by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Senate on Wednesday (Feb. 12) passed five measures to alter the petition signature gathering process, while also advancing the governor’s maternal health package. In the Arkansas House, members pushed forward a companion maternal health bill, but a key committee defeated a high-profile sports raffle bill.

Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, is the lead sponsor on SB 207, SB 208, SB 209, SB 210 and SB 211 – a package of bills that puts new stipulations on canvassers of citizen petitions. The bills require canvassers to disclose that petition fraud is a misdemeanor; require photo IDs before obtaining a petition signature; require a petition signer to read the ballot title in the presence of a canvasser; and sets conditions for the disqualification of signatures if laws are violated.

Hammer, who has announced he will seek the office of Secretary of State in 2026, told colleagues the canvassing bills aim to provide integrity and guardrails in the process of collecting signatures for ballot initiatives.

Petition measures, maternal health bills pass Senate; sports raffle act fails in committee