Arkansas House panel approves cap on government growth

— An Arkansas House committee has advanced a Republican proposal to set a cap on how much the state's government can grow each year.

The House Committee on Revenue and Taxation on Tuesday passed a bill that would limit growth in most of the state's annual expenditures to either 3 percent or the three-year average increase in the state's gross domestic product — whichever is less.

House Republican Leader Rep. Bruce Westerman said the bill is needed to prevent government spending from growing faster than state's economy.

Gov. Mike Beebe has said he opposes the legislation. The state's finance and administration director told lawmakers Tuesday that the measure would unconstitutionally delegate some budgetary decisions to the executive branch and jeopardize critical government services such as prisons and police.

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