Today Gov. Asa Hutchinson sent a letter to the legislature’s Tax Reform and Relief Task Force expressing his opposition to increases in the grocery tax.

Under current law, the sales tax on groceries is slated to fall from 1.5% to 0.125% on January 1, 2019.

Last week the Tax Reform and Relief Task Force voted to review and discuss a plan to raise the sales tax on groceries to as high as 6%.

The task force cannot raise the grocery tax itself, but it can develop a plan to raise the tax and make recommendations to the legislature in 2019.

From 2009 – 2013 Family Council supported Governor Beebe’s effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate Arkansas’ sales tax on groceries. People shouldn’t be penalized financially for buying basic necessities like bread and milk.

Hats off to Gov. Hutchinson for opposing the grocery tax!