JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – With the economical hardships many have faced recently, the Arkansas governor highlighted one Northeast Arkansas community for pushing through.
On Thursday, Oct. 6, Asa Hutchinson stopped by the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce Annual Luncheon, where he spoke about his last eight years leading the state.
While he was there, Hutchinson spoke on how Jonesboro played a role in his success, praising the diversity in the economy with its medical centers, manufacturing plants, and Arkansas State University.
“You’ve got agriculture of course that’s so important to our state,” he said. “But of course, Jonesboro is the lifeblood of our agricultural community in this state. So, you have all of that going and then you add Arkansas State University. And the center of academic excellence is always key to growth.”
At the event, Hutchinson mentioned Arkansas added over 100,000 jobs in his tenure. He also said they have one of the lowest unemployment rates and lowered income tax from 7% to 4.5%.
However, Hutchinson said the state still has $2 billion in its reserve fund, telling the chamber members there is enough money to address key issues.
“I look at the future and I think we need to invest in teacher pay and raise our teacher pay in Arkansas. I believe we need to continue to improve our investment in foster care and other public safety needs we have. We could do that even though we recognize that we could have a downturn in the economy over the next 14 months,” he said.
Hutchinson added he knows many have questions about his future. He jokingly said he plans to go duck hunting first before he sets his eyes on his next step.
The Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce also gave awards to several members of the community.
The recipients included KLEK’s Founder and General Manager LaGanzie Kale, who received the Goodwill Ambassador of the Year award. KLEK also received the Betty T. Sloan Promotion Award for promoting Jonesboro in a positive light with the Juneteenth celebration.JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) –
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