Is a Democrat allowed to pass legislation that helps people vote? No.
April 22, 20214:30 pm
The question was asked and answered in the negative today in the Senate on SB 781 by Sen. Clarke Tucker, a Little Rock Democrat.
It enjoyed bipartisan support. It incorporated many suggestions from Republican Sen. Kim Hammer, architect of most of the Republican vote agenda bills this session, as well as other Republicans who worked on the bill.
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Its key element is simple equity. In adding new impediments to absentee balloting this year, Republicans eliminated the ability to correct minor errors detected in checking returned absentee ballots, particularly an ability to cure a failure to include in the envelope the newly required photo ID.
Amendment selection firms up
The Senate completed action on HJR 1005, to require
60 percent approval by voters for ballot initiatives. Sen. Bart Hester, carrying the measure, in response to questions from Sen. Jim Hendren and Joyce Elliott claimed that the 60 percent requirement applies only to constitutional amendment not to initiated acts. I predict this will be a point of contention because the amendment has been routinely described as applying to initiated acts.
Here’s why I think Hester is, if not wrong, certain to see a challenge of the interpretation: The proposal says
60 percent votes are required for ballot “initiatives” proposed under the Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, Section 1. That section clearly refers to both initiated acts and amendments as well as referendums, or measures sent by the legislature to voters. The proposed amendment DOES allow a 50 percent vote to defeat a referendum.
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Fort Smith Times Record
The Fort Smith Housing Authority and Hope Campus are looking to apply for part of Arkansas funds allocated for housing-related projects this legislative session.
Act 548 appropriates $5 million through the Arkansas Development Finance Authority to agencies and nonprofits that provide housing services throughout the state. The act, sponsored by District 31 state Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, is the first such allocation since 2013.
If dispersed the same way as the 2013 allocation, the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Fort Smith, Van Buren and northwest Arkansas, will be eligible for $1.25 million for affordable housing and related projects or expenses.
While both the Fort Smith Housing Authority and Hope Campus directors did not say for certain if they would apply, they both believe these funds would be beneficial to their missions.
Governor gives Little Rock indication local control to return soon; Senate committee rejects legislative help
April 14, 20215:53 pm
NO GO: Johnny Key, with Sen. Elliott, says Little Rock can’t leave state control until it demonstrates a fiscal fix. A problem the state created.
A Senate committee hearing today revealed news about the return of local control of the Little Rock School District, but the committee refused legislative assistance.
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The discussion was on SB 314 by Sen. Joyce Elliott to return local control to districts after they’ve been under state control for five years, as the law stipulated. Little Rock remains under state control after more than six years. It was taken over in January 2015 over poor test scores in a handful of the district’s four dozen schools.