LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Mike Beebe said Wednesday that he hopes that when he leaves offices people remember him as helping give “swagger” to Arkansas.
“We don’t have to restore our self-esteem,” Beebe said. “We need to exert it.”
Beebe was speaking to the Political Animals Club meeting at the Grand Hall of the Governor’s Mansion. During a question-and-answer session, the governor was asked what history books would say about his administration that would make his grandchildren proud.
“I hope that what they write is that in my time we found ourselves as a state and as a people and that we started that swagger,” Beebe, a Democrat, said. “I don’t mean in a bad way. I don’t mean in an egotistical, evil way. I’m talking about in a positive, proud way where we have that swagger that we can do anything, we can take on anybody, we can solve our problems and help other people solve theirs just about better than anybody else.”
Doyle Webb of Benton, chairman of the state Republican Party, attended the governor’s speech. Webb and a party spokesman didn’t return a message seeking comment afterward.
Beebe was also asked at the club when he planned to have legislation filed for his planned one-half percentage point cut in the state sales tax on groceries. It would reduce state revenue by about $21 million.
The governor said a bill would likely be filed within 10 days. He said he’s giving legislators the opportunity to become co-sponsors. He said he hasn’t decoded who will be the lead sponsor of the bill.
Beebe told reporters afterward that he was glad the House Public Health Welfare and Labor Committee rejected House Bill 1053 by Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway, which was aimed at blocking the federal provision in the health-care overhaul that mandates people buy private health insurance.
“Passing a bill to defy the federal government is unconstitutional,” Beebe said. “It would get us in a lawsuit. I applaud what the committee did.”
Also, Steve Ronnel of Little Rock, Political Animals Club chairman, announced that he will be replaced as chairman by Rex Nelson of Little Rock, a former aide to Gov. Mike Huckabee.
Front Section, Pages 9 on 01/27/2011