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Arkansas Senate OKs Bill For $87 Million incentive, Primary Still In Limbo

The Arkansas House of Representatives chamber.
arkansashouse.org

The Arkansas Senate has approved the House version of a bill to award an $87 million incentive package intended to bring a military vehicle assembly plant to south Arkansas.

The Senate Thursday approved the measure 30-2. The plan calls for issuing bonds if Lockheed Martin wins a defense contract to assemble a new tactical vehicle at its Camden facility that will replace the Humvee.

State officials have said if Lockheed wins the contract, the project will create about 600 new jobs and keep more than 500 existing jobs in Arkansas. The proposal was the top agenda item for the special session that began Tuesday.

The House is expected to vote on the Senate version Thursday afternoon. Both the House and Senate approved their own identical versions of the bill Wednesday.

Meanwhile a House panel is preparing to take up a proposal to move the state's primaries next year from May to March, despite an attempt to delay a vote on the measure so the move's cost could be determined.

The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on Thursday planned to take up the proposal to temporarily move the primaries, part of an effort to create a regional nominating contest supporters have dubbed the "SEC primary."

The House earlier Thursday voted to suspend a rule requiring a fiscal impact statement for bills after a member of the panel said one was needed for the primary change. The fiscal impact statement would have delayed a voted on the proposal until Friday.

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