The chairman of Arkansas' Republican Party said Tuesday he's considering filing a lawsuit against the state's top elected officials over their personal use of state-issued vehicles, accusing them of violating the constitution.
State GOP Chairman Doyle Webb said he'll base his decision on whether constitutional officers reimburse the state for any private use of state-issued vehicles. All seven of the state's constitutional officers are Democrats.
Webb said he believed the officials had violated Amendment 70 of the Arkansas constitution, which bans legislators and constitutional officers from receiving state income beyond their salaries.
"Any benefit a state official receives from state coffers which is not authorized by law is an illegal exaction under our constitution," Webb said at a news conference, "and certainly this would be ripe for such an action."
Webb's comments follow intraparty squabbling between two of the state's top elected officials over the personal use of vehicles.
On Monday, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel reimbursed the state $2,903 for personal use of his state-issued sport utility vehicle. McDaniel gave up the SUV last week after questions were raised about whether state officials should pay income taxes on private use of state-issued vehicles.
McDaniel also apologized for criticizing Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, the only one of the state's constitutional officers who has said he pays taxes for personal use of his state SUV. McDaniel had said he believed Halter paid the taxes for political reasons, comments that McDaniel on Monday called "dumb."
McDaniel has said he believes reporting the vehicle usage as income for tax purposes would run afoul of Amendment 70. McDaniel, who would likely represent the state if a lawsuit was filed, declined to comment on the potential lawsuit, a spokesman said.
Gov. Mike Beebe does not have a state vehicle assigned to him and rides with the Arkansas State Police for state business. When he was attorney general, Beebe paid income tax for the personal use of his state vehicle.
Earlier Tuesday, Beebe responded to criticism by Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Keet over personal use of his state car when he was attorney general. Keet joined Webb for Tuesday's news conference.
"It's pretty ironic that (Keet) wants to criticize me for ... paying income taxes on any portion of personal use of a state vehicle," Beebe told reporters at the state Capitol. "I thought it was the right thing to do. I still think it's the right thing to do."
"I suppose there would have been criticism the other way if I'd have never said anything about it and not reported it," Beebe said.
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Associated Press Writer Chuck Bartels contributed to this report.
