Latest news with #ArkansasGeneralAssembly
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Second Arkansas ballot measure rejected for failing to meet reading-level standard
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families Executive Director Keesa Smith-Brantley discusses a proposed constitutional amendment submitted to the attorney general's office during a press conference at the state Capitol on May 19, 2025. (Sonny Albarado/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin on Monday said he could not certify a proposed constitutional amendment related to direct democracy because it violates a new state law that prohibits ballot titles from being written above an eighth-grade reading level. Act 602, which became law in April, prohibits the attorney general from certifying a proposed ballot title with a reading level above eighth grade as determined by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula. The test uses word complexity and sentence lengths to calculate what grade of education is needed to comprehend written material. 'The ballot title you have submitted ranks at grade 11.5. Thus, your ballot title requires significant revisions before it complies with the Act,' according to Monday's opinion, which was prepared by Assistant Attorney General Jodie Keener and approved by Griffin. Monday's opinion identified additional issues with the proposal, including ambiguity regarding the Arkansas General Assembly's authority and how conflicting measures become law. The Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment, sponsored by the Protect AR Rights coalition, would amend Article 5 Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution, the section that governs the state's initiative and referendum process. It would designate as a 'fundamental right' the right of voters to propose laws and constitutional amendments that can be put to a statewide vote. Among its various provisions, the measure would require petition signatures be gathered from at least 15 counties instead of 50 and would explicitly prohibit the Arkansas General Assembly from amending or repealing a constitutional amendment approved by voters. This is the second ballot measure proposed this year in response to state lawmakers approving about a dozen direct democracy-related laws during the 2025 legislative session. Supporters of the new laws have said they will ensure the integrity of the initiative and referendum process, while opponents have argued it will make it more difficult for citizen-led initiatives to qualify for the ballot. The direct democracy process allows Arkansans to propose new laws or constitutional amendments and put them to a statewide vote. Arkansas is one of 24 states that allows citizen-led initiatives, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Protect AR Rights spokesperson Bill Kopsky said in a phone interview that Monday's decision was expected because the attorney general often rejects the first draft of a proposed ballot title. The ballot question committee intends to request a meeting with Griffin's staff to gather feedback, Kopsky said. In an emailed statement, Protect AR Rights noted this was 'the first step in a long process, and our coalition remains fully committed to protecting the rights of Arkansans to shape their own laws.' Griffin's rejection of the group's proposed amendment reinforces why it's 'so urgently needed,' according to the group. 'We're reviewing the AG's feedback and will revise and resubmit our amendment. But let's be clear: the new 8th grade reading requirement — passed by politicians trying to limit access to the ballot — is a serious barrier to a fundamental right,' the statement reads. 'We believe measures should be clear, accessible, and accurate. That's exactly why we're fighting this provision in court.' Court filings reveal opposition to intervening motion in Arkansas direct democracy lawsuit Protect AR Rights and For AR Kids, another ballot question committee pursuing an education-focused constitutional amendment, are trying to challenge Act 602 by intervening in a federal lawsuit that challenges several other new laws governing the state's direct democracy process. The League of Women Voters of Arkansas filed the lawsuit against the secretary of state in April. The League proposed its own direct democracy-related ballot measure this year that was thrice rejected by the attorney general, including once for violating Act 602. Griffin substituted and certified the popular name and ballot title so it met the eighth grade-reading level requirement on May 21. That means the League can begin gathering signatures to try to place their measure on the 2026 ballot. In response to the motion to intervene, both the League and the state argued in court filings last week that Protect AR Rights lacks standing and is not entitled to intervene in the case. Protect AR Rights could file its own lawsuit if a judge dismisses the motion to intervene, but Kopsky said the court would likely freeze both lawsuits while deciding whether to consolidate them. 'We believe it would slow the process down substantially, which doesn't seem to be in anybody's interest,' he said. 'So we were surprised that they opposed the motion to intervene, but our legal team is going to respond to it in a way that's appropriate. The bottom line is we're committed to protecting the right to direct democracy and the right to have access to ballot measures in the state.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Talk Business & Politics: Conversation with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders as legislative session wraps up
