January 2022
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Marijuana, Redistricting Make Another Play for 2022
There are now four marijuana proposals competing for voter signatures to qualify for a spot on the 2022 ballot in Arkansas, a state where voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in 2016.

Responsible Growth Arkansas filed its constitutional amendment with the Secretary of State's Office on Jan. 24, about three months after filing its financial paperwork with the Arkansas Ethics Commission. As of its January financial report, the group led by former state legislator Eddie Armstrong had raised $1.75 million from marijuana cultivation companies. The group seeks to legalize the growth, sale and possession of marijuana for non-medical purposes.

Melissa Fults, who led a popular medical marijuana proposal in the 2016 general election, also filed a marijuana initiative since our December newsletter.

The Arkansas Marijuana Amendment of 2022 replaces a proposal Fults filed in November that included expunging criminal records. Fults said the newer proposal, filed Dec. 29, fixed some problems with the earlier draft. The newer version still contains a provision allowing people convicted of certain marijuana offenses to have their criminal records expunged.

The proposals from the two groups differ in their methods on preserving the medical marijuana program while adding recreational sales and modifying dispensary ownership requirements via changes to Amendment 98. Two additional marijuana proposals filed months ago also seek to legalize cannabis for personal use.

Another ballot issue from the past is making a resurgence.

Supporters of changing the process for redrawing state and federal voting districts have filed a new proposal to create a citizen-led redistricting commission. The Arkansas Supreme Court removed a similar issue from the ballot in 2020 over the miswording of campaign statements related to canvasser background checks.

David Couch filed the new proposal for the Arkansas Citizens Redistricting Commission Amendment. He said the proposal would set up the same type of commission as what he proposed in 2020 before the Census took place.

Redistricting Referendums Off the Table
Arkansas' new voting districts for U.S. House of Representatives went into effect this month after a group seeking a voter referendum on the boundaries failed to turn in any voter signatures by a Jan. 13 petition deadline.

Arkansas legislators approved new maps for voting districts after the 2020 Census during a special session last year. Arkansans for a Unified Natural State filed a referendum proposal in October challenging the Senate and House bills that established the federal districts. The group had to collect more than 50,000 voter signatures by Jan. 13 to qualify for the November 2022 ballot.

The Secretary of State's Office didn't receive any petitions.

Status of Statewide Ballot Issues
As of Jan. 25, 2022, titles for 12 ballot issue have been filed with the Secretary of State's Office for the November 2022 election. Proposals from the legislature and those filed by citizen groups can be found below.
2022 Arkansas Legislative Proposals
Arkansas representatives and senators voted in spring 2021 to put the three proposed constitutional amendments listed below on the November 2022 General Election ballot. The Secretary of State's Office will assign issue numbers for these measures in the spring.
A constitutional amendment to reform certain measures presented to voters, to be known as the "Constitutional Amendment and Ballot Initiative Reform Amendment”
A constitutional amendment to allow the General Assembly to convene in extraordinary session upon the issuance of a joint written proclamation of the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate or upon the submission of a written proclamation containing the signatures of at least 2/3 of the members of the House of Representatives and at least 2/3 of the members of the Senate to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro tempore of the Senate requesting that the General Assembly convene in extraordinary session
A constitutional amendment to create the "Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment"
2022 Citizen Initiative Proposals
Arkansas is one of 15 states where citizens have the right to put constitutional amendments, state laws and referendums on the ballot for voters to decide.

The citizen initiative process involves filing a ballot title with the Secretary of State's Office, collecting voter signatures across the state and submitting the petitions for verification. The Board of Election Commissioners also must approve the ballot title.

Referendums require voter signatures equaling 6% of the number of people who voted in the last governor's election. State laws require 8%, and constitutional amendments require 10%.
Submitted to the Secretary of State
Act 376 of 2019 requires ballot issue groups to submit a copy of their ballot title to the Secretary of State's Office before collecting voter signatures.

Ballot titles that have been filed for the 2022 ballot include:

Jan. 24, 2022 - Arkansas Adult Use Cannabis Amendment - A proposal to amend the state's existing Medical Marijuana Amendment to allow for personal use and other changes was submitted by Steven Lancaster of Wright, Lindsey, and Jennings on behalf of Responsible Growth Arkansas.

Jan. 10, 2022 - Public Schools Amendment of 2022 - A proposal to increase funding for Arkansas schools, raise teacher salaries, establish how long school districts could be supervised by the state, and to establish the Division of Education as a constitutionally independent entity was submitted. No name is attached to the document, but according to media reports, the citizen initiative group Arkansans for World Class Education back the petition. Julia Taylor is listed as the group's chairman in documents filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

Jan. 4, 2022 - Arkansas Medical Freedom Amendment - A proposal to prohibit the government or a private person from infringing on the medical rights of another person was submitted by Tanya Charlton.

Dec. 29, 2021 - Arkansas Marijuana Amendment of 2022 - A proposal to amend the state's existing Medical Marijuana Amendment to allow for personal use and other changes, and to create an expungement process for certain marijuana convictions, was submitted by Melissa Fults. This proposal replaces a November filing, Arkansas Adult Use and Expungement Marijuana Amendment.

Dec. 28, 2021 - Arkansas Citizens Redistricting Commission Amendment - A proposal to create a citizen-led commission responsible for creating new voting districts for state and federal offices was submitted by David Couch

July 13, 2021 - A Constitutional Amendment to Repeal the Authorization for Casino Gaming in Pope County - A proposal to remove Pope County as one of the locations in Arkansas where casino gaming is allowed under a previous constitutional amendment was submitted by Larry Walker of Fair Play for Arkansas - 2022.


May 25, 2021 - Arkansas Cannabis Industry Amendment - A proposal to make the cannabis industry legal in Arkansas was submitted by Clair Danner.

May 20, 2021 - The Arkansas Term Limits Amendment - A proposal to change term limits for state legislators was submitted by Arkansas Term Limits.

Feb. 4, 2021 - The Arkansas Township Amendment of 2022 - A proposal that would create another layer of local government - township assemblies - among other things was submitted by Academy of Democracy.

Jan. 5, 2021 - An Amendment Concerning Jurors' Rights - A proposal that would impact the legislature's ability to pass laws regarding jury awards in lawsuits over injury or death was submitted. The person who submitted the proposal did not provide their contact information to the Secretary of State's Office.

May 22, 2020 - The Arkansas Recreational Marijuana Amendment of 2022 - A proposal to legalize adult marijuana use and to allow certain marijuana convictions to be expunged was submitted by Arkansas True Grass.

Public Policy Center | uaex.uada.edu/ballot
The Public Policy Center was established in 2004 to provide Arkansans with timely, credible, unaligned and research-based information and education about public issues. Public issues are defined as pressing and emerging issues that involve multiple points of view and have widespread consequences.

Our goals are to:
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  • Help citizens craft, evaluate and implement alternative solutions to public issues.

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