Gov. Asa Hutchinson is in New York today, having pushed the start button on the New York Stock Exchange this morning. The Wall Street appearance was part of economic development trip aiming to tout Arkansas and lure companies to do business here.
J.R. Davis, the governor’s spokesman, and Scott Hardin, a spokesman at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, indicate the trip is about raising Arkansas’ profile among global businesses leaders in the media and financial capital of the world.
Hutchinson — along with Arkansas Economic Development Commission Director Mike Preston — hit the ground running today, not only ringing the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange but also appearing on two cable business networks: CNBC and Fox Business.
On cable TV, Hutchinson noted Arkansas as the home to several Fortune 500 companies — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Tyson Foods Inc., J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and the like — and a place where technology upstarts like Inuvo Inc. and Metova are adding jobs.
He also told CNBC that he’d like to continue to reduce Arkansas income tax rate, taking it from around 7 percent to 5 percent. It’s a reduction the governor thinks would make Arkansas a more palatable place for businesses to set up shop.
The tech jobs are another key part of the governor’s pitch. Hutchinson led an effort last year to pass a bill requiring that all Arkansas K-12 students take computer coding classes, and the governor clearly wants to show Arkansas as a state working to meet the job requirements of high-tech employers.
In addition to meeting with representatives from Arkansas companies and site selectors in New York, Hutchinson is meeting with key business media outlets. Today, he meets with editors at the Wall Street Journal, Forbes magazine and Bloomberg. Tomorrow, he’ll appear on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” meet with Time magazine editors and appear on another Fox Business program. On Wednesday, he’ll be on the “Fox and Friends” morning show and NPR.
You can see video of the governor’s CNBC appearance, the ringing of the opening bell and a photo of the governor on Fox Business below:
On CNBC
At NYSE (skip to 3:45)
On Fox Business
Gov. @AsaHutchinson on @Varneyco with @cvpayne now on @FoxBusiness. pic.twitter.com/EqcF8gS1EF
— J.R. Davis (@JR__Davis) January 11, 2016