Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SJR13 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to the Arkansas
2	2	Constitution.
3	3	MBM135 02/10/2025 10:38:15 AM MBM135
4	4	State of Arkansas 1
5	5	95th General Assembly 2
6	6	Regular Session, 2025 SJR 13 3
7	7	4
8	8	By: Senator J. Dotson 5
9	9	By: Representative Lundstrum 6
10	10	7
11	11	SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8
12	12	AN AMENDMENT TO THE ARKANSAS CONSTITUTION TO ALLOW A 9
13	13	CANDIDATE FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, COURT OF APPEALS 10
14	14	JUDGE, CIRCUIT JUDGE, OR DISTRICT JUDGE TO DECLARE 11
15	15	HIS OR HER PARTY AFFILIATION OR INDEPENDENT STATUS 12
16	16	WHEN RUNNING FOR JUDICIAL OFFICE AND HAVE THAT 13
17	17	AFFILIATION OR STATUS REFLECTED ON THE BALLOT TO 14
18	18	ENSURE TRANSPARENCY TO THE VOTERS OF ARKANSAS. 15
19	19	16
20	20	17
21	21	Subtitle 18
22	22	A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO ALLOW A 19
23	23	CANDIDATE FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, 20
24	24	COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE, CIRCUIT JUDGE, 21
25	25	OR DISTRICT JUDGE TO DECLARE HIS OR HER 22
26	26	PARTY AFFILIATION OR INDEPENDENT STATUS 23
27	27	WHEN RUNNING FOR JUDICIAL OFFICE. 24
28	28	25
29	29	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 26
30	30	STATE OF ARKANSAS, AND BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, A MAJORITY OF ALL 27
31	31	MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE AGREEING THERETO: 28
32	32	29
33	33	THAT the following is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of 30
34	34	the State of Arkansas, and upon being submitted to the electors of the state 31
35	35	for approval or rejection at the next general election for Representatives 32
36	36	and Senators, if a majority of the electors voting thereon at the election 33
37	37	adopt the amendment, the amendment shall become a part of the Constitution of 34
38	38	the State of Arkansas, to wit: 35
39	39	36 SJR13
40	40
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42	42	SECTION 1. INTENT. The purpose of this amendment to the Arkansas 1
43	43	Constitution is to ensure transparency to the voters of Arkansas by allowing 2
44	44	a candidate for Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Judge, Circuit Judge, 3
45	45	or District Judge to declare his or her party affiliation or independent 4
46	46	status when running for judicial office and having that affiliation or status 5
47	47	reflected on the ballot. 6
48	48	7
49	49	SECTION 2. Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 80, §§ 17 and 18, are 8
50	50	amended to read as follows: 9
51	51	§ 17. Election of circuit and district judges Circuit Judges and 10
52	52	District Judges. 11
53	53	(A) Circuit Judges and District Judges shall be elected on a 12
54	54	nonpartisan basis by a majority of qualified electors voting for such office 13
55	55	within the circuit or district which they serve. 14
56	56	(B) Vacancies in these offices shall be filled as provided by this 15
57	57	Constitution. 16
58	58	(C) A candidate for Circuit Judge or District Judge may elect to: 17
59	59	(1) Have his or her political party affiliation identified on 18
60	60	the ballot; or 19
61	61	(2) Be identified on the ballot as an independent candidate. 20
62	62	21
63	63	§ 18. Election of Supreme Court Justices and Court of Appeals Judges. 22
64	64	(A) Supreme Court Justices and Court of Appeals Judges shall be 23
65	65	elected on a nonpartisan basis by a majority of qualified electors voting for 24
66	66	such office. Provided, however, the General Assembly may refer the issue of 25
67	67	merit selection of members of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals to a 26
68	68	vote of the people at any general election. If the voters approve a merit 27
69	69	selection system, the General Assembly shall enact laws to create a judicial 28
70	70	nominating commission for the purpose of nominating candidates for merit 29
71	71	selection to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. 30
72	72	(B) Vacancies in these offices shall be filled by appointment of the 31
73	73	Governor, unless the voters provide otherwise in a system of merit selection. 32
74	74	(C) A candidate for Supreme Court Justice or Court of Appeals Judge 33
75	75	may elect to: 34
76	76	(1) Have his or her political party affiliation identified on 35
77	77	the ballot; or 36 SJR13
78	78
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80	80	(2) Be identified on the ballot as an independent candidate. 1
81	81	2
82	82	SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This amendment is effective on and after 3
83	83	January 1, 2027. 4
84	84	5
85	85	SECTION 4. BALLOT TITLE AND POPULAR NAME. When this proposed 6
86	86	amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election 7
87	87	ballot: 8
88	88	(1) The title of this Joint Resolution shall be the ballot 9
89	89	title; and 10
90	90	(2) The popular name shall be "A Constitutional Amendment to 11
91	91	Ensure Transparency in Judicial Elections to the Voters of Arkansas.". 12
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