(part two of four)

Arkansas State Legislature

Political machines in Arkansas have come in two colors. The Faubus’ machine was blue. The present Sander’s machine is red. The central core of these machines was and is control of Arkansas state governance.

The Arkansas state legislature plays a very important role in the maintenance of that control. They can propose and present amendments to the Arkansas State Constitution to the people for their approval. They can also legislate obstacles to the citizens initiated act proposals to present amendments to the Arkansas voters. This blatant assault upon the rights of Arkansans to impact our state government is best illustrated by this years denial of (108,837) Arkansas voters to place a direct democracy constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot (2026).

Arkansas Legislated Act 602 enacted last year forbids the attorney general from “certifying any proposed citizen-led title with a reading level above the eighth grade”.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks ruled against the state of Arkansas on multiple regulations included in Act 602 as unconstitutional. Among these was the requirement of an eighth grade reading level for citizen-led constitutional ballot titles. The Arkansas Attorney General is appealing this federal court decision.

To add insult to injury, a sitting Arkansas state senator contends on the front page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette on August 16th of this year that we the folks who through our taxes pay his salary do not want to know what goes on behind closed doors in the State legislature. In his defense of legislative secrecy, he contends that Arkansans don’t need to know “how the sausage is made or the kitchen is cleaned ”.

How can this not be an insult?

There is an immediate opportunity for the people of Arkansas to express their disappointment with our current State government.

VOTE NO on all three Arkansas’ legislature proposed constitutional amendments.

Send a message to Little Rock that “we can read above an eighth grade level” and “we do want to know how the sausage is made”!!