Arkansas Supreme Court Orders Secretary Of State To Begin Counting Signatures On Abortion Amendment
The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered Secretary of State John Thurston to start counting the signatures on a proposed constitutional amendment to restore abortion access in the state. The court’s order mandates that Thurston counts the signatures collected by volunteer canvassers, following a specific statute, by Monday, July 29.
However, the court’s order did not address key issues, such as how to handle signatures collected by paid canvassers, which could determine whether the amendment will qualify for the November ballot. The group behind the amendment, Arkansans for Limited Government, turned in over 101,000 signatures, but Thurston initially rejected the petition due to missing compliance paperwork related to paid canvassers.
The order from the court was seen as a win by Arkansans for Limited Government, who believe it upholds democracy in Arkansas and honors the constitutional rights of Arkansans to participate in direct democracy.
The court’s order may suggest that some justices are reluctant to allow the paid canvasser signatures or provide a cure period to fix any shortfall. However, there is still hope for the petitioners as the legal fight continues, and the court’s decision left the outcome uncertain.
Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office, representing Thurston, called the order “narrow” and intends to review the ruling. The dispute over the abortion amendment signatures continues to raise questions about the future of the proposed constitutional amendment in Arkansas.
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Photo credit arktimes.com