A Senate committee recently passed five out of six bills introduced by state Sen. Kim Hammer that would increase restrictions on citizen-led ballot initiatives in Arkansas. These bills, co-sponsored by Rep. Kendon Underwood, aim to enhance the integrity of the initiative process by imposing additional burdens on canvassers and petition signers. The bills would apply to both volunteer and paid canvassers and include measures such as requiring signers to read the ballot title summary before signing and verifying identities through state-issued identification.
Hammer argues that these measures are necessary to prevent fraud and ensure that only eligible individuals sign petitions. The bills also include penalties for petition fraud, with instances being classified as a class A misdemeanor. One bill would disqualify signatures obtained illegally from being counted, and another would establish a criminal investigation division within the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office to investigate petition fraud.
During the committee hearing, a large number of individuals signed up to speak for or against the proposed legislation, but only a few were able to address the committee before the bills were voted on. While one bill failed on a roll call vote, the other five were passed with voice votes and will now move to the full Senate for consideration.
This story is ongoing, and updates will be provided as they become available.
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