Loading chat...
AR SB569
Bill
Status
5/5/2025
Primary Sponsor
Mark Johnson
Click for details
AI Summary
-
Amends Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, Section 1 to require ballot titles for proposed measures be "readable, clear, and concise" and not exceed 500 words
-
Authorizes the General Assembly to enact laws establishing readability standards for ballot titles
-
Asserts the General Assembly's authority to amend voter-approved constitutional amendments with a two-thirds vote of each house, citing the plain language definition of "measure" in Article 5, Section 1
-
Expresses legislative intent that the Arkansas Supreme Court should overturn its 1951 decision in Arkansas Game and Fish Commission v. Edgmon, which held the legislature could not amend constitutional amendments by two-thirds vote
-
Relies on recent Supreme Court rulings (Andrews 2018, Buonauito 2020) that interpreted constitutional language "precisely as it reads" to support the legislature's claimed amendment authority
Legislative Description
An Amendment To The Arkansas Constitution Concerning Ballot Titles Of Proposed Measures; And Amending The Arkansas Constitution Under The Authority Of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, Section 1.
Last Action
Died on House Calendar at Sine Die adjournment.
5/5/2025