On Nov. 8, in addition to choosing candidates for national, state and local elections, there are seven state ballot issues to consider.
To carefully consider each ballot issue, Google Arkansas ballot issues 2016 to find a non-partisan, 52-page guide to the ballot issues prepared by the Cooperative Extension Service. If you don’t have time for that, the following are recommendations on the ballot issues: Vote “For” on Issues 1, 2, 6 and 7. Vote “Against” Issue 3. Action by the Arkansas Supreme Court nullifies votes for Issues 4 and 5, so they won’t be counted.
Ballot issues with the most interest locally appear to be Issue 6, the Medicinal Marijuana Amendment, and Issue 7, the Medicinal Cannabis Act. Vote for both of them. If supporters of medical marijuana/cannabis are split between the two ballot issues, neither will pass. Medical marijuana/cannabis failed in Arkansas by a very narrow margin in 2012, and in 2016, with medicinal cannabis legal in half the states in the country, the issue would have had a much greater chance of being approved if there weren’t been two competing ballot issues.
One problem is that some voters might not be familiar with the word “cannabis.” Those could vote for medicinal marijuana and against medicinal cannabis.
If both issues pass, the issue with the most votes will prevail.
Most local residents in favor of Natural Medicine for the Natural State prefer Issue 7, which has non-profit provisions and allows patients to grow their own under certain circumstances, over Issue 6, which seems to favor profiteering from medical marijuana more than making sure the medicine is affordable.
“To those inclined to pick and choose on 6 and 7, I understand,” Arkansas Times Editor Max Brantley wrote in a recent blog. “But I don’t want to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The anti-pot crowd conquers by dividing those who favor access to cannabis for medical use.”
The headline for Brantley’s blog is, “Political establishment continues fight against pain relief.”
“The well-orchestrated free media campaign to defeat getting medical marijuana in the hands of people who could benefit from it continues today,” Brantley wrote. “The Arkansas Pharmacists Association has announced its opposition. The measure provides pain relief they wouldn’t dispense.
“Also, today a group of state legislators will announce their opposition to Issues 6 and 7. They’ll parrot, undoubtedly, the unsupported claim about state expense and the usual hoo-hah about gateway drugs and the like.”
Brantley said Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a long-time supporter of the Drug War Industrial Complex, is doing everything he can to stop it.
“Remember, too, that the establishment that opposes pain relief for people is also pushing to give away your tax money to wealthy businesses and corporate lobbyists who are fighting Issues 6 and 7,” Brantley said. “So, while voting FOR Issues 6 and 7, VOTE NO on ISSUE 3.”
Issue 3 would remove the limits on how much debt the State of Arkansas can take on to fund corporate welfare. We’ve already seen the state plow $125 million into the Big River Steel, whixh some are referring to as the Big Steal, plant allowing a company to use taxpayer handouts to compete with an existing industry in the area.
No blank checks for “economic development.” Vote “Against” Issue 3.
Vote “For” Issue 1 to extend the terms of county elected officials from two to four years beginning with 2018 elections. That would put Arkansas in line with the terms common in most other states and give elected officials more time to do their job instead of having to campaign every two years. Offices affected would include the county judge, sheriff, assessor, treasurer, coroner, county surveyor, tax collector, circuit clerk and county clerk.
Issue 2: Vote “For.” This would allow the Arkansas governor to retain powers and duties when out of state. With today’s instant communication possible, it is no longer necessary for the governor to relinquish powers when leaving the state.
There is also one ballot issue for Carroll County on establishing an ambulance district for the eastern part of the county. We already have one in the western part of the county, and see no reason not to support this for people east of Kings River. Only voters east of the river will have this on their ballots.
Early voting started Monday and continues through Nov. 7.
To see a sample ballot, go voterview.org, click on registration information on the lower left, fill in your name and birth date, and then click on the search button. Then click on the sample ballot for your ward. Voters here in Carroll County might be surprised to find Hillary Clinton listed as the eighth candidate out of eight candidates for presidents. According to the Secretary of State’s office, the ballot order in each county is determined with a drawing.
Thanks so much for the help