A professional signature-gathering firm received money in July from two Arkansas groups vying to get their proposals on the Nov. 8 general ballot, while groups on both sides of various issues began raising funds for general election campaigns, according to documents filed this month.
Ballot committees set up either in support of or against three proposed constitutional amendments and an initiated act were required to submit July financial reports to the Arkansas Ethics Commission by Aug 15. Backers of all four proposals had to submit enough valid signatures to the secretary of state's office by July 8 in order to appear on the ballot.
The backers of two of the amendments -- the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment and one proposing the opening of three casinos -- fell short of the signature threshold on July 8 but were allowed 30 days to obtain more. The committees supporting the two proposals each paid a Georgia-based petition company that collects signatures for a fee. Both proposals await word on whether they've made the ballot.
Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana, which supports the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, reported spending $346,755 on signature gathering from National Ballot Access of Lawrenceville, Ga., last month. After receiving $258,014 in contributions, the ballot committee reported $5,615 cash on hand.
Supporters of a competing proposal that has qualified for the ballot, the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, and an anti-marijuana group have more cash on hand at month's end, the reports show.
The initiated act includes a "grow-your own" provision that would allow rural patients to grow up to 10 plants on their property. After submitting enough signatures by the July deadline and raising $8,396, the committee supporting the initiated act -- Arkansans for Compassionate Care -- reported having $24,565 available at the end of the last month.
The committee reported spending $4,788 last month on advertising, insurance, rent, office supplies and travel. According to its report, the committee spent no money to pay someone to gather signatures.
A group opposed to both marijuana proposals, the Family Council Action Committee, reported it raised $300 last month, spent nothing and had $9,465 cash on hand.
Arkansas Winning Initiative Inc., which supports a proposed constitutional amendment to allow three casinos to open in Arkansas, reported spending $422,919 to hire canvassers, through the company National Ballot Access, to gather more signatures. The group spent another $50,000 with Impact Management Group, a Little Rock political consulting firm. The group reported no earnings last month, though previous contributions totaling $1.047 million left the casino backers with $44,840 available. A committee formed to oppose the casinos reported raising no money.
A proposed constitutional amendment to limit attorneys' fees and set a minimum limit for noneconomic damages in lawsuits against medical care providers received more than $250,000 in support last month from nursing homes, doctors, pharmacists and other medical care groups, filings show. A committee set up to fight the proposal received $420,430, all from attorneys, during its first month of fundraising in July. The medical-lawsuit proposal has qualified for the ballot.
Support for the proposal was led by the Arkansas Health Care Association, which represents more than 90 percent of Arkansas nursing homes. All the money the association raised was given to Health Care Access for Arkansans, the ballot committee behind the proposed amendment. It raised a reported total of $264,100 in July.
The health-care ballot committee spent $240,478 on signature gathering, consulting and legal fees, and it reported having $30,801 cash available at the end of the month. The committee did not report spending any money on advertising or infrastructure.
The Committee to Protect AR Families, which received money from attorneys and is opposed to the proposal that would limit their fees, spent $7,714 on a website, communications and a logo design, according to its July report.
In addition to the initiative proposals, the Legislature approved three amendments for the November ballot.
Only one of the initiatives -- a proposal by Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale, to remove restrictions on bonds used for economic development projects -- reported receiving money in July. The Jobs for Arkansas committee reported raising $84,320 in July, more than half of which came from the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Stephens Investments Holding LLC. The committee reported spending $7,092 in mail and telephone fees, and had $191,142 cash available.
Metro on 08/24/2016