated limit on the amount of money people
granted casino gaming licenses, $7.25. Like Arkansas, Missouri passed a could receive as damages in lawsuits.
with specific stipulations regarding ballot initiative in 2018 that will raise The tort reform initiative was supported
the location and ownership of the their minimum wage to $12 by 2023. by the ATA.
casinos. The wage issue is of particular As new legislators fill the U.S.
importance after a recent ruling by House and Senate, and familiar faces
2. The state’s voters will be required to a federal court in Arkansas, which fill the Arkansas House and Senate,
present valid photo IDs when vot- decided against Arkansas-based P.A.M. truckers will be keeping an eye on
ing in person or by absentee ballot. Transport's request to throw out class court cases regarding wages and the
action lawsuit David Browne, et al. v. definition of ‘time spent working.’ They
3. The minimum wage in Arkansas P.A.M. Transport, Inc., et al. The rul- will also be paying attention to the
will be raised to $11.00 per hour by ing of the U.S. District Court in the new leadership on the Transportation
2021, and, more immediately, to Western District of Arkansas could and Infrastructure Committee since
$9.25 per hour on Jan. 1, 2019. result in drivers getting paid the federal Republican Chairman Bill Shuster
minimum wage for up 60 hours per decided not to run for reelection and
According to general historical week when on the road, based on the the U.S. House of Representatives has
trends, Republicans support the first reasoning that time spent waiting for been significantly overhauled. The work
two initiatives, but are tradition- shipments to load and unload is still of passing bipartisan infrastructure leg-
ally opposed to wage hikes. Both Gov. time spent working. islature could be exceptionally challeng-
Hutchinson and his Lt. Gov. Tim Similar cases in other states ing in this divided and heated political
Griffin spoke out against the wage have not followed the same logic, so climate. ATR

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 6 2018 39