Arkansas politicians opposed to medical marijuana will now make the rules for its rollout
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. What a difference one election can make.
The approval of a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana and Donald Trumps surprise White House win werent just two of the biggest political stories in Arkansas. They also upended the agenda for the upcoming legislative session and are likely to dominate Arkansas politics in 2017.
From establishing the first medical pot program in the Bible Belt to the future of a hybrid Medicaid expansion program covering thousands, the state faces plenty of questions in the new year.
Heres a look at some of the issues and challenges to face the state in the next year:
Gov. Asa Hutchinson, the majority of the state Legislature and Arkansas other top elected officials campaigned vigorously against a plan to allow certain patients to use medical marijuana for their ailments, and the success of that programs launch now depends on those same officials. Theres a tight timeline, with an early March deadline to finalize rules and a June 30 deadline to begin accepting applications for dispensaries and cultivation facilities, though lawmakers are weighing whether to give agencies more time. The program also faces a push by some opponents to add new restrictions, including a sales tax on medical pot that one lawmaker says could be used to cut taxes elsewhere.
Trumps election injects uncertainty into many federal programs affecting Arkansas, but probably none more than the states hybrid Medicaid expansion. More than 300,000 people are receiving subsidized coverage through the program, but Trump and congressional Republicans are poised to follow through on their vow to repeal the federal health care law that created it. Its unclear what will replace it, though Hutchinson and other Republicans have called on the Trump administration to allow states to cover people through a block grant system. The uncertainty about the health care laws future is bound to come up as lawmakers take up legislation reauthorizing the hybrid expansion program for another year.
Hutchinson is widely expected to seek re-election in 2018, though he hasnt formally announced his plans. The legislative session could indicate just how tough of a fight he could face within the Republican Party, not to mention from Democrats. The first-term GOP governor faces pushback from some conservatives who think he isnt going far enough to the right on some issues. That includes his $50 million income tax cut proposal, which is being criticized by some GOP lawmakers who want deeper cuts that will take effect sooner. Hutchinson has indicated he doesnt want lawmakers pursuing a measure requiring students at public schools to use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate. Hes also said the states current law leaving it up to colleges and universities whether to allow faculty and staff to carry concealed handguns on campus is workable, suggesting he doesnt back ...
