Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB586 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 586 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Senator J. Dotson 5
8	8	By: Representative Gazaway 6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION 9
12	12	ACT"; CONCERNING THE PERCENTAGE OF VOTES REQUIRED FOR 10
13	13	APPROVAL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT REFERRED TO 11
14	14	VOTERS UNDER ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 5, 12
15	15	SECTION 1; AMENDING ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 5, 13
16	16	§ 1, AS AUTHORIZED BY THAT PROVISION OF THE ARKANSAS 14
17	17	CONSTITUTION; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 15
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20	20	Subtitle 18
21	21	TO CREATE THE "PROTECT OUR CONSTITUTION 19
22	22	ACT"; AND AMENDING A PORTION OF THE 20
23	23	ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION AS AUTHORIZED BY 21
24	24	ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE 5, § 1. 22
25	25	23
26	26	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
27	27	25
28	28	SECTION 1. TITLE. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 26
29	29	"Protect Our Constitution Act". 27
30	30	28
31	31	SECTION 2. Pursuant to the authority granted by Arkansas Constitution, 29
32	32	Article 5, § 1, the subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, 30
33	33	titled "Majority" is amended to read as follows: 31
34	34	Majority. (a)(1) Any Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this 32
35	35	section, any measure submitted to the people as herein provided shall take 33
36	36	effect and become a law when approved by a majority of the votes cast upon 34
37	37	such measure, and not otherwise, and shall not be required to receive a 35
38	38	majority of the electors voting at such election. 36 SB586
39	39
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41	41	(2) A constitutional amendment submitted to the people as herein 1
42	42	provided shall take effect and become a law when approved by at least two -2
43	43	thirds (2/3) of the votes cast upon such measure. 3
44	44	(b) Such measures After a measure has been approved by a vote of the 4
45	45	people, it shall be operative on and after the thirtieth day after the 5
46	46	election at which it is approved, unless otherwise specified in the Act 6
47	47	measure. 7
48	48	(c) This section shall not be construed to deprive any member of the 8
49	49	General Assembly of the right to introduce any measure, but no measure shall 9
50	50	be submitted to the people by the General Assembly, except a proposed 10
51	51	constitutional amendment or amendments as provided for in this Constitution. 11
52	52	12
53	53	SECTION 3. Pursuant to the authority granted by Arkansas Constitution, 13
54	54	Article 5, § 1, the subsection of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1, 14
55	55	titled "Conflicting Measures", is amended to read as follows: 15
56	56	Conflicting Measures. If conflicting measures initiated or referred to 16
57	57	the people shall be approved by a majority of the votes severally cast for 17
58	58	and against the same as herein provided at the same election, the one 18
59	59	receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall become law. 19
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61	61	SECTION 4. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 21
62	62	General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that amendments to the Arkansas 22
63	63	Constitution impact the public peace, health, and safety of each citizen of 23
64	64	this state; that to protect the public peace, health, and safety of the 24
65	65	citizens of this state, it is necessary to increase the threshold for passage 25
66	66	of a constitutional amendment proposed under Arkansas Constitution, Article 26
67	67	5, § 1, to ensure that constitutional amendments are supported by an 27
68	68	appropriate number of voters to justify an amendment to the Arkansas 28
69	69	Constitution; and that this act should become effective at the earliest 29
70	70	opportunity to ensure that its provisions are in place for the 2026 general 30
71	71	election. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being 31
72	72	immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and 32
73	73	safety shall become effective on: 33
74	74	(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 34
75	75	(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 35
76	76	the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 36 SB586
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79	79	bill; or 1
80	80	(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 2
81	81	overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 3
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