Lawsuit Targets Arkansas’ Ballot Fraud Safeguards

Elections,

On Tuesday, a coalition of liberal groups asked a federal judge to block anti-fraud safeguards the Arkansas Legislature has enacted regarding the ballot initiative process.

The lawsuit specifically challenges the following laws:

  • Act 153 of 2025 by Rep. David Ray (R — Maumelle) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) making it clear that petition signatures expire at the end of a General Election cycle.
  • Act 154 of 2025 by Rep. David Ray (R — Maumelle) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) preventing the Arkansas Attorney General from certifying ballot titles for any measure that conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or federal law.
  • Act 218 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requiring canvassers to inform people that petition fraud is a crime before obtaining their signatures on a petition. 
  • Act 240 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requiring canvassers to verify a person’s identity via photo ID before obtaining the person’s signature on a petition to help prevent people from fraudulently signing someone else’s name.
  • Act 241 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requiring petition canvassers to file an affidavit with the Secretary of State verifying the canvasser complied with the Arkansas Constitution and all laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, and fraud.
  • Act 273 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) clarifying that the signatures a canvasser collects will not count if the Secretary of State finds the canvasser has violated Arkansas’ laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, or fraud.
  • Act 274 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requiring people to read the ballot title – which is a summary of the measure – before signing a petition.
  • Act 453 of 2025 by Rep. DeAnn Vaught (R — Horatio) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) requiring petition canvassers for ballot measures to be Arkansas residents who actually live in the state.

The motion filed Monday also argues the court should block Arkansas’ anti-fraud laws that require paid canvassers to be registered with the state, prohibit sponsors from paying canvassers per signature, and require paid canvassers to pass a background check.

We have written repeatedly about how Arkansas’ ballot initiative process has become the opposite of what it was intended to be. The Arkansas Constitution lets canvassers circulate petitions to place measures on a general election ballot. Its original intent was to give citizens a way to function as a “legislative body.” But instead of giving everyday people a way to enact their own laws, special interests have hired people to circulate petitions to place misleading, deceptive, and poorly written measures on the ballot in Arkansas.

Last spring Arkansans testified before lawmakers about petition canvassers allegedly trying to provoke altercations and encouraging people to sign petitions multiple times.

Arkansas’ legislators passed good measures this year to tighten the ballot initiative process. Now those laws are being challenged.

The groups suing the state are asking the federal court to strike down safeguards that the legislature passed to address petition fraud and help average voters understand the ballot measures.

We believe our federal courts ultimately will uphold these good laws as constitutional.

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

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A Year Later, Arkansas A.G.’s Court Battle Against Chinese-Owned Temu Continues

China,

It’s been more than a year since Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office filed a lawsuit against Chinese e-commerce platform Temu for allegedly violating Arkansas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act — and it does not look like the case will be resolved very soon.

Temu is an online shopping platform launched in 2022, and many people see it as similar to Amazon or Walmart.com.

In 2023, Temu was reported to be the most widely downloaded app in the U.S., and its multi-billion dollar marketing campaign — which included an advertisement during the 2024 Super Bowl — has contributed to its success.

But as a Chinese-based tech company, the Arkansas Attorney General’s office has pointed out that security and privacy experts are concerned about Temu.

The A.G.’s lawsuit alleges Temu collects excessive user data — including users’ GPS locations and fingerprint data — risking potential access by the Chinese Communist Party.

The lawsuit also alleges that the Temu app is able to bypass phone security systems, potentially granting Temu access to a user’s private messages.

In the lawsuit, the A.G. says these concerns are compounded by the fact that Temu is owned by a Chinese company subject to Chinese laws — including laws that “mandate secret cooperation with China’s intelligence apparatus regardless of any data protection guarantees existing in the United States.”

In other words, the app may let Chinese authorities secretly collect sensitive data on U.S. citizens.

The A.G.’s allegations against Temu mirror allegations the A.G.’s office has made against TikTok — a popular social media platform that is also owned by a Chinese company.

The A.G.’s lawsuit against Temu has continued in court for the past year, and the judge presiding over the case has issued a briefing schedule indicating that attorneys for Temu and the A.G.’s office will continue filing arguments until late September.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold tech companies accountable than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. Bad actors like the Chinese Communist Party should not be able to secretly harvest American’s private data. We appreciate Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin taking this issue so seriously in court.

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

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Harrison to Dedicate First Safe Haven Baby Box Today

Abortion, , ,

The following press release is from our friends at Arkansas Right to Life.

HARRISON – Harrison’s 1st and Arkansas’ 30th Safe Haven Baby Box will be dedicated at 1 p.m., Wednesday, July 16, at the Harrison Fire Department, 523 S. Pine St. The public is invited.

“Saving lives just got a little easier in Harrison, Arkansas, as our newest baby box will be blessed on July 16th. The newest addition represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide a safe and anonymous alternative to surrendering an infant,” said Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. “Our new location will offer a secure and compassionate option for parents in crisis and help ensure every infant has a chance for a safe and loving future. Across the country, there are 358 Safe Haven Baby Box locations with 30 in Arkansas.”

Kelsey added, “The Safe Haven Baby Box in Harrison would not have been possible without the local advocates, the Knights of Columbus, who worked tirelessly to bring this resource to their community.”

Speakers at the event are Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, and Jerry Hogue of the Knights of Columbus. Father Ben Riley of Mary Mother of God Catholic Church will offer a blessing and remarks.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes was founded by Monica Kelsey on a mission to end infant abandonment. In addition to baby boxes, the organization provides a confidential National Hotline, 1-866-99BABY1. Twenty-four states have a Baby Box presence within their state. Kelsey shared, “We have seen time and time again that preparation can save and change lives. We never know when or where we will be needed, so it is crucial to have options for mothers in crisis. I am grateful for local advocates who take our mission to their community.”

Since 2017, 60 infants have been safely and legally surrendered in a Baby Box. The National Safe Haven Crisis line has assisted with more than 150 handoff surrenders. Each year the numbers increase with more baby boxes available across the country. Surrendered infants are adopted by families who have registered as foster to adopt. The Local Department of Family Services coordinates the adoption process.

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Arkansas Right to Life is the state affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee, the oldest and largest pro-life organization. For more information, visit https://artl.org/.

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