Arkansas lawmakers refer hand-count ballot petitioners to ethics committee

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A failed petition to ban voting machines in Saline County has been referred to an ethics committee after issues were found with the way signatures for the petition were collected. Members of the Arkansas Legislature made the decision Monday at a Joint Performance Review Committee Meeting.

To put a local ordinance on the ballot in Saline County, in this election cycle, you need 5,590 validated signatures. A group called Restore Election Integrity Arkansas says they collected thousands of signatures from locals to put their measure on the ballot.

The ballot measure would have mandated votes in the county be made without a machine and counted by hand. Restore Election Integrity Arkansas is led in part by Col. Conrad Reynolds, who told Little Rock Public Radio before that he does not trust voting machines.

Arkansas lawmakers refer hand-count ballot petitioners to ethics committee

Voting Machine - Flickr Image

Judge hears arguments in suit challenging Arkansas critical race theory ban

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

Attorneys presented oral arguments Tuesday in a case over how race can be discussed in Arkansas schools.

A group of plaintiffs made up of students, parents and educators is suing to stop a law banning so-called “critical race theory" in Arkansas. They are being represented by the Laux Law Firm. The plaintiffs are asking for a preliminary injunction to stop the law immediately before a trial can be held to better examine the merits of the legislation.

The critical race theory ban is in Section 16 of the education law known as Arkansas LEARNS. The law defines critical race theory as material that “encourages” discrimination or any teaching that one race is better than another.

Judge hears arguments in suit challenging Arkansas critical race theory ban

Michael Hibblen/Little Rock Public Radio

Arguments were made for and against a preliminary injunction over Arkansas' ban on critical race theory in schools on Tuesday.

Attorney General Griffin calls on Congress to affirm State's authority to ban or regulate intoxicating and dangerous Delta THC products

“Arkansas has banned Delta THC products, but inconsistent court interpretations of certain provisions within the federal Farm Bill have led to challenges in Arkansas and many other states across the country. Meanwhile, these harmful products are available in convenience stores with no age restrictions for purchasing them. They’re often packaged to look like candy or mimic popular snack-food brands, so of course they are getting into the hands of children.

“This easy access and use of enticing packaging has led to more minors ingesting these unregulated and dangerous products, leading to seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death. That’s why Congress needs to create uniformity in the next five-year Farm Bill reauthorization and make clear that states have full authority to regulate and even ban these types of products.

“I am grateful to Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita for co-leading this letter with me and to the full bipartisan group of attorneys general who signed on. Protecting our children has to be our highest priority regardless of party affiliation.”

The 2018 Farm Bill reintroduced hemp as an agricultural commodity while maintaining federal prohibitions on cannabis products. However, bad actors have exploited the 2018 Farm Bill’s definition of hemp to introduce products that are intoxicating and are harming children.

Griffin and Rokita were joined by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.

To read the letter, click here.

For a printer-friendly version, click here.