Arkansas
Votes won't be counted for Arkansas medical marijuana ballot measure, court says
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas voters won’t get to weigh in on a ballot initiative to expand medical marijuana after the state Supreme Court ruled the measure didn’t fully explain what it would do, tossing out the initiative just two weeks before the election.
It’s too late to remove the measure from the ballot — early voting began Monday — so the court has ordered election officials not to count any votes cast on it. The proposed constitutional amendment would have broadened the definition of medical professionals who can certify patients for medical cannabis, expanded qualifying conditions and made medical cannabis cards valid for three years.
In Monday’s 4-3 decision, the justices ruled the measure did not fully inform voters that it would have stripped the Legislature’s ability to change the 2016 constitutional amendment that legalized medical marijuana in the state.
“This decision doomed the proposed ballot title, and it is plainly misleading,” Justice Shawn Womack wrote in the majority opinion.
The court also said the measure did not inform voters that, if approved, the amendment would legalize up to an ounce of marijuana possession for any purpose if marijuana becomes legal under federal law.
In court filings, organizers noted the ballot measure had cited the number of the provision that would be repealed. The group argued that past court rulings said measures did not need to summarize the current law being changed.
In a dissent, Justice Cody Hiland said the court was ignoring decades-long precedent by ruling the measure’s wording was misleading.
“Long ago, this court established definitive standards for evaluating the sufficiency of popular names and ballot titles,” Hiland wrote. “This court has not deviated from those standards until today.”
In the same ruling, justices rejected election officials’ reasons for ruling the measure’s organizers fell short of the signatures required for putting the measure on the ballot.
Arkansans for Patient Access, the group behind the measure, said it would keep pushing to expand the medical marijuana program and that the signatures it gathered showed widespread support.
“We are deeply disappointed in the Court’s decision,” the group said in a statement. “It seems politics has triumphed over legal precedent.”
Arkansans for Patient Access sued after Secretary of State John Thurston said the group fell short of the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. The issue over the ballot measure’s wording was raised by Protect Arkansas Kids, a group opposed to the measure that had intervened in the case.
Thurston’s office had declined to count some of the signatures submitted, asserting the group had not followed paperwork rules regarding paid signature gatherers.
The state rejected petitions submitted in favor of an anti-abortion ballot measure earlier this year on similar grounds.
The state in July determined the group had fallen short of the required signatures but qualified for 30 additional days to circulate petitions. But the state then told the group that any additional signatures gathered by paid signature gatherers would not be counted if required information was submitted by the canvassing company rather than sponsors of the measure.
The court on Monday said that decision was wrong, saying state law allows a wide range of people to be considered sponsors of the measure.
Groups had already been campaigning against the measure, even though it was uncertain whether it would be put to a vote this November. Family Council Action Committee last week announced it planned to launch a statewide tour against the measure.
“A measure this bad simply has no business being on the ballot or in the constitution,” Jerry Cox, the group’s director, said after Monday’s ruling.
About half of U.S. states allow recreational marijuana and a dozen more have legalized medical marijuana. Those numbers could grow after the November election. Voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana for adults, and two medical marijuana proposals will be on Nebraska’s ballot.
JONESBORO – Staff members at Arkansas State University were honored for their retirement
and milestone accomplishments during the annual Distinguished Performance Awards and
Service Recognition Ceremony in Centennial Hall of Reng Student Union on Monday, May
11.
Those who have or will retire during the current academic year include Malissa Davis,
Ellis Library, 35 years; Jimmy Crocker, Facilities Management, 28 years; Anna Warren,
Childhood Services, 19 years; Cameron Martin, Facilities Management, 14 years; Barbara
Bland, Childhood Services, 14 years; Charlotte Booker, Information Technology Services,
12 years; Mary E. Williams, College of Nursing and Health Professions, 11 years; and
Joe Boon, Facilities Management, 9 years.
Honored for 45 years of service was Sharon Lee, director of community engagement and
outreach for the office of Access and Accommodation Services.
Honored for 40 years of service was Sharon McDaniel, records management supervisor
for the Registrar’s Office.
Those honored for 35 years of service include:
Phillip Ladd, project manager in Construction Services, and Russ Hannah, vice chancellor
for Finance and Administration.
