Legislators in Arkansas are moving quickly to push an agenda that undermines the foundational values of Democracy, so we should all be keeping our attention focused on their efforts and resist at every opportunity. Call and write your representatives and sign up to track the bills that you want to follow with the Legislation Tracker. The following list contains the legislation that I'm currently tracking:
ACCESS Arkansas Act. 2 identical 122 page omnibus bills (HB1512/SB246). The most
troubling part of the bill: it prohibits students from being excused to engage in the civic
process. The right to protest and to petition government are protected first amendment
rights that republicans want to strip away from students. This is how they are attempting
to “ban” student walk outs. As they push to prohibit students from engaging in the
political process citing importance of education, they are also pushing HB1139 which
allows public school students 5 hours a week of excused absence for religious
instruction. ACCESS Arkansas also seeks to destroy DEI and “indoctrination.” The bill
also requires an annual review of tenured professors. A poor review would allow the
professor to be fired. The best thing you can do is track the bills and plan to testify,
because the reason they’re running two is to split the public testimony. I forgot to
mention that it also restructures leadership positions to eliminate expert opinions and
oversight by the Arkansas Education Association. Also effective: Letters to the Editor,
Contacting your representative, and social media posts educating Arkansans about the
bill.
2. SB84 (the one that allows pig farmers to pollute the Buffalo River) has been
reincarnated. It is now SB290. Pink Slips to your legislator to protect the Buffalo River
and oppose SB290!
3. Attacks on the Initiative process. Our right to put laws on the ballot is in our state
constitution. These attacks on the process are horrendous. They are bills SB207 –
SB212. Remember, the a-hole that introduced these anti-democratic bills is running for
Secretary of State, his name is Kim Hammer, and Arkansas deserves better. 207-
inform signer that petition fraud is criminal, 208- require signers to have valid ID, 209-
disqualify all signatures from a canvasser who violated the rules one just one signature.
(imagine how you would feel as a signer thinking your signature was not going to be
counted!!!) 210- make the signer read the entire ballot title (which are like a chapter in
some extra long fantasy book after they go through the Attorney General) 211- make
each canvasser turn in an additional affidavit to have the signatures they turn in to be
counted (again, thinking how you as a signer might feel not even knowing your signature
was tossed) SB212 – Creates a whole division in the secretary of state’s office to help
find any reason they can to throw out signatures.
4. SB91 – This bill usurps local governments' authority to regulate short term rentals (VRBOs and Air BnBs) and further supports landlords profit over renters rights.
5. SB184- A cornerstone of democracy is an independent press. SB184 would eliminate
the independent board for AETN/PBS putting it in direct control of the executive
(Governor Sanders) It also eliminates the state public library board, putting our libraries
in more direct control of Sarah Sanders.
6. HB1554- The Handmaid’s Tale in Arkansas. This bill would require clinics that address
fertility to release an annual report about egg and sperm donations, which result in
embryos, which ones are implanted, whether those are frozen or fresh, any embryo that
dies and whether it was due to personnel error or not, they would have to report which
embryos were destroyed, whether it was at the patients’ request or not, and for what
reason any embryos are destroyed.
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