How many ballot measures? Between 3 and 6

Leave a reply

vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas, primaries, Goodson, photo ID, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, SAVE America ActHow many constitutional amendments will Arkansas voters consider in November? At least three and as many as six, though probably not that many.

The three that definitely will be on the ballot were referred by lawmakers last year. 

One would amend the Arkansas Constitution’s guarantee of the “right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense” by adding the words “lawful hunting and recreational use; and any other lawful purpose.” It also would include as part of that right the possession and use of ammunition and firearm accessories and components.

Another proposal states that only United States citizens can vote in Arkansas, which is already a constitutional requirement. 

The third would allow cities and counties to create economic development districts. For example, a city could create tax incentives to encourage construction in a decayed area.

Meanwhile, three citizen groups seek to qualify amendments for the ballot.  Continue reading →

‘Mama’ from Marianna still touching foster kids’ lives

Her name is Mary Thornton, and she’s from Marianna. For foster kids like Billy Riggs, she’s “Mama.”

Thornton, 67, has been a foster parent for 32 years. She specializes in teenagers, three of whom live with her now, and many of them considered to have challenging behaviors. Her first placement, she said, was “terrible. I almost gave her back.” 

But she has persevered, the result being many lives changed. 

“I had one, she went to the Army,” she said in an interview. “Still in the Army. I have one that was an RN. Some of them do good, and some of them don’t. But basically, I had more to achieve than I had to not achieve.”

Thornton is the Department of Human Services (DHS) Foster Family of the Year. She and nine other families from across the state – two of them single foster mothers like her – were honored May 14 at a Foster Family of the Year Gala at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.  Continue reading →

Libertarian Colt Shelby seeks another win

Colt Shelby

Colt Shelby

Colt Shelby, the Libertarian candidate for governor, won a court victory over Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders last week. Will he get another “win” in November? It depends on how one defines the word.

The victory came in an Arkansas Supreme Court case. Shelby originally had sued Sanders over the length of time she allowed between the death of Sen. Gary Stubblefield and her calling a special election to replace him. She would have delayed the election until after this year’s fiscal session, leaving Senate District 26 unrepresented. 

Shelby sued as a district resident. A court ruled in his favor, and Sanders set an earlier date of March 3 while the state appealed. Because the election had occurred, the Supreme Court May 14 ruled the case was moot, meaning there was no point. 

Shelby and Sanders will meet again in November, but this time the “judges” will be Arkansas voters. Shelby is running as the candidate of the Libertarian Party, which supports small government. State Sen. Fred Love of Little Rock is the Democratic nominee.  Continue reading →

The Class of ’26 and the Class of ’87

I had the honor of driving a school bus full of Bryant High School seniors to graduation practice at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. Police officers escorted us through town. Families held signs and cheered their graduates as we drove down Reynolds Road. It’s a nice tradition.

While they rehearsed, I corresponded by text with a Wynne High School classmate about our next reunion – our 40th. Life goes by fast.

The Class of ’26 had a different school experience than my Class of ’87.

For one, schools today emphasize workforce preparation and technical skills in ways schools in 1987 did not. College was the highest goal when I was a student; other paths were less valued. Continue reading →

Jett: Arkansas needs a ‘stress test’

Large banks must perform “stress tests” to ensure they would be OK if the economy took a severe downturn. Should Arkansas’ state government do the same?

Former state Rep. Joe Jett, who chaired the House Revenue and Taxation Committee for eight years until he left the Legislature in 2022, believes it should. He’s particularly concerned about what would happen if the federal government reduced the billions of dollars it sends Arkansas’ way.

The former lawmaker and farmer from Success, Arkansas, now splits his time between working with the Rose Group Advisors business strategies and lobbying firm, crop dusting, and being a relief aerial firefighter fighting wildfires in the West. He’s also a grandfather to four grandsons ages 6-16. His two sons now run the farm where he and his wife still live. 

Jett said state government should perform stress tests like large banks must do under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which was a response to the preceding financial crisis. Some states have already started doing so. Continue reading →