Mike Ross in 2014 Arkansas Governor's race

On Local Issues: Opposed lottery initially; but now let's make it better

One question centered on the future of Arkansas's scholarship lottery. The legislature acted this month to temporarily prohibit an expansion into monitor-based games. The keno-style games with drawings on screens every four to six minutes could be located in retail outlets, restaurants, service stations, and bars.

Mike Ross said he was against the lottery when it began but now wants to work to make it better. "It is providing greater opportunities and making college within reach for more young people in this state and I'm committed to making sure that as many as those dollars as possible continue to fund educational opportunities," said Ross. Ross said he does not believe voters intended for the monitor-based games the Lottery Commission had sought to roll out this fall.

Asa Hutchinson said the lottery's authority should shift from its commission to a new state agency. Both Ross and Hutchinson have previously said they do not support putting state general revenue into the scholarships

Source: UALR Public Radio on 2014 Arkansas Gubernatorial debate Jul 11, 2014

On Budget & Economy: AdWatch: Trillions of things in common with Pelosi & Obama

The Republican Governors Association unveiled a six-figure advertising buy for television and radio commercials that claim Ross is too closely aligned with President Barack Obama and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to lead Arkansas effectively. It specifically mentions the president's 2009 stimulus package. "Obama, Pelosi and Ross. Trillions of things in common. All of them wasted," the narrator says in the GOP ad. "That's the real Mike Ross."

Ross is the only Democrat to announce a run for governor, while Hutchinson, who lost the 2006 governor's race to Mike Beebe, who is term-limited, is running against Little Rock businessman Curtis Coleman for the GOP nomination. The filing season opens next Monday.

Over the last two election cycles, the GOP has made gains by tying Democratic Party candidates to Obama and Pelosi, who are unpopular in Arkansas. In 2012 the GOP won control of the state Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction

Source: Miami Herald AdWatch on 2014 Arkansas gubernatorial race Feb 18, 2014

On Education: AdWatch: Unwavering commitment to our children and schools

Ross' first TV ad in the Governor's race is a 30-second commercial featuring Gov. Mike Beebe (D), who declares: "We need a governor and proven leader middle-class families can count on--that's Mike Ross. Mike Ross has the common sense leadership style that will make our economy work for everyone. His commitment to our children and schools is unwavering. And no one is more independent than Mike. So please join me in supporting Mike Ross for Governor."

Ross provided this statement regarding the ad: "Arkansas has made tremendous progress under Governor Beebe--which is why he continues to be the most popular governor in America," said Ross. "I am very proud to have Gov. Beebe's support for our campaign focused on Arkansas's future. I want to build on the foundations Gov. Beebe has laid in the areas of education, job creation, tax relief and fiscal responsibility, and I want to use my experience of bringing people together to unite this state and make Arkansas an even better place to call home."

Source: Arkansas Matters AdWatch on 2014 Arkansas gubernatorial race Jan 5, 2014

On Government Reform: Left Congress due to growing acrimony of national politics

In 2012 Ross made it clear that he was tired of Washington & the growing acrimony of national politics; and, he quit Congress to begin an executive position at the Southwest Power Pool in Little Rock. Ross had publicly ruled out a 2014 run for governor, but Attorney General Dustin McDaniel's campaign imploded with allegations regarding an extra-marital relationship, and Ross was suddenly a hot name.

"I'm not running against anyone, I'm running because I've got a positive vision for the future of this state that is based on building what Gov. Beebe has started in education and economic development," Ross said at a campaign stop.

Ross said he was not focused on attacks against him by opponent Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. "I've got a positive vision and a positive message, and my campaign is not going to be about the past," Ross said. "It's going to be about the future and moving the state forward and insuring that every child in the state can get a good education and have a job to come home to."

Source: Hope Star on 2014 Arkansas gubernatorial race Jan 2, 2014

On Health Care: Voted for ObamaCare early on but now consistently against it

Back in 2009, Ross cast a somewhat reluctant vote to advantage the health care reform debate in June of 2009 along with a block of fellow Blue Dog Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Ross contends that vote does not matter since that version of health care reform--H.R.3200--did not become law. Instead the Senate version--H.R.3962--eventually was the bill that became ObamaCare.

The truth? Ross was the leader of a small group of Blue Dogs that signed on to ObamaCare after receiving several key concessions. One of the concessions was a delay in any vote until after the August recess. During the heated town hall meetings, Ross came to see that he could not support ObamaCare. After that, he consistently voted against the bill and even voted for repeal. However, the turnaround does not erase the record.

Source: Russellville Courier FactCheck: 2014 Arkansas Governor race Nov 27, 2013

On Health Care: Voted against individuals keeping health insurance plans

[A GOP press release highlighted] a 2009 committee vote where Ross against an amendment that would have allowed individuals to keep their health insurance plans if they liked the plan. Now, millions of Americans got cancellation notices from their health insurance companies.

"The Republican Party is referencing an amendment to a bill that never became law," said a Ross spokesman. "Ross' opponents have used distortions to smear Ross' consistent opposition to ObamaCare. The truth is Mike Ross allowed Americans' to keep their health insurance by consistently voting against ObamaCare and voting to repeal the law multiple times over."

The truth lies somewhere in between. While the parliamentary maneuvers did end up causing a different bill to become ObamaCare, the bill Ross voted for in committee in 2009 was the version the House was advancing at the time. If that bill had not mattered as Ross now claims, there would not have been the intense debate and pressure put on Ross to vote for the bill.

Source: Russellville Courier FactCheck: 2014 Arkansas Governor race Nov 27, 2013

The above quotations are from 2014 Arkansas Gubernatorial debates and race coverage. Click here for other excerpts from 2014 Arkansas Gubernatorial debates and race coverage. Click here for other excerpts by Mike Ross. Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: Dec 05, 2018