The Senate today voted 27-3, with two voting
Clark said the resolution was a potential antidote if Arkansas Terms Limits can qualify a 10-year limit for the ballot in 2020. The Supreme Court struck its amendment in 2018 because of petition-gathering questions.
Clark acknowledged
No one spoke against the amendment. It must be adopted by the House to make the ballot. If it and another term limits amendment reach the ballot, the one with the most votes prevails. Clark said voters tended to vote for anything called term limits, but he thought given a choice they’d choose the more “sensible” amendment.
His amendment eliminates an existing provision that doesn’t count two-year terms — whether to fill vacancies or as a result of the decennial draw of Senate terms — against term limits. It also allows legislators to run again after a four-year absence.
The proposal no longer includes term limits for judges, as it once did. It also eliminates a provision that would have prevented the people from petitioning for changes.
During brief debate, Sen. Jason Rapert made a point that people outside Arkansas had been advocates for term limits and provided money in support of past proposals.