The Arkansas Family Council, a politically powerful faith-based group, on Wednesday announced its plans for a 30-city tour of the state to oppose Issue 1, a proposed constitutional amendment on lawsuit damages, attorneys’ fees and court rules.
The organization’s leader dubbed Issue 1 “bad tort reform.”
While better-financed campaigns for and against Issue 1 have begun airing expensive TV ads, Jerry Cox, the president of the Family Council, said his organization would rely on a grassroots approach and its network of supporters.
That approach includes billboard and radio ads, Cox said, as well as the speaking tour and the distribution of campaign materials to churches.
“With the tour and all, we’ve pretty much exhausted what we’re going to spend,” Cox said.
According to the most recent reports filed with the state Ethics Commission, the Family Council has about $123,426 to spend opposing Issue 1.
That’s a fraction of the millions of dollars raised by groups supporting the passage of the amendment — including the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce — and those in opposition, mainly legal groups.
A ruling by a Pulaski County circuit judge earlier this month declared that Issue 1 was an illegal “logrolling” of issues into one ballot measure. The judge’s decision to pull Issue 1 off the Nov. 6 general election ballot is on appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.