A Republican state legislator has asked Gov. Sarah Sanders to call a special session—which we just had, with that session coming immediately after the mandatory offyear fiscal session.

That’s a lot of expense reimbursement. It’s also a lot of gasoline for mo- toring between home and the Capitol.

What this guy wants to do is suspend the state gasoline tax for 90 summer days because gasoline prices are so high and burdensome and people are on the go in the summer. They were nearly as high during the fiscal session, when he could have tried to suspend the rules to allow him to bring up his idea.

Rep. Kendon Underwood of Cave Springs is the grandstander. Or brainstormer if you wish. Let’s be fair: This 90day stunt wouldn’t hurt anything but vital road and street maintenance, thus maybe your suspension system.

Underwood wants effectively to reduce precipitously the flow of highway maintenance and improvement money for three months in a state with a transportation infrastructure already subpar and on which its working people rely inordinately as compared to people in other states.

Gasoline and diesel taxes generate more than 40 percent of the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s road budget. Portions of that go to the cities and counties where you live.

We drive more than other people because that’s how we get to work and church and the store—one pickup at a time, usually one occupant at a time. The reason that high gasoline prices are inordinately burdensome in Arkansas is the same reason a suspension........

© Arkansas Online