🚨 Contact These Senators and Tell Them to Vote NO on SB207 – SB211

Wednesday, February 11, 2025 — The Arkansas Senate will hear a series of very bad bills today at 1:3opm in the Senate Chamber. The bills, sponsored by Sen. Kim Hammer (R-Benton), would make it VERY HARD to pass citizen initiatives and ballot measures.

SB207-SB211 all passed by a voice vote in Tuesday’s Senate State Agencies Committee. However, SB212 failed on roll call.
Here are those votes:
Clark (R): NP; Hammer (R): Yes; Sullivan (R): Yes; Tucker (D): No; King (R): No; Dotson (R): Yes; Payton (R): No; Flippo (R): Yes

SB207-SB211 are on the Senate floor TODAY. Contact your elected officials and tell them to vote NO on these TERRIBLE bills. 

*(Scroll down to see our entire legislative watchlist for Wednesday)

❌ SB207 – SB211: Some of the new regulations would require people collecting signatures to read entire portions of the proposed legislation, read aloud names and addresses of people signing, separately confirm information from people signing the petition outside of what is written on the petition such as requiring viewing of photo ID, and otherwise making it easier to disqualify signatures collected to place items on the ballot for a vote. This undermines the individual and possible economic freedoms of the people to pass laws and make changes to their government.

Title	First Name	Last Name	Seniority	District	Party	Email	Phone Number
Senator	Justin	Boyd	26	27	Republican	justin.boyd@senate.ar.gov	479-262-2156
Senator	Joshua	Bryant	28	32	Republican	joshua.bryant@senate.ar.gov	501-500-2206
Senator	Ronald	Caldwell	5	10	Republican	ronald.caldwell@senate.ar.gov	501-682-6107
Senator	Alan	Clark	6	7	Republican	alan.clark@senate.ar.gov	501-844-6800
Senator	Steve	Crowell	29	3	Republican	steve.crowell@senate.ar.gov	870-557-3440
Senator	Breanne	Davis	14	25	Republican	breanne.davis@senate.ar.gov	479-970-0081
Senator	Tyler	Dees	31	35	Republican	tyler.dees@senate.ar.gov	479-549-5057
Senator	Jonathan	Dismang	3	18	Republican	dismang28@gmail.com	501-766-8220
Senator	Jim	Dotson	34	34	Republican	jim.dotson@senate.ar.gov	479-222-1234
Senator	Jane	English	5	13	Republican	jane.english@senate.ar.gov	501-257-7670
Senator	Scott	Flippo	10	23	Republican	scott.flippo@senate.ar.gov	870-421-3420
Senator	Stephanie	Flowers	1	8	Democrat	stephanie.flowers@senate.ar.gov	870-535-1032
Senator	Ben	Gilmore	21	1	Republican	ben.gilmore@senate.ar.gov	501-467-5952
Senator	Kim	Hammer	18	16	Republican	kim.hammer@senate.ar.gov	501-840-3841
Senator	Bart	Hester	9	33	Republican	bart.hester@senate.ar.gov	479-531-4176
Senator	Jimmy	