Mike Beebe in 2011 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Crime: Let non-violent offenders repay debt to society productively

We warehouse too many people in our prisons, and at our current rate of incarceration, we will need a projected additional $1.1 billion just to supply enough beds for the next decade. The choice will be whether to raise taxes to pay for those beds, or release potentially dangerous criminals because we have nowhere else to hold them.

Conversations about our corrections system are too often dominated by fear and anxiety. Many discussions end in new laws with harsher sentences and longer prison terms. To say that the only solution is to take no chances, to lock up non-violent offenders for longer and longer periods of time whatever the cost; to do this is to give up on trying to reform our corrections system and our society.

We must appropriately punish lawbreakers, but, in some instances, non-violent offenders can repay that debt to society while remaining productive for their families and their communities. If they don't correct their ways, incarceration will always be an option.

Source: 2011 Arkansas State of the State Address Jan 11, 2011

On Drugs: Heavier penalties for drug trade; but not for possession

Our drug statutes must put a stronger emphasis and heavier penalties on those involved with the drug trade, instead of giving equally harsh sentences to those merely arrested for mere possession or use. Previous legislatures have built a grid of sentencing guidelines, a grid that is often manipulated or ignored to put away offenders for even longer stretches of time. Those guidelines must be more closely followed, or perhaps those jurisdictions that frequently exceed the grid should share in th cost of incarceration with our state. My proposed budget adds more than $4 million to help accommodate the Dept. of Community Correction's anticipated larger role.

The North Little Rock Police Chief said: "We're not talking about being tough on crime, or soft on crime; we're talking about being smart on crime." When it comes to criminal activity, we've got to make sure that the bad guys who will hurt you--the violent criminals or the career criminals--are the ones we lock away and save the beds for.

Source: 2011 Arkansas State of the State Address Jan 11, 2011

On Tax Reform: Cut regressive grocery sales tax now; eliminate it later

My proposed budget sets aside a relatively small amount of money for tax relief to continue attacking the sales tax on groceries. A half-cent cut is not much. I'd like to do more. But it is the most broad-based tax relief we can offer to our citizens a this time, and it shows our continued commitment and dedication to eliminating this regressive tax.

Beyond that, I don't see any room for additional tax cuts or significant increases in program funding. If we are to retain the enviable national position we now hold, we must remain cautious & conservative. If you make a proposal that seeks to cut revenue or increase spending, the only responsible approach is to state precisely where that money is coming from. If the proposal calls for a tax cut then it is only fair to detail exactly which existing programs you will cut to offset that loss in funding. Abstract claims of hypothetical future growth don't change the immediate impact that a tax cut will have on state revenues and state services.

Source: 2011 Arkansas State of the State Address Jan 11, 2011

The above quotations are from 2011 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts from 2011 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for other excerpts by Mike Beebe. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018