Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson expressed support for electric vehicle charging stations as well as several one-time funding initiatives for law enforcement in his final State of the State address Monday afternoon.
Hutchinson's roughly 30-minute speech to the Arkansas General Assembly in the House chamber kicked off the 2022 fiscal session, in which lawmakers meet every other year to consider appropriations bills and other financial matters.
Hutchinson said he is challenging Arkansas to lead in advanced mobility technology, which includes autonomous and electric vehicles, upward mobility platforms and "modes of transportation that do not exist today but could be the dream of an Arkansas student right now."
"Arkansas is in a unique position to lead in future technologies that will change our world," he said.
He said Arkansas needs to have electric vehicle charging stations across the state, and that the $54 million the state is expected to receive for the stations from the federal government over the next five years needs to be accelerated to compete with neighboring Oklahoma. He said the state may need to devote funding to get that done more quickly.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » youtube.com/watch?v=1fKcNlPLuUs]
Hutchinson added that he wants companies that are developing those "innovations in mobility" to find a home in Arkansas, because they will be leaders in the future economy.
He said this year's fiscal session will be remembered for its support of law enforcement and expressed his own support for a $5,000 one-time payment from the state's surplus to every county and city-certified law enforcement officer. The initiative will total $45 million in cost and should cover other frontline service officers as well, Hutchinson said.
"It is designed to reward and incentivize those dedicated officers who keep our streets safe and our homes protected," he said.
Hutchinson also recommended $10 million in one-time funding from the surplus to fund the $5 million in requests from cities and counties through the state's public safety equipment grant program as well as $5 million for new requests.
He also reiterated his recommendation of funding with $60 million to $100 million from the surplus a new 498-inmate prison facility, which was met with chants of "no new cages" and other cries from the House gallery. Many lawmakers stood to applaud the governor as the protesters were escorted out of the gallery and continued chanting outside the chamber.
Hutchinson said the funding recommendation is not a change in policy but reflects the state's growth.
The governor, a term-limited Republican, leaves office in January 2023.
Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for the full story.
10:27 a.m.: Governor to give State of the State address
Gov. Asa Hutchinson will provide his State of the State address to the Arkansas General Assembly at 12:30 p.m. Today is the first day of the fiscal session of the 93rd General Assembly.
Check back to watch the live video.