What are you voting on?
By Josh Curtis
AAC Governmental Affairs Director
Article 5 Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution provides the General Assembly the opportunity to propose up to three constitutional amendments for the voters of Arkansas to decide. These resolutions are vetted in the Joint House and Senate State Agencies Committee. The Senate filed 20 senate joint resolutions (SJR), and the House filed 13 house joint resolutions (HJR) during the 94th General Assembly. Many of these resolutions mirrored the opposite chamber resolutions and were properly discussed. At the end of the day this joint committee approved only one, HJR1006. Following the passage of both chambers this resolution is now on the ballot for the 2024 general election and will be identified on the ballot as Issue 1.
Issue 1, popular name: A Constitutional Amendment to Provide that Lottery Proceeds May Be Used to Fund or Provide Scholarships and Grants to Arkansas Citizens Enrolled in Vocational-Technical Schools and Technical Institutes.
HJR1006 passed the Arkansas House of Representatives 97-0 and the Senate 30-0 with the help of its two main sponsors, Rep. Robin Lundstrum of Elm Springs and Sen. Jane English of North Little Rock. This proposal asks voters to amend article 19 section 14 of the Arkansas constitution. This section was last amended in 2008 by the voters, and it brought a scholarship lottery to Arkansas. Amendment 87 stated the funds from the lottery would be used for scholarships and grants to citizens of this state enrolled in public and private non-profit two-year and four-year colleges and universities located in Arkansas. Arkansas legislators are asking voters to expand the types of educational institutions that qualify for state lottery scholarships. Issue 1 would allow students to use lottery scholarships at private and public vocational-technical schools and technical institutes. The legislature will establish criteria to determine who is eligible to receive the scholarships and grants under this proposal. Issue 1 has no organized opposition.
Article 5, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution provides a process by which voters may propose statewide or local legislative measures or acts and statewide amendments to the constitution. Arkansas is one of 15 states in which citizens can propose constitutional amendments and state laws and veto referendums on the ballot for voters to decide.
Issue 2, popular name: An amendment requiring local voter approval in a countywide special election for certain new casino licenses and repealing authority to issue a casino license in Pope County, Arkansas.
Voters passed Amendment 100 in 2018, allowing for four casinos in the state. Two were already operating “games of skill” — Oaklawn and Southland. The other two were to be built in Jefferson and Pope counties. The Saracen Casino is fully operational in Jefferson County, but the casino in Pope County has faced multiple hurdles. Issue 2, if passed, would nullify the Pope County casino license issued by the Arkansas Racing Commission. It would also require future casinos to first be approved by a majority of voters in a special election in counties where the casinos would be located along with another statewide constitutional amendment election. A group called Local Voters in Charge collected at least 90,704 signatures from Arkansas voters, with a certain percentage coming from at least 50 counties. A lawsuit has been filed by the current license holder in Pope County, the Cherokee Nation, challenging this amendment. We do know this amendment will appear on the ballot but do not know at this time if the votes will be counted.
Issue 3, popular name: The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024
A group called Arkansans for Patient Access did not initially turn in enough signatures to put this on the ballot, but it met the required amount to receive additional time, called the “cure period,” to gather more signatures. The group has said publicly it has collected enough signatures during the cure period for Issue 3 to be placed on the ballot. This constitutional amendment would amend the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016. If approved by voters, it will increase access to Arkansans for medical marijuana. Three groups have organized to oppose this amendment — Stronger Arkansas, Family Council Action Committee of 2024, and Protect Arkansas Kids. More details will be forthcoming if this amendment is officially certified for the 2024 ballot.
I would refer our readers to the website of the Public Policy Center at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, https://www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/voter-education/state-ballot-issues.aspx, to find out more about Arkansas ballot issues. It breaks down each ballot issue in its entirety, gives an unbiased opinion on what each issue would do if enacted by the voters. It also provides the views of the supporters and the opponents for readers to examine. This is an excellent resource for all the voters across the state.
