Use this logo  
  
Join Our Mailing List
Oct. 14, 2013
  
NEWS & NOTES
Arkansas Ballot Issues

AG's Office Reviews Multiple Ballot Issues
Add marriage and expanded terms for county officials to the growing list of potential issues circulating for the 2014 ballot. Since last month's News and Notes, the Attorney General's Office has approved three measures for signature gathering. 

The Attorney General's Office certification is the first step in the ballot issue process, which ends in July with the submission of signatures to the Secretary of State's office. In addition to the three approved issues, the AG's office also rejected four measures because of ambiguities with the ballot title or text.

With the latest certifications, there are now two groups seeking medical marijuana approval from Arkansas voters. Another group is seeking to repeal an existing state constitutional amendment on the definition of marriage. A Pine Bluff man is also seeking to make elected county office positions a four-year job instead of a two-year one.

Arkansas is one of 18 states where citizens can place issues on a statewide ballot after gathering signatures from registered voters. A complete list of the past month's AG opinions and news stories on ballot issues can be found below.

The Public Policy Center will continue to follow these issues and keep you updated on potential 2014 ballot measures. The Center will release fact sheets on proposed ballot issues referred from the legislature and the public closer to the November 2014 election.

Legislative Ballot Issues
Read up on the three ballot issues referred by the legislature. We include links to the ballot proposal, sponsors and financial impact forms. 

Attorney General Opinions
Read the latest Attorney General Opinions regarding proposed ballot issues.

Ballot Proposal News
Here you will find mentions of proposed ballot issues on news blogs and websites. 


AGAttorney General Opinions
 

The purpose of an Attorney General review and certification is to ensure that the popular name and ballot title honestly, intelligibly, and fairly set forth the purpose of the proposed amendment or act. Only after a ballot issue is certified can groups circulate petitions seeking voter signatures in support of putting the issue on the ballot.

 

Rejected Measures:

  

Sept. 17 - A proposed constitutional amendment, "The Arkansas Marriage Equality Amendment," was rejected because of deficiencies in the ballot title and text. Opinion No. 2013-111 stated that the ballot title was deficient "because it makes no attempt to summarize for the voter what effect your proposal would have on existing law." Jennifer Pierce of Little Rock submitted the proposal.  

 

Sept. 19 -  A proposed constitutional amendment, also known as "The Arkansas Marriage Equality Amendment," was rejected because of deficiencies in the ballot title and text. Opinion No. 2013-112 stated, "You have made no attempt to describe to the voter how your proposal would change existing constitutional and statutory law." The opinion cited several other ambiguities in the text. Jack Weir III and Christopher Jacks of Maumelle submitted the proposal.

 

Sept. 19 - "An Act to Restrict Corporate Spending to Influence Elections in Arkansas" was rejected because of "because there is a fundamental inconsistency between these two main portions of your proposal and (2) because of other ambiguities in your proposal's text," Opinion No. 2013-113 stated. The proposed election spending law was submitted by Paul Spencer, co-chair of Regnat Populus, of Little Rock. 

 

Oct. 2 - A proposed constitutional amendment, "Ban Prohibition of Cannabis," was rejected because of ambiguities in the ballot and text. Opinion No. 2013-117

stated, "As drafted, your measure misleadingly suggests that repealing state laws "pertaining to the cannabis plant" will enable individuals to engage in cultivation of the plant for various unspecified purposes." Lieutenant Colonel Majorie LeClair of Shirley submitted the proposal. 

 

Oct. 7 - A proposed constitutional amendment, also known as "The Arkansas Marriage Equality Amendment," was rejected for a second time in 30 days because of ambiguities in the ballot title and text, according to Opinion No. 2013-121. Jack Weir III of Maumelle submitted the proposal on behalf of Arkansas Initiative for Marriage Equality. 

 

Oct. 7 - "The Arkansas Marriage Amendment" was rejected because of ambiguities in the text. Opinion No. 2013-122 stated that in a previous submission, "I noted that your ballot title was wholly deficient because it made no attempt to summarize for the voter how your proposal would affect existing law. While your current proposal does attempt such a summary, it does so in a way that creates an ambiguity. In short, there seems to be a disconnect between your understanding of the proposal (as explained in your proposed ballot title) and your proposal's text." The proposal was submitted by Jennifer Pierce of Little Rock, who previously submitted the proposal as "The Arkansas Marriage Equality Amendment." 

