January2021
Lawmakers 
Filing 
2022 
Ballot 
Issue 
Proposals 


Arkansas 
lawmakers 
filed 
their 
first 
proposed 
constitutional 
amendments 
for 
the 
2022 
ballot 
since 
the 
General 
Session 
started 
earlier 
this 
month. 


As 
of 
Jan. 
22, 
state 
representatives 
have 
filed 
two 
proposed 
amendments. 
Nothing 
had 
been 
submitted 
by 
state 
senators 
yet. 
Legislators 
have 
until 
Feb. 
10 
to 
file 
their 
proposals. 


We 
will 
provide 
a 
running 
list 
of 
proposals 
throughout 
the 
session 
below 
and 
on 
later 
our 
blog. 


Typically 
legislators 
file 
dozens 
of 
proposals 
that 
are 
then 
narrowed 
down 
through 
the 
committee 
process. 
The 
Arkansas 
Constitution 
allows 
lawmakers 
to 
propose 
up 
to 
three 
amendments 
on 
a 
general 
election 
ballot. 


Arkansas 
is 
one 
of 
15 
states 
where 
legislators 
and 
citizens 
can 
propose 
changes 
to 
the 
state 
constitution. 


Since 
2011, 
legislators 
have 
referred 
13 
constitutional 
amendments 
to 
voters. 
Citizen 
groups 
have 
had 
six 
proposed 
amendments 
and 
laws 
on 
the 
ballot 
for 
voters 
to 
decide. 


Arkansas' 
1874 
Constitution 
currently 
has 
102 
amendments, 
the 
latest 
which 
were 
approved 
by 
voters 
in 
November 
2020 
changing 
the 
state's 
term 
limit 
laws 
and 
approving 
a 
permanent 
0.5% 
sales 
tax 
for 
roadwork 
and 
maintenance 
across 
the 
state. 


How 
to 
Follow 
Along

Want 
to 
read 
the 
text 
of 
new 
bills 
being 
filed?All 
of 
the 
bills 
filed 
in 
the 
session 
can 
be 
found 
online. 
Once 
at 
www.arkleg.state.ar.us, 
click 
on 
the 
"Bills" 
section. 


Wondering 
when 
committees 
meet?The 
calendar 
shows 
upcoming 
meetings 
and 
agendas. 


Want 
to 
watch 
a 
meeting?The 
Arkansas 
Citizens 
Access 
Network, 
or 
ARCAN, 
streams 
many 
legislative 
meetings. 
The 
Senate 
also 
streams 
meetings 
as 
does 
the 
House. 



2022LegislativeBallotIssueProposals
Proposals 
Filed 
in 
the 
House 


HJR1001 
-An 
amendment 
to 
the 
Arkansas 
Constitution 
authorizing 
the 
General 
Assembly 
to 
convene 
itself 
in 
extraordinary 
session. 
Sponsor: 
Rep. 
Cavenaugh 
HJR1002 
-An 
amendment 
to 
the 
Arkansas 
Constitution 
providing 
when 
an 
annual 
ad 
valorem 
tax 
for 
the 


maintenance 
and 
operation 
of 
schools 
and 
the 
retirement 
of 
indebtedness 
shall 
be 
considered 
at 
the 
annual 
school 
election. 
Sponsor: 
Rep. 
Tollett 



Both 
proposals 
have 
been 
referred 
to 
theHouse 
Committee 
on 
State 
Agencies 
& 
Governmental 
Affairs. 


2022 
Citizen 
Initiative 
Process 



Arkansas 
is 
one 
of15 
stateswhere 
citizens 
have 
the 
right 
to 
put 
constitutional 
amendments, 
state 
laws 
and 
referendums 
on 
the 
ballot 
for 
voters 
to 
decide. 


The 
citizen 
initiative 
process 
involves 
filing 
a 
ballot 
title 
with 
the 
Secretary 
of 
State's 
Office, 
collecting 
voter 
signatures 
across 
the 
state 
and 
submitting 
the 
petitions 
for 
verification. 
The 
Board 
of 
Election 
Commissioners 
also 
must 
approve 
the 
ballot 
title. 


Referendums 
require 
voter 
signatures 
equaling 
6% 
of 
the 
number 
of 
people 
who 
voted 
in 
the 
last 
governor's 
election. 
State 
laws 
require 
8%, 
and 
constitutional 
amendments 
require 
10%. 


Submitted 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
State 


Act 
376 
of 
2019 
requires 
ballot 
issue 
groups 
to 
submit 
a 
copy 
of 
their 
ballot 
title 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
State's 
Office 
before 
collecting 
voter 
signatures. 


Ballot 
titles 
that 
have 
been 
filed 
for 
the 
2022 
ballot 
include: 


Jan. 
5, 
2021 
-An 
Amendment 
Concerning 
Jurors' 
Rights 
-A 
proposal 
that 
would 
impact 
the 
legislature's 
ability 
to 
pass 
laws 
regarding 
jury 
awards 
in 
lawsuits 
over 
injury 
or 
death 
was 
submitted. 
The 
person 
who 
submitted 
the 
proposal 
did 
not 
provide 
their 
contact 
information 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
State's 
Office. 


May 
22, 
2020 
-The 
Arkansas 
Recreational 
Marijuana 
Amendment 
of 
2022-A 
proposal 
to 
legalize 
adult 
marijuana 
use 
and 
to 
allow 
certain 
marijuana 
convictions 
to 
be 
expunged 
was 
submitted 
by 
Arkansas 
True 
Grass. 


2021ArkansasRedistrictingProcess
Every 
decade 
after 
the 
U.S. 
Census 
count 
of 
people 
living 
in 
the 
United 
States, 
lawmakers 
get 
to 
work 
on 
creating 
new 
legislative 
district 
maps 
for 
their 
states. 


In 
Arkansas, 
state 
lawmakers 
are 
responsible 
for 
creating 
boundaries 
for 
U.S. 
House 
of 
Representatives 
districts 
during 
the 
legislative 
session. 
The 
state's 
Board 
of 
Apportionment 
will 
draw 
district 
lines 
for 
state 
senators 
and 
representatives 
sometime 
this 
year 
too. 


Find 
more 
information 
on 
our 
website 
about 
thebasics 
of 
redistricting 
in 
Arkansas. 



#ARballot 


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