02/03/2012

Beebe addresses sheriffs association

Governor tells sheriffs "Washington has got to get its act together"

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Mike Beebe told Arkansas sheriffs he had “good news and bad news” when he spoke at the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association winter convention last week at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock.

“We have reduced the jail backup from 1,600 [state prisoners] down to less than 600,” Beebe said. “So there are a lot less state prisoners still sitting in county jails.”

The governor explained how a decrease in the state jail backup is good for some counties and bad for others. 

“Some of you have probably had your budgets strained a little bit because money you had been relying upon for state prisoner backup is no longer available to you,” Beebe said.

He said he heard the sheriffs “loud and clear” about their concerns regarding criminal justice reform and the impact on county jail populations.

Beebe pointed out that sheriffs across the state were concerned about a negative impact on the status of their jail populations due to additional misdemeanor prisoners that were going to spend “longer times for the lesser crimes” in county jails rather than going to the state penitentiary.

“And that’s why one of the things I have continued to fight even in the face of budget cuts is a reduction in county and municipal aid,” Beebe said. “What we have to continue to fight is pressures as we try to save money on the state level to not cut those municipal and county turnback funds.”

Beebe stressed how important it is to receive information on a county-by-county basis on what’s happening in the sheriffs’ budgets with the increased misdemeanor incarceration numbers. 

“Be honest with us, but let us know because that’s something I promise to continue to look at, I can’t promise there’s money for it,” he said. “But I can promise you that if there is some more money, [jail budgets are] one of the options or priorities that I would be sensitive to looking at trying to help on because of the situation with the criminal justice reform.”

Beebe’s remarks transitioned to a more global tone as he talked about Arkansas’ stature in the nation and the global market.

“Where’s Arkansas?” Beebe asked. “We continue to be in much, much better shape than the rest of the country. And we continue to tread water without those huge reductions that we are seeing in other places.”

The governor cited new state unemployment figures that were under 8 percent as a sign of an uptick in the economy; however, he noted things could change. Beebe spoke about the global economy, briefly mentioning the situation in Iran and particularly fuel prices.

He said Arkansans drive more than other states, due to significant commuting and less public transportation than other metro areas, and therefore are disportionately impacted by higher fuel prices.

He said fuel costs are presumably a large portion of the sheriffs’ budget cost. 

“It all comes together, because what is going on around the world has a major impact on what’s going on in Arkansas.

“Which leads me to the plea,” Beebe said. “Washington has got to get its act together and start solving problems.

“The American people are fed up with this. They have just cause to be frustrated with Washington, D.C., because what is going on in Washington, D.C., … is not good for the United States of America.”

Beebe spoke passionately about the Democratic and Republican parties working together and said, “the point here is Washington, by its very nature, does not have to be dysfunctional. So, go home and spread the word … to friend and foe alike. We expect the quorum courts, Legislature and Congress, the legislative policy making bodies … we expect you to propose your solutions to problems just like the American way calls for, but do it in a way that allows you to be able to work together to solve those problems … to make America the best she can possibly be.”

Beebe added that he does not intend to wait on the federal government to solve Arkansas’ problems.

“I’m not going to wait on them,” Beebe said. “We are going to solve as many as problems as we can right here.”