 

 

 

Certified Measures - Approved for signature gathering:

 

Oct. 3 - Arkansans for Compassionate Care's proposed ballot issue seeking to make the medical use and sale of marijuana legal was approved for signature gathering. Opinion No. 2013-118 certified "The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act," which was submitted by Melissa Fults, Campaign Director for Arkansans for Compassionate Care, of Hensley.

 

Sept. 19 - A proposed constitutional amendment seeking to repeal an existing amendment on same-sex marriage was certified. Opinion No. 2013-114 certified the measure "Repeal of the Arkansas Marriage Amendment." The proposal was submitted by Christina Harrison, founder of Arkansans for Equality, of Little Rock. Arkansans approved the original amendment in 2004 with 75 percent of the vote in favor. 

 

Sept. 16 - A proposed constitutional amendment to change the terms of county officials from two years to four years was certified. Opinion No. 2013-110 certified the ballot title, "Four Year Terms of Office For Elected County Officials, Justices of the Peace, and Constables." David Dinwiddie of Pine Bluff submitted the ballot issue.  

 

Aug. 6 - Arkansans for Responsible Medicine saw their proposed ballot issue seeking to make the medical use and sale of marijuana legal approved for signature gathering. Opinion No. 2013-081 said the popular name and ballot title for the "Arkansas Medical Marijuana Act" are "sufficient as proposed." The proposed ballot issue was submitted by David Couch, representing Arkansans for Responsible Medicine.

 

Jan. 1 - In Opinion No. 2012-148, the Attorney General approved the popular name and ballot title submitted by the Regnat Populus ballot question committee. The committee submitted "The Campaign Finance and Lobbying Act of 2014."
  • Constitutional amendments require 78,133 valid signatures
  • State statutes require 62,507 valid signatures 
    • The deadline to submit signatures is July 7, 2014  
NewsIn the News
  • "Four-year terms? Proposed amendment to state constitution surprises officials" - Baxter Bulletin

HouseLegislative Ballot Measures On the 2014 Ballot

  
Ethics, Transparency and Financial Reform - HJR 1009 
Sponsor: Rep. Sabin

 

A proposed Constitutional Amendment concerning elected state officials, including without limitation ethics and service of elected state officials.

The Arkansas Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency, and Financial Reform Amendment of 2014. This 21-page proposal involves three different issues. 1) It would allow legislators to serve 16 years total in the House or Senate, whereas they are now limited to specific number of years in each chamber. 2) It would create an independent commission to set salaries of state elected officials. 3) It would place limits on lobbying by former legislators and set limits 
on campaign donations and gifts from lobbyists. 
  
____________________________________________________________________________________
  
  
Administrative Rules Promulgated by State Agencies - SJR 7
Sponsor: Sen. Dismang
  
A proposed Constitutional Amendment concerning administrative rules promulgated by state agencies.

An Amendment Concerning the Review and Approval of Administrative Rules By a Legislative Committee. This proposal would give legislative committees prior review of of new state agency rules before they go into effect. 
  
______________________________________________________________________________________
  
Initiative and Referendum Amendment - SJR 16
Sponsor: Sen. Sample
  
A proposed Constitutional Amendment concerning imitative and referendum.

An Amendment Concerning Initiative and Referendum. The proposal would establish a signature threshold for ballot issue groups to meet if they want more time to collect additional signatures after turning in petitions to the Secretary of State. Petitions would need to contain at least 75 percent of valid signatures for a group to receive more time. Groups are usually given 30 additional days after submitting their original petitions to gather more signatures in case they fall short on the required number to place an issue on the ballot.
Stay Connected
  
Know of a potential ballot issue? E-mail the information to [email protected]
You can find fact sheets on past ballot issues at http://ppc.uaex.edu
  
Like us on Facebook       View our profile on LinkedIn   

The Public Policy Center was established in 2004 to provide Arkansans with timely, credible, unbiased and research-based information and education about public issues. Public issues are defined as pressing and emerging issues that involve multiple points of view and have widespread consequences. Our goals are to:

  • increase citizen knowledge, awareness and understanding of public issues;
  • enhance public participation in decisions regarding public issues and
  • help citizens craft, evaluate and implement alternative solutions to public issues.

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - http://www.uaex.edu

 

News & Notes Issue 12, Volume 2. This e-mail newsletter is shared with Cooperative Extension Service agents, subscribers from the general public and election officials or educators identified by the Public Policy Center. To unsubscribe, click below on "instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe."