Whether Arkansas legislators have confidence in Arkansas voters to know what’s best for them pretty much depends on the issue.
For example, Arkansas voters in 2016 approved an initiated act making medical marijuana legal in the state. But state lawmakers in February defeated an effort to expand the medical conditions under which it could be used and approved a bill to curb its advertising.
Another example: Arkansas voters approved a minimum wage increase, but several Arkansas lawmakers thought the voters didn’t really understand what they were doing and sought to exempt many employees from the higher wage. In this case, the House overwhelming rejected the attempt, but not before generating much outrage from voters.
Now, the Legislature has decided to refer to voters an initiative that would make it harder for citizens to get their own proposals on the ballot. House Joint Resolution 1008 by Rep. DeAnn Vaught, R-Horatio, is the rare issue that has prompted anger from both liberals and conservatives, if comments posted on the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s website are an indication.
Sen. Mat Pitsch, R-Fort Smith, is the Senate sponsor of HJR1008. “Our founders did not anticipate the vast level of special interest group money and outside influence that is used to take advantage of the citizens’ right to amend their constitution via the petition process,” he said.
With that, we agree, but we’d add that our founders also did not anticipate the vast level of special interest group money and outside influence that is used to get people elected to Congress, the presidency or, sometimes, the Arkansas General Assembly. And don’t even get us started about special interest spending on Arkansas Supreme Court races.
HJR1008 makes it harder for people to get their concerns — like medical marijuana, like the minimum wage — on the ballot. Just say no.
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