LITTLE ROCK — Republican gubernatorial hopeful Asa Hutchinson is calling for a phased-in reduction of Arkansas' income tax, embracing a tax cut approach he once criticized.
Hutchinson told members of the Political Animals Club on Tuesday that Arkansas' income tax is too high and hurts the state from competing with its neighbors. Hutchinson proposed phasing in a reduction of an income tax over time, but declined to say how much of a cut he's proposing.
Hutchinson later told reporters that he didn't believe a phased-in income tax cut approved by lawmakers earlier this year went far enough.
During his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2006, Hutchinson criticized Democratic Gov. Mike Beebe's plan to phase in a reduction of the state's sales tax on groceries rather than eliminating it outright.