Arkansas: Protect the Citizen Initiative Process
Campaign Status: Active
The Policy
Establish constitutional guidelines for future citizen initiated measures
Background
In 2022 RepresentUs worked with groups in Arkansas to defeat Issue 2, an effort by the Arkansas legislature to require a 60% supermajority for any initiated measures to pass.
The attempt in 2022 may have failed, but there have been numerous attacks on the citizen initiative process by Arkansas politicians over the years that have been successful. Enshrining “rules” to protect the citizen initiative process in the state’s constitution is a novel approach that would help put an end to these repeated attempts to take power away from voters.
Who’s Involved?
RepresentUs is working with a number of groups in Arkansas including Fairness Project, Article 4, and AR League of Women Voters.
GET INVOLVED
You can make an impact on campaigns like this no matter where you live.
The Latest On This Campaign
‘We Have a Right to Put It on the Ballot’: How Organizers Are Defending Direct Democracy
Aug 16 2023
Bolts invited three organizers in Arkansas, Idaho, and Ohio for a roundtable to discuss the attacks on ballot initiatives they are each fighting in their states, and lessons they’ve learned.
Read More
Arkansas senator and League of Women Voters file suit challenging law on ballot process
Mar 10 2023
“This law was not passed in the best interest of Arkansans, and it will hamper the grassroots efforts of Arkansans to propose their own laws and to hold the General Assembly accountable."
Read More
Lawsuit filed over new Arkansas law on initiative signatures
Mar 10 2023
A lawsuit was filed Friday challenging a new Arkansas measure that makes it harder to get initiatives on the ballot by raising the number of counties where signatures must be gathered.
Read More