by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Repeating the notion that she wants to be known as the education governor, Gov. Sarah Sanders signed her higher education overhaul bill into law at an economic forum in Little Rock Tuesday (March 18) before nearly 1,000 business leaders.

At a packed house crowd in the Wally Allen Ballroom at Little Rock’s Arkansas Economic Development Foundation (AEDF) luncheon, Sanders shared remarks that touched on education and jobs, before signing her higher education reform measure, the ACCESS Act, into law.

The AEDF is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization established in 1955 that raises funds to support economic development efforts in Arkansas, including research, site visits, and recruitment support. The foundation frequently helps pay for overseas business recruiting trips for the governor and staff of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Governor signs ACCESS Act at forum touting lithium, economic development

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

A second effort to place a citizen’s referendum on the ballot to repeal the LEARNS Act, Gov. Sarah Sanders’ signature education bill, has been rejected by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. The Attorney General is charged with approving ballot titles for proposed referenda.

Citizens for Public Education and Students, or CAPES, was rejected in its first attempt to qualify its referendum in late April.

Griffin outlined several reasons for the latest rejection, although he declared a portion of it “legally sufficient.” In a letter to CAPES executive director Steve Grappe, Griffin said:

“Under the foregoing rules, your proposed popular name is legally sufficient as submitted. But your proposed ballot title is insufficient and must be redesigned. As explained in more detail below, the current version of the ballot title (1) fails to adequately summarize the LEARNS Act; (2) fails to make all the changes noted in my response to your first submission; and (3) is printed in a font that is so small, most people would be unable to read it,” Griffin said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/second-effort-to-overturn-learns-act-rejected-by-ag-griffin/