The Price of Pique (Editorial)

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Director Austin Booth (Photo provided)

The Arkansas Legislature ended its fiscal session this month without approving a budget for the state Game & Fish Commission. That means that, starting July 1, Game & Fish won’t be able to spend any money unless Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls legislators back for a special session to approve an appropriation for the agency.

Since the Legislature’s No. 1 priority is passing a budget, as state Sen. Jonathan Dismang noted, that’s a pretty big omission.

The failure to appropriate money for Game & Fish stemmed from a dispute over raising the pay of Commission Director Austin Booth. One proposal would have raised his pay from $152,638 to $190,000 a year, and some House members balked at that. The commission itself indicated it would have settled for an increase to $170,437.90.

But a couple of legislators cited arrogance, a dismissive attitude and a lack of accountability at the commission.

We don’t have enough information to judge this assessment of Game & Fish. But we do know this: A special session will cost Arkansas taxpayers $100,000, according to one lawmaker. That’s the price of pique and the failure of the Legislature to do its job.