Candidates differ on casino, gas tax
Posted on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/224978/
FORT SMITH — Sebastian County Democratic Chairman Lee Webb can’t remember the last time two members of his party competed in a legislative primary here, especially one that pits a challenger against an incumbent.
Sebastian County Clerk Doris Tate couldn’t immediately recall one, either.
That hasn’t deterred Mark Horoda, a lawyer who hopes to unseat Rep. Tracy Pennartz, a health care consultant who is seeking her second term in the state House. They live in House District 65 on the north side of Fort Smith.
The primary is May 20. There’s no Republican running for the seat.
Horoda said he had been planning to run for an open legislative seat in District 64, where he used to live. When he moved to District 65 last year, he surprised Pennartz by deciding to run against her, instead.
Among other reasons, Horoda said he chose to run because Pennartz “betrayed” District 64 by not supporting a proposed casino development along the Arkansas River.
“She refused to take a stand on that because [Gov. Mike Beebe ] was opposed to it,” Horoda said, referring to a proposal by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians to win federal government approval for a casino.
“On a real critical issue, she didn’t represent the people of her district,” Horoda said.
The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs turned down the Keetoowah application that would have been the first step to opening a casino.
Pennartz said she didn’t offer support to the project in part because her district seemed divided as to whether it would be a good idea.
“I prefer economic development that is going to add to the quality of life in our community,” she said.
Pennartz said Fort Smith’s economy is doing well, despite job losses, with several new business announcements over the past year.
She said the planned U. S. Marshals Museum will be the anchor of the riverfront development, a way to develop the property in a “very positive, family friendly way.” She and other members of the Fort Smith legislative delegation secured $ 2 million from Beebe’s distribution of state surplus funds as part of the seed money to start the museum project.
Horoda said he thinks they could have gotten more from Beebe if they’d pushed for it, and he said development along the river won’t come as fast as it would if the casino had been the anchor.
“Where’s the development ?” Horoda said. “It’s nice to say that, but Fort Smith can’t wait 50 or 100 years.”
He also faults Pennartz for voting in favor of the recent increase in the state’s severance tax on natural gas.
Pennartz said voting for the tax increase “was the right thing to do” because Arkansas wasn’t getting a fair amount for the natural resource. She agreed with Beebe, market experts and the gas companies that the tax won’t be passed along to Arkansans because the price of gas is set on a national scale.
“If it had been passed on to the consumer, I would have voted against it, absolutely,” Pennartz said. Horoda said he doesn’t buy it. “Every tax gets passed down to the consumer,” he said.
ADOPTION Horoda is for the proposed initiated act that would ban unmarried, cohabiting couples from adopting children or becoming foster parents. He said parental responsibilities are best met “through the stability of a traditional family.” Pennartz opposes the proposal, which she said “creates unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to finding good homes that can provide loving, nurturing environments for adoption of foster kids.” PRIORITIES Both listed economic development as one of their top priorities.
Horoda said he wants to bring high-paying jobs to District 65 through development on the Arkansas River, though he didn’t say how he could do that as a lawmaker. The riverfront property is privately owned.
He said he’d push for the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to extend Clayton Expressway to Interstate 540, creating more accessible riverfront property in Fort Smith.
Pennartz said health care would be another priority, including strengthening behavioral health care services for children, addressing the shortage of nurses and other professionals and funding a statewide trauma system. In the 2007 legislative session, Pennartz favored funding of a state-subsidized trauma system through court costs but not fees on car insurance. The trauma proposal died without a means of funding the system.
IMMIGRATION They agree the state should play a supporting role in enforcing immigration law. Pennartz said states shouldn’t shoulder what is primarily a federal responsibility. Horoda agreed but also said the state should try something. For example, he said Arkansas could require direct deposit of paychecks and making legal residency a requirement to establish a bank account, he said. ANIMAL CRUELTY Horoda said the Legislature should pass a law making animal cruelty a felony on the first offense, targeted to criminalize “specific behaviors that characterize the developing serial rapist and serial murderer.” The statute should be carefully worded to target only heinous acts and protect farming practices, he said.
Pennartz said she thought the issue would come up next year and that lawmakers will “see what types of bills are presented and then work together” to find common ground.
LOTTERY Neither candidate has a strong opinion on whether the state should establish a lottery. Horoda said in an interview that it doesn’t make sense to “protect” Arkansans from the lottery when Fort Smith residents can easily cross the state line to play the lottery in Oklahoma. He said the question is up to the voters, however. Pennartz said she is undecided. She said she worries about addiction to gambling but likes the idea of using lottery proceeds for higher education.
FINANCES Horoda said he hadn’t raised or spent $ 500 by March, aside from his filing fee, and so hasn’t had to file financial reports yet. He said he paid his filing fee out of pocket and not as a loan to his campaign. As of March, Pennartz had raised $ 13, 462. Her biggest contributors included $ 2, 000 from IMPACT, the political action committee of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association; $ 1, 000 each from Michael Carter of Fort Smith, Arkansas Hospital Association Political Action Committee and Stephens Group LLC. House District 65 DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION Mark Horoda Age: 45 Family: Single Occupation: Attorney, Horoda Law Firm PA Education: Bachelor’s degree in English, University of Texas at Arlington; law degree, University of Arkansas School of Law Previous political experience: None Military experience: Texas Army National Guard, 1988-92 Do you favor or oppose the proposed initiated act to ban unmarried cohabiting couples from adopting children or becoming foster parents ? Why ? I would support a ban on unmarried cohabiting couples from adopting children and becoming foster parents. Adoption establishes legal rights and responsibilities which are best met through the stability of a traditional family. Likewise, foster parents have a significant influence on the development of a child, and we should strive to encourage our best societal values to be instilled through our foster care system. Tracy Pennartz Age: 59 Family: Single Occupation: Health-care consulting, Pennartz & Associates Education: Bachelor’s degree in communications, University of Arkansas; master’s degree in communications, University of Arkansas Previous political experience: State House member, District 65, 2007-present Military experience: U. S. Navy, 1967-70 Do you favor or oppose the proposed initiated act to ban unmarried cohabiting couples from adopting children or becoming foster parents ? Why ? I do not see the current necessity of this proposed amendment. Arkansas already has procedures and processes in place that protect our children and has as its purpose to look after the “best interests of the child.” Additionally, the proposed amendment creates unnecessary bureaucratic barriers to finding good homes that can provide loving, nurturing environments for adoption of foster kids. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette