Each committee formed to promote or oppose proposed ballot issues must file campaign-finance reports with the Ethics Commission on the 15th of each month. The reports detail contributions, expenses and cash in the bank for the previous month.
Filings posted to the commission's website that detail financial information for September follow:
• Arkansans Against Legalized Marijuana, which opposes the two medical-marijuana proposals, reported receiving $47,200 and spending $6,000. The committee has $42,200 in the bank. Top contributors included the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Gov. Asa Hutchinson's political action committee, Arkansas Heart Hospital and Stephens Investments Holdings, which each gave the group $10,000.
• Fairness for Arkansas, which opposes a proposal to limit attorneys' fees and damages in medical lawsuits, reported receiving $0 and spending $0. The committee has $100 in the bank.
• Jobs for Arkansas, which supports a proposal that would remove the cap on the amount of bonds the state could issue and would allow cities to issue bonds for economic development projects, reported receiving $78,730 and spending $251,150. The committee has $33,123 in the bank. The Arkansas Economic Development Foundation, which gave $25,000, was the top contributor.
• Health Care Access for Arkansans, which supports a proposal to limit attorneys' fees and damages in medical lawsuits, reported receiving $110,000 and spending $5,000. The committee has $132,033 in the bank. RHC Operations Inc. of Conway, which gave $100,000, was the top contributor.
• The Arkansas Health Care Association, which supports a proposal to limit attorneys' fees and damages in medical lawsuits, reported receiving $0 and spending $0. The committee has $0 in the bank.
• Arkansans for Compassionate Care, which supports the medical-cannabis act, reported receiving $2,013 and spending $17,454. The committee has $10,982 in the bank. Jerrod Hozendorf of Little Rock, who gave $250, was the top contributor.
• Arkansas Wins in 2016, which backs the amendment authorizing three casinos, reported receiving $0 and spending $0. The committee has $200 in the bank.
• Arkansas Winning Initiative Inc., which backs the amendment authorizing three casinos, reported receiving $4.6 million and spending $2,428,890. The committee has $2,181,914 in the bank. Cherokee Nation Businesses, LLC of Oklahoma, which gave $4.6 million, was the top contributor.
• Committee to Protect AR Families, which opposes a proposal to limit attorneys' fees and damages in medical lawsuits, reported receiving $173,345 and spending $28,908. The committee has $856,551 in the bank. Mike Easley of Forrest City, who gave $50,000, was the top contributor.
• Committee to Protect Arkansas' Values/Stop Casinos Now, which opposes an amendment authorizing three casinos, reported receiving $1,426,804 and spending $1,096,932. The committee has $406,062 in the bank. Oaklawn Racing and Gaming, which gave $688,777, was the top contributor.
Metro on 10/19/2016