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The 95th Arkansas General Assembly wrapped up this week, with many bills completed with the Arkansas governor signing them into law. Talk Business & Politics host Roby Brock met with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to discuss highlighted legislation this session. Gov. Sanders talks about advancing education, building up business in the state and the outlook for prison funding looking ahead. Talk Business & Politics airs Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on FOX 16. For more coverage, head to Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas lawmakers approve $182.5 million state budget increase
Rep. Lane Jean, R-Magnolia, addresses the Arkansas House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate) The Arkansas General Assembly on Wednesday approved legislation to increase the state's general revenue budget to $6.49 billion for fiscal year 2026, a nearly 3% increase from the previous year. As is typical, state lawmakers approved the Revenue Stabilization Act on the final day of the legislative session through two identical bills — Senate Bill 637 and House Bill 2003. The RSA is nearly identical to the budget Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders proposed in November. The largest portion of the $182.5 million increase to the state budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 is an additional $90 million for the state's Educational Freedom Account program. Arkansas governor presents $6.49 billion budget proposal to state lawmakers The school voucher program, which permits state funds to be used for allowable expenses such as private school tuition, is expected to see an increase in participation during its third year, when eligibility opens up to all Arkansas students this fall. The legislation also increases county jail reimbursement by roughly $9 million to $34.8 million. The state reimburses county jails for holding state inmates when there's no room in Arkansas prisons. Expanding prison capacity has been a priority for Sanders, but lawmakers failed this session to approve a $750 million appropriation bill to support the full estimated cost of a planned prison in Franklin County. Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, sponsored that bill and told colleagues the estimated total cost of the proposed 3,000-bed penitentiary is $825 million, but several lawmakers said they believe the cost will top $1 billion and were unhappy that the administration couldn't provide more details on the project. Franklin County residents have also objected to the prison's location and to the state's purchase of the property without involving local officials. In the House Tuesday, Joint Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Lane Jean, R-Magnolia, highlighted a $13 million increase to the Department of Human Services Grants line item, which he said would support maternal health. Sanders in her proposed budget called for a $13 million increase for Medicaid to help support recommendations from the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health that she convened last year to address the state's poor maternal health outcomes. Arkansas has among the nation's highest maternal and infant mortality rates, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. Arkansas is the only state to have taken no action on a federal option to expand Medicaid postpartum benefits to 12 months from the current 60 days. Sanders has refused to expand coverage, saying to do so would be duplicative of other health insurance options for new mothers. The RSA also includes $3.15 million for a performance fund that Jean said would support the governor's new state employee pay plan, which is expected to cost a total of $139 million. Lawmakers last month approved legislation for the plan, which aims to clarify promotion ladders within state agencies and improve recruitment and retention by raising some salaries to labor market rates. State agency leaders should be able to accommodate the updated pay schedule within existing budgets, the governor said last fall. Jean told the House Tuesday that the RSA projects the state would be left with roughly $300,000 in surplus funds, though he noted that would likely be closer to $250,000 because $50,000 would be allocated for highways. That is significantly less than the record billion-dollar surpluses seen in recent years. The decrease in surplus funds could be contributed, in part, to several rounds of tax cuts by Arkansas' last two governors. Sanders and the Legislature cut taxes three times in 15 months, most recently last June. To further support the governor's proposed budget, lawmakers also approved Senate Bill 636 Wednesday, which would transfer $572.79 million in surplus money to various funds and set-aside accounts. 'It's spending a lot of money, I'm not debating that point, but I think it's all needs that the governor came up with. House got some needs that we asked for, Senate's got some needs,' Jean said Wednesday. SB 636 includes an additional $90 million for the EFA program and $100 million for the Medicaid Sustainability Set Aside Fund, among other things. When Sanders proposed these set-aside funds in November, State Budget Director Robert Brech noted they would only be used if necessary and are not part of the RSA, which prioritizes state government spending and balances the budget. 'It's not known at this time if those will be necessary,' Brech said then. 'In the event they are, those set-asides could be used and then built into the budget afterwards, but what we didn't want to do is put too much money in the RSA when it wasn't needed.' A worksheet for surplus funding and set-asides for the 2025-2027 biennium presented to the Joint Budget Committee Monday also proposed transferring $250 million to a correctional facilities fund through Senate Bill 633. That bill was pulled down Monday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
