Democratic candidates for Arkansas House talk issues

Maumelle’s Ball, Price vie in District 39 primary; winner to face GOP incumbent

Monica Ball says her life experiences give her a leg up over her opponent in the Democratic primary for state House District 39, while Joshua Price says his numerous established connections will open more doors.

Ball, 61, and Price, 38, face each other in the May 22 election. In the Nov. 6 general election, the Democratic nominee will face the incumbent, Rep. Mark Lowery, a Republican who is seeking his fourth term. All three live in Maumelle.

District 39 covers parts of Pulaski County, including sections of Maumelle and North Little Rock.

"There's a lack of empathy when you have not lived through certain things," Ball said, referring to her opponent. "I've lived through a little bit of everything so I am full of empathy."

Price said his previous experience in communications with the Delta Regional Authority as well as his wide array of community service hours left him with a cache of connections to leaders across the state and in the state Capitol.

"I think that makes you kind of more effective as a leader just because you're already plugged in," Price said.

In their interviews with a reporter, Ball emphasized education, while Price focused on infrastructure.

BOOST EDUCATION

Ball, a widow who is originally from El Dorado, Kan., earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a master's from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

She retired as a national board-certified teacher after 28 years in both the North Little Rock and Little Rock school districts.

Ball decided in October to run for office because the "timing was right" to tackle issues about which she is passionate: education and gun control.

"I had been paying close attention to what was going on in the Legislature in the last session," Ball said. "I just was not happy about it, especially decisions relating to lack of gun control."

The bar needs to be raised for public education in the state, Ball said.

"If all you shoot for is adequacy, you're never going to hit excellence," Ball said. "And we need excellence in education for every child throughout this state, not just the rich school districts."

Increasing teachers' salaries is the first step in recruiting and retaining qualified educators, she said.

Fully funding pre-kindergarten programs will level the playing field for children entering the K-12 system, Ball added.

Ball took issue with Gov. Asa Hutchinson's priorities for next fiscal year in his proposed general revenue budget, which increased education funding by $1.3 million while raising the budget for prison-related matters by more than $9 million.

Ball defended her stance even after a reporter pointed out that the state's total education funding will increase by $38 million from all sources, including the educational adequacy fund financed with a 0.875 percent state sales tax. The combined state funding for public schools is about $2.925 billion this fiscal year, rising to $2.963 billion next year, while the funding for jails, community corrections and prisons is about $459.2 million.

"My quote was based on the increases that were coming only from the state general revenue and not the total being spent," she said. "As I understand it, there were higher than anticipated collections from the seven-eighths cent sales tax, which offset $50 million in state general revenue that would have otherwise been needed to meet the constitutional requirement to provide an adequate education."

Ball also chided Hutchinson for proposing to cut the state's top individual income tax rate from 6.9 percent to 6 percent. Hutchinson projects the cut, which he hopes to get through the Legislature in 2019, would reduce state tax revenue by about $180 million a year.

"A budget is basically a moral document, what you think is most important," Ball said. "Clearly, the Governor's budget shows that tax cuts to the wealthiest Arkansans are more important than improving public schools for the nearly half million children that rely on them to prepare them for life."

The Legislature in 2015 and 2017 reduced the income tax rate for Arkansans with up to $75,000 in taxable income and that's projected to reduce tax revenues by about $150 million a year.

EYE ON INFRASTRUCTURE

For Price -- who grew up in the small town of Antoine in Pike County -- improving infrastructure and increasing small-business incentives are vital to a robust state economy.

He resigned from his post at the Delta Regional Authority in February to avoid possible conflicts of interest as he campaigns. Price, who is single, is now an independent communications and marketing consultant to small businesses.

As a legislator, Price said he would work to offer more incentives, technical training and resources to small businesses.

"They are the hearts and souls of our communities," Price said. "I've done a lot of work with the Small Business Administration and according to their recent data, 62 percent of the jobs are being created by small businesses with nine or fewer employees."

