Judge rules that LEARNS Act not effective until Aug. 1

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Herb Wright on Friday (June 30) ruled that the Arkansas LEARNS Act cannot go into effect until Aug. 1. The ruling, if it stands, could complicate the past few months of efforts by the Gov. Sarah Sanders’ administration to implement the law.

The case was brought by residents of the Marvell-Elaine School District and education advocates. The State Board of Education had voted to direct Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva to place the district under the management of the nonprofit Friendship Education Foundation through a transformation contract made possible by the LEARNS Act.

The plaintiffs had sued saying lawmakers had erred in voting on the bill and its emergency clause at the same time. The Arkansas Constitution says the votes on the two are to be separate. The votes were recorded separately by the House and Senate clerks.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/06/judge-rules-that-learns-act-not-effective-until-aug-1/