Public Policy Center | uaex.uada.edu/ballot

January 2025

From Ending Slavery to Property Taxes, Legislators Continue Filing Ballot Proposals

As of this week, Arkansas legislators have filed 15 different proposed constitutional amendments for consideration for the 2026 ballot.

The topics so far include:

Amending Casino and Medical Marijuana Amendments
Elections
Government Transparency
Lobbying
Redistricting
Repealing the Lt. Governor position
Slavery
State Highway Commission
Taxes

The Public Policy Center launched a website in November to track proposed constitutional amendments filed by the Arkansas legislature, organized by topic.

Read the Proposals

Feb. 12 is the deadline for legislators to file proposed constitutional amendments for the 2026 statewide ballot. As a whole, the General Assembly can refer up to three amendments to voters to decide, plus another one if it involves their salaries. Last session, legislators referred only one constitutional amendment for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Members of the House and Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs committees review proposals before voting on which proposal to send on to the rest of the General Assembly. Proposed constitutional amendments require approval from a majority of legislators in each chamber to qualify for the ballot.

Legislators to Consider Changes to Initiative Process

Arkansas is one of 15 states where citizens can propose constitutional amendments, state laws and veto referendums on the statewide ballot for voters to decide. Citizens also can propose local ballot issues at the city and county level. Over the years, legislators have passed laws to regulate the citizen initiative process.

Below are links to proposed laws Arkansas legislators filed for consideration during the 2025 legislative session.

HB1222 - TO REQUIRE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO REVIEW BALLOT TITLES FOR CONFLICTS WITH THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND FEDERAL STATUTES; AND TO BAN SUBMISSION OF MULTIPLE INITIATIVE PETITIONS AND REFERENDUM PETITIONS.

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=HB1222&chamber=House&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R

HB1221 - TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING INITIATIVES, REFERENDA, AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=HB1221&chamber=House&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R

SB102 - TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING CANVASSERS FOR LOCAL OPTION ELECTIONS; AND TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING COMPENSATION OF PAID CANVASSERS FOR LOCAL OPTION ELECTIONS.

https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB102&chamber=Senate&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R

New Secretary of State

Cole Jester took over as Arkansas Secretary of State on Jan. 1 after former Secretary of State John Thurston assumed his newly elected position as state treasurer. Gov. Sarah Sanders appointed Jester to complete the remainder of Thurston's term.

Jester will oversee the 2026 election, including the review of voter signature petitions for any statewide citizen initiative.

The Secretary of State's Office maintains a website about ballot issues.

Public Policy Center and #ARLEAP

The Public Policy Center launched its Arkansas Legislative Education Awareness Program (#ARLeap) in 2015 to connect our social media followers to information about the legislative session, such as recently filed bills to committee meeting agendas. We have long used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and recently started posting on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Leap over there today for our recent posts.

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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:

Increase citizen knowledge, awareness and understanding of public issues;
Enhance public participation in decisions regarding public issues, and
Help citizens craft, evaluate and implement alternative solutions to public issues.

We are part of the Community, Professional and Economic Development unit at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service in Little Rock.

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