And to make small businesses and communities grow, something else is needed.

"Infrastructure. Infrastructure. Infrastructure," Price said. Without roads, bridges, sewer systems and broadband access across the state, new industry will bypass Arkansas, he said.

"You're not going to be able to support small business. You're not going to be able to attract new businesses. You're not going to be able to attract tourists. You're not going to be able to attract new residents and increase property values," Price said.

Public safety is included in that necessary infrastructure, Price said. If elected, he will sponsor initiatives aimed at pay raises for police, fire and other first responders.

Funding should come from a combination of state and federal grants along with priority legislative funding and possible tax increases, Price said.

"If you say you want it, then you've got to put a little skin in the game and build it," he said.

Price said the state should also use its diverse cultural assets found in local artisans, music, food, history and heritage to draw tourism dollars.

"I've flown in a lot of friends from New York and Los Angeles and they're like, 'I want to eat all the southern food,'" Price said. "There's a lot of tourism and cultural assets here I feel like we're not taking advantage of like we can."

MEDICAID EXPANSION

Price said he supports the state's version of Medicaid expansion, but thinks the initiative needs some "tweaks."

Then-Gov. Mike Beebe authorized the expansion in 2013 to provide private health insurance for low-income Arkansans who make up to 138 percent of the poverty level. Last month, Hutchinson's request was approved by President Donald Trump for a waiver to impose a work requirement on some of the 280,000 people enrolled in the program now called Arkansas Works.

"You always want to save money and be more efficient," Price said. "But, we need to be very careful about cutting these programs that are going to hurt, as the Bible says, the least of us."

Ball said Arkansans kicked off Medicaid under the new rules are left in great need.

"A high percentage of the people who are on the Medicaid expansion are children and working adults that don't make enough money to afford insurance any other way," Ball said.

And those affected by the work requirement are largely already working or unable to do so, she added.

"Lowering the eligibility from 138 percent of the poverty level down to a 100 percent is just a little over $12,000 a year," Ball said. "I defy anybody to live on $12,000 a year and pay for everything you need plus health insurance or health care. It's punitive. We should not be in the business of passing laws that punish people for being poor."

ABORTION

Price and Ball, who are both Christians, are adamant they are not pro-abortion, but say the choice must be left to the mother.

"Personally, I am not in favor of abortion. I don't really know anybody that is," Ball said. "With that said, I believe that women have a right to autonomy over their own bodies and what happens to it. The decision when and if to have children should be left up to a woman and her family."

Price said he is "reluctantly" pro-abortion rights.

"Abortion is a terrible, terrible thing all the way around for everybody," Price said. "But I think in certain situations, on a case-by-case basis, depending on the situation of the mother, it is unfortunately a necessity sometimes."

MARIJUANA

Medical marijuana as an alternative for pain management is a good thing, Price said.

"I think that's a safer option than the opioids that we're currently using," Price said.

Ball said she supports the will of the people who voted to allow medical marijuana in the state but added that the grower selection process is flawed.

"We need to make sure that there's transparency at every step of the way on it's being dealt with so that there's not any sweetheart deals or corruption going on," Ball said.

ENHANCED CARRY

Ball is adamantly opposed to Act 562 of 2017, which allows people to take concealed weapons onto public university campuses and other public places if they take an extra eight hours of "enhanced" carry training.

"Guns should not be allowed on any campus unless they are in the hands of professionally trained law enforcement officers," Ball said. "Period."

Price -- who holds a concealed-carry permit but does not carry a gun -- said he's not a fan of weapons on school campuses and would like to see more than just eight hours of extra training.

"I'm a supporter of the Constitution, but I think we need to be very careful and very responsible in it," Price said. "This is a weapon. This is not a toy. Really a gun has only one use and it's to take a life. It's not meant to injure, it's not meant to maim. It's a lethal weapon."

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Special to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Monica Ball

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Special to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Joshua Price

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A map showing the location of House District 39

Metro on 04/23/2018

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