Scooped
I interviewed Gov. Beebe on Tuesday and, among other things, picked up a little item from him that I thought was a bit of a scoop — a clearer statement than he'd offered otherwise, at least. It's forthcoming in my Thursday column. I'll relate it now since I've received a call relating that Beebe got asked about the same thing today in Hot Springs, and shared the same information before an audience including reporters. It's this: Beebe has made clear to the natural gas industry that he believes Arkansas ought to get more than it's getting in severance taxes on natural gas and has advised the industry to agree to some legislative measure providing additional revenue or face the prospect of Beebe's leading an initiated act campaign to raise the severance tax by a vote of the electorate. Read more on that Thursday, along with a little tidbit about Beebe's possible forthcoming endorsement of Hillary Clinton.