In addition to the funds spent for and against ballot measures that were decided Nov. 6, other proposals that were blocked by the Arkansas Supreme Court also were the subject of expensive campaigns.
Votes for these proposals weren’t counted.
TORT REFORM
Issue 1 was a proposed constitutional amendment that would have limited some damages and attorneys’ fees in lawsuits and would have allowed the Legislature to decide court rules. It was referred to the ballot by the Legislature.
According to final reports by ballot committees for and against Issue 1:
Arkansans for Jobs and Justice, which promoted Issue 1, reported raising $3.5 million and spending $3.49 million through Dec. 6, leaving $9,405.58 in its campaign account.
Protect AR Families, an opponent, reported raising $2.8 million and spending $2.16 million through Dec. 6, leaving $657,844.13 in its campaign account.
The Liberty Defense Network, an opponent, reported raising $536,394.94 and spending $457,600.92 through Nov. 26, leaving $71,940.03 in its campaign account.
The Family Council Action Committee, an opponent, reported raising $162,030.20 and spending $145,468.53 through Nov. 20, leaving $16,561.67 in its campaign account.
Defending Your Day in Court, an opponent, reported raising $119,828.04 and spending $119,828.04 through Nov. 19.
Randy Zook, president of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce who backed Issue 1, said Tuesday that the chamber has “no plans at this point” to ask lawmakers to refer another tort reform proposal to voters in the 2020 general election.
“Discussions [are] under way to find a way to improve the civil justice environment. Some statutory opportunities, constitutional amendment that would pass muster with Supreme Court. Early days [of discussions],” Zook wrote in an email to this newspaper.
TERM LIMITS
Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment, would have limited lawmakers to serving a maximum of 10 years in the Legislature.
According to final reports by ballot committees for and against the proposal:
The U.S. Term Limits committee raised $814,369.04 and spent $814,369.04 through Nov. 30, according to its latest report filed Thursday. The Melbourne, Fla.-based U.S. Term Limits general fund contributed $814,369.04 to the committee.
U.S. Term Limits advocates for term limits at all levels of government, according to its website. Its board of directors includes Tim Jacob of Little Rock, who served as a spokesman for the Arkansas Term Limits committee.
Arkansas Term Limits reported raising $13,200 and spending $8,904.70 through Sept. 30, leaving $5,111.77 in its campaign account, according to its latest report filed Oct.
26.
An opponent, Arkansans for Common Sense Term Limits, reported raising $87,545 and spending $61,888.27, leaving $29,276.73 in its campaign account through Nov. 5, according to its final report.
The Family Council Action Committee, for Issue 3, raised $770 and spent $691.91 through Nov. 20, leaving $78.09.
Thomas Steele, chairman of Arkansas Term Limits, said he plans to propose a similar measure for the 2020 general election ballot.
When asked about another attempt being made for the 2020 ballot, Nick Tomboulides, executive director of U.S. Term Limits, said Tuesday in an email, “We are absolutely going to assist the term limits activists in Arkansas.”
He linked the need for the effort to five former state lawmakers who have either pleaded guilty or been convicted of crimes as a result of federal investigations in the past two years.
“Based on the recent convictions, Arkansas will soon need to build a prison exclusively for elected officials. The lack of term limits is the biggest cause of that. Lawmakers feel entitled to exploit their positions for personal gain rather than serve the people,” Tomboulides said in a written statement.
Arkansas has term limits. Under Amendment 96, state lawmakers are limited to serving a maximum of 16 years in the Senate, House or combined service in both chambers. The amendment doesn’t include the two-year terms that senators serve as a result of redistricting.
House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, R-El Dorado, said, “I understand there are a lot of opinions about term limits.
“Generally, recent cases have shown misconduct has occurred even when stricter term limits were in effect, and were matters of lack of personal integrity, as opposed to being tied to or having anything to do with length of service,” he said.