Here we go again, Arkansas.
Voters are bound to be confused by what they could see on the 2020 general election ballot.
This is not about the presidential election, which will -- or should -- command most of the attention in the upcoming election.
It is instead about the potential ballot issues for voter consideration in Arkansas.
A dozen different issues are already vying for public attention, promising more than a little confusion as to what each would do, if passed by voters next year.
Start the list with the three issues that the Arkansas Legislature has referred. Those will definitely be on the ballot and competing for attention.
But there are no fewer than nine initiatives circulating right now, also seeking a place on the ballot, including three that are marijuana-related. Any or all could make the ballot, but the journey won't be easy.
As has long been the case, the surest way to the ballot is for an issue's backers to persuade lawmakers to refer it to voters.
The three issues that made the cut this year are all proposed constitutional amendments, the most discussed being extension of a one-half percent sales and use tax for state highways and bridges. The state's cities and counties would also get continuing revenue from the levy.
This is the issue that will get loads of attention with Gov. Asa Hutchinson and others from business and industry making its passage a priority. They're already organized and spending from a healthy war chest.
Lawmakers also referred yet another proposed amendment to alter legislative term limits. They also offered an amendment to change the process for submission, challenge and approval of proposed initiated acts, constitutional amendments and referenda.
There's a level of complexity to each of the proposals but no evidence yet that there will be anyone out there pushing either of the latter two. The interest and the money is on extending the road tax.
The alternative route to the ballot is paved with the valid signatures of registered Arkansas voters, assuming the proposed initiated acts or constitutional amendments can ultimately pass legal muster.
Changes made to the process by legislators have forced petitioners to gather the necessary signatures before submitting a proposal to the Secretary of State's office for review. Eventual certification of the ballot title is now in the hands of the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners rather than the attorney general, the office that had the responsibility in the past.
Lawmakers did petitioners no favors with the process changes they enacted. Nor will the constitutional changes they referred be universally welcomed by citizens trying to exercise the initiative process.
What we're hearing from the ranks of those following the new process is that they're dotting the i's and crossing the t's, trying to comply with harder rules.
It is a challenge made more difficult by competing proposals related to the same topic, marijuana. Two advocacy groups with the same goal, the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, have put forward a total of three ballot questions to achieve it, along with the expungement of marijuana-related criminal records.
Supporters of each are encouraging voters to sign petitions for all, while opponents of the different measures suggest not signing any of them. To sign or not sign is strictly the voter's prerogative.
Yet another initiative would address term limits, competing with the legislatively referred amendment.
Still more initiatives propose allowing coin-operated amusement machines and permitting the recall and removal of the governor and other state officers as well as members of the Legislature and of the judicial branch.
Others would prohibit levy of certain taxes and abolish slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
All of the proposals have someone behind them, willing to start the petition process. Yet, it's a long way to the ballot for each of these initiatives, many of which may just fade away before next November.
Commentary on 12/04/2019