Editor,
The University of Arkansas Extension Service has provided information that residents should strongly consider three constitutional amendments before casting their ballot.
Issue 1: Road Improvement Tax
This asks voters to approve a permanent .5% sales tax, dedicated to maintaining, repairing, and improving highways, roads, and streets. 70% of the revenue will go to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, 15% to county governments, and 15% to city governments.
Vote your choice. Supporters say this proposal will provide $8.2 billion of economic activity over ten years. The opposition says that the Highway Department always wants new money; it’s never enough.
Issue 2: Terms Limits
This asks voters to change term limits for legislators. If approved, it would remove lifetime limits.
Vote No! An against vote means you are not in favor of changing the Arkansas Constitution regarding term limits and want to maintain the existing life-time limit of serving up to 16 years in the legislature.
Issue 3: Citizen Initiatives
Citizen Initiatives are used when the legislature refuses to address a public issue. Citizen Initiatives have been used to raise the minimum wage, allow medical marijuana usage, and allow casino gaming taxes to stay in Arkansas.
This significantly changes the rules for Citizen Initiatives. It increases the number of counties where signatures must be collected, changes the date for Citizen Initiative submission, eliminates extra time allowed to collect signatures, and makes it more difficult to sue the State when the State challenges a petition.
Vote No! An against vote means you are not in favor of changing the process for citizen proposed initiatives. This proposal will make it virtually impossible to get a citizen petition on future ballots and that is their goal.
Please vote. Vote for government that works for its citizens.
Doug Hausler