constitutional amendment
Arkansas committee OKs bill to make it harder for citizens to put initiatives on the ballot
A state Senate panel on Thursday advanced a proposal to make it harder for citizen-led petitions to qualify for the ballot, going even farther than a constitutional amendment Arkansans rejected from the Legislature in 2020. The Senate Committee on State Agencies and Government Affairs sent Senate Bill 260 to the full Senate in a split […]
The story behind why Louisiana voted against a ban on slavery
Last week, Louisiana voters struck down an amendment to its constitution that would have prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. The four other states where slavery was on the ballot – Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont – approved similar referenda. . Louisiana was put in the national spotlight for rejecting the change. Trevor Noah did an […]
Issue 2: Should Arkansas make it more difficult to pass laws at the ballot box?
A proposed amendment to the Arkansas Constitution would make it harder to pass future ballot initiatives. Supporters of Issue 2 on the Nov. 8 ballot say constitutional changes need a certain amount of public support, while opponents say the current system gives Arkansans the voice they deserve. Issue 2 would increase the threshold for passing […]
Issue 1 would allow Arkansas lawmakers to call themselves into special session
Arkansas voters are being asked to consider a constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to call itself into a special session and set the agenda. Under current law, only the governor has that authority. If voters approve Issue 1, the House Speaker and Senate President could issue a joint proclamation to convene a […]
Attorney general candidates spar over abortion, recreational marijuana
During an Arkansas PBS debate Wednesday, Arkansas Attorney General candidates disagreed over Roe v. Wade, which affirmed a constitutional right to abortion in 1973. Democrat Jesse Gibson said the ruling was correct while Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin, a Republican, said the case was not properly decided. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the case in June. […]
UPDATE: Arkansas Groups voice concern about impact of recreational marijuana proposal on hemp
This story has been updated. It remains unclear if Arkansans will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana at the ballot box in November, but some in the hemp industry are already concerned. For several weeks, hemp insiders have quietly raised questions about the language of the Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment, proposed by Responsible Growth […]
Arkansas pro-marijuana activists oppose latest recreational effort
The staunchest opposition to this year’s recreational marijuana ballot initiative comes from an unexpected group — Arkansas’ most prominent advocates for cannabis legalization. This band of activists is willing to wait at least another two years to transition the drug’s status in the state from strictly medical to recreational. To them, a vote for the […]