Those honored for 30 years of service include:
Natalie Turney, administrative assistant in the Department of English, Philosophy
and World Languages and Cheryl Richey, custodial coordinator in Facilities Management.
Those honored for 25 years of service include:
Woodie Sue Herlein, out-of-school time projects coordinator in Childhood Services;
Diana Courson, assistant director of Childhood Services; Laura Miller, director of
Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center; Mia Sheppard-Taylor, director
of Custodial Services; Eric Barnett, core network engineer and wireless administrator
of Information Technology Services; Clay Hurn, Mail Center; and Sharon Rye, hardware
engineer in Information Technology Services.
Those honored for 20 years of service include:
April Morris, Michael Glover, Mary Melton, Grady Clark, Amber Long Martin, Kayann
Brown, Dwain Roberts, Randy Wheaton, Amber Jones, Melissa Jackson, Cheryl Wright,
Christy Brinkley, and Jimmy Rousseau.
Those honored for 15 years of service include:
Ronnie Gilley, Christina Kostick, Carol Caldwell, Michael Bradley, Mark Freier, Shea
Harris, Thomas Wilson, Chris Boothman, Lora Gibson, Cary Estes, Stephanie Gibson,
Jesse Blankenship, Violeta Lugo, Alyssa Wells, Marsha Carwell, Vickie Gilmer, Edward
Haff, and Alexis Hurdle Besharse.
Those honored for 10 years of service include:
Michael Hagen, Tammy Daffron, Terri Teters, Mollie Menton-Ipsen, Dale McClelland,
Taylor Carpenter, Anne Merten, Avis Turner, Benjamin Housewright, Dallas Reece, Brandon
Tabor, Tia Caldwell, Tara Thomason, Petree Buford, Robert Davenport, Cathy Naylor,
Shannon Williams, Jackie Cox, Frazier Dixon, Devin Nelson, and Michelle White.
Those honored for five years of service include:
Jeri Knight, Josh Rogers, Taylor Shannon, Fen Yu, Deloris Holley, Penny Toombs, Greg
Umhoefer, Sasha Jones, Brittany Stokes, Stephanie Stanley, Caleb Lawson, Raven Person,
Maria Bedwell, Michael Bledsoe, Judith Poole, Suzette Hinkle, Leigh Ann Crain, Bryce
Moore, Andrew Shoffner, Lyle Jones, Derrick Lett, Ben Kutylo, Autumn Anderson, Stanley
Broadaway, Michael Alexander, Jennifer Keys, Julie Yarberry, Shauna Baker, Melissa
Dooley, Paula Kelley, Taylor Simmermon, Craig Estes, Kyle Ford, Fady Fara, Sylvia
Zavala Brandon, Nicholas Wallis, Olivia Clark, and JD Stallings.
Honorees from five years of service through 20 years received a certificate and a
pin. Those celebrating 25 years and up received a plaque in recognition of their dedication
to A-State.
Anya Lynch (left), a Farmington High School student, fields the ball with the help of Riley Sundquist, Farmington Junior High School student on Wednesday, May 6, during the Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3-Farmington softball skills and competition event at the Farmington Sports Complex. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)
Anya Lynch (left), a Farmington High School student, fields the ball with the help of Riley Sundquist, Farmington Junior High School student on Wednesday, May 6, during the Special Olympics Arkansas Area 3-Farmington softball skills and competition event at the Farmington Sports Complex. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Caleb Grieger)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — The Arkansas State Police (ASP) held their annual award ceremony today, to recognize bravery and service within their ranks.
Channel 7 provided coverage at the Benton event center this morning, as ASP awarded the troopers cross award, the distinguished Meritorious Service Award and the Medal of Valor to some of its finest members.
“Just a job, you got to do it. I mean, didn’t the day. You know, that’s what we’re trained for, and we’re thankful receive the highest quality of training, you know, in the state, and I’m thankful for the ones that come before us and taught us,” said Trooper Ethan Hiland.
This year, three troopers shared the honor of being named Arkansas State Police Trooper of the year, including Hiland.
Trooper First Class Brady Knuckles and Trooper First Class Jacob Price were recognized for their actions last June, during the arrest of a violent felon out of Michigan who had carjacked a woman at gunpoint.
The troopers saved that woman and killed the suspect in a stop near Carlisle.
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