Arkansas

Ark. Governor Says Surplus Should Finance Facilities

Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, in his final State of the State Address, urged lawmakers last week to spend cash from the state’s budget surplus on school buildings that are in pressing need of repair.

But the Republican governor, who is prohibited by law from running for a third term, also asked the legislature to concentrate on issues other than just school facilities—a topic that has dominated the legislature since a 2002 Arkansas Supreme Court decision ordered the state to improve student achievement and the conditions of schools.

“Let us also deal with issues that quite frankly are the long-term kind of issues that we must address for the simple reason that we cannot afford to ignore them,” he said in the Jan. 10 speech, urging a focus on health,...