Group Hires Canvassers to Put Abortion on the Ballot in Arkansas

Abortion, , , ,

The group working to enshrine abortion into the Arkansas Constitution has hired more than a dozen canvassers to collect signatures for its statewide petition drive, according to documents obtained from the Secretary of State’s office via the Freedom of Information Act.

Arkansans for Limited Government has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters. As of April 30, the group has raised nearly $350,000 for its campaign, and it appears at least some of that money is being used to pay petition canvassers.

State law lets ballot question committees hire Arkansas residents as petition canvassers to collect signatures.

The list obtained via FOIA indicates Arkansans for Limited Government currently has 15 paid canvassers — all of whom appear to have been active since May 7 or later. The paid canvasser list is available below.

First NameLast NameCityDate of Submission to SOSCertifed that a criminal history and criminal record search was timely completed for each Paid CanvasserPaid Canvasser Affidavit signed
LatwanCrutchLittle Rock5/7/2024yesyes
KhalidJonesLittle Rock5/7/2024yesyes
CarlaWilliamsLittle Rock5/7/2024yesyes
BrendaWoodardLittle Rock5/7/2024yesyes
KarenHittLittle Rock5/7/2024yesyes
EllaRuckerAlexander5/10/2024yesyes
NevaehHolmanLittle Rock5/10/2024yesyes
EvelynAkinsLittle Rock5/10/2024yesyes
KhyraGarrettLittle Rock5/10/2024yesyes
ContonniaBrownLittle Rock5/10/2024yesyes
RayanaJordonLittle Rock5/10/2024yesyes
NikyraPhillipsAlexander5/10/2024yesyes
JamyiaBonnerLittle Rock5/14/2024yesyes
LavonnaEichelbergerHot Springs5/14/2024yesyes
JamesRobertsSheridan5/14/2024yesyes

If passed, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment would write abortion into the state constitution, allowing thousands of elective abortions in Arkansas every year.

The amendment does not contain any medical licensing or health and safety standards for abortion, and it automatically nullifies all state laws that conflict with the amendment. That jeopardizes even the most basic restrictions on abortion.

The measure contains sweeping health exceptions that would permit abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in many cases.

The amendment also would pave the way for publicly funded abortion in Arkansas by changing Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution that currently prohibits taxpayer funded abortion in the state.

To date, multiple organizations have come out against the amendment, including:

You can download a copy of the abortion amendment here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Group Hires 381 Petition Canvassers to Put Marijuana on the Ballot in Arkansas

Marijuana,

The group promoting a marijuana amendment in Arkansas has hired hundreds of petition canvassers to place their measure on the November ballot, according to documents obtained from the Secretary of State’s office via the Freedom of Information Act.

Arkansans for Patient Access has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters. The group has raised nearly $1 million their amendment campaign this year, according to reports filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

State law lets ballot question committees hire Arkansas residents as petition canvassers to collect signatures.

The list obtained via FOIA indicates Arkansans for Limited Government currently has 381 paid canvassers. The paid canvasser list was first acquired by Family Council Action Committee is available at FamilyCouncilActionCommittee.com.

The marijuana campaign spent more than a quarter-million dollars last month — primarily on petition canvassing.

Most of the campaign’s funding has come from marijuana businesses that would be guaranteed a monopoly if the amendment passes.

Among other things, the amendment fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana and marijuana products can contain.

Marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier for people to use marijuana recreationally.

The amendment lets people grow and use marijuana at home, and it would openly legalize marijuana in Arkansas if federal laws against marijuana are repealed.

The measure also repeals significant restrictions on marijuana advertising in Arkansas.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in Arkansas.

Arkansas voters rejected marijuana legalization at the ballot box in 2022. That amendment was opposed by a broad coalition of churches, business groups, elected officials, and citizens who knew that marijuana would be bad for Arkansas. We anticipate similar opposition to the 2024 marijuana amendment.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Attorney General Issues Cease-and-Desist Letters to Companies Advertising Abortion Pills in Arkansas

Abortion, , ,

On Tuesday, Attorney General Tim Griffin issued cease-and-desist letters to two companies advertising abortion pills in Arkansas.

Abortion is generally prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother, and state law prohibits abortion drugs from being delivered “via courier, delivery, or mail service” in Arkansas.

The A.G. sent cease-and-desist letters to the Choices Women’s Medical Center in New York and Aid Access in Amsterdam, Netherlands, demanding that both groups stop promoting and providing abortion pills to Arkansans.

In a statement, the attorney general said,

“Abortions are prohibited in Arkansas except under very limited circumstances. As such, abortion pills may not be legally shipped to Arkansans or brought into the State for use by Arkansans. My office has verified that both Choices Women’s Medical Center, Inc., and Aid Access are advertising the availability of abortion-inducing pills to Arkansans in contravention of our laws.

“These companies must cease and desist advertising relating to the performance of abortion services in Arkansas immediately or face the possibility of lawsuits from my office. As Attorney General, I will continue fighting to enforce the laws of our state.”

Attorney General Griffin says he will sue the companies for violating Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seek penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, if they do not comply with the cease-and-desist.

Abortion-inducing drugs take the life of an unborn child. They also carry significant health risks for women — including risk of sepsis and death.

Delivering abortion drugs into Arkansas violates state law, and it puts women and unborn children at risk.

Family Council appreciates Attorney General Griffin’s willingness to stand up against these pro-abortion companies from out-of-state.

To read the A.G.’s letter to Aid Access letter, click here.

To read the A.G.’s letter to Choices Women’s Medical Center, click here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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