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Arkansas governor's budget includes teacher raises, tax cut

Governor Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) presenting his budget to Arkansas legislators in Little Rock.
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Governor Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) presenting his budget to Arkansas legislators in Little Rock.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' governor is proposing a $5.7 billion budget for the coming year that sets aside money for raising the minimum salaries for public school teachers and for his tax cut plan.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday proposed increasing state spending in the fiscal year that begins July 1 by more than $129 million. Hutchinson is a Republican who was re-elected last week.

Hutchinson's proposal includes a $111 million plan to cut the state's top income tax rate over the next two years, as well as simplify tax tables and brackets. The proposal also calls for increasing the standard deduction.

Hutchinson also proposed setting aside $60 million to raise the minimum teacher salary from $31,800 to $36,000 over the next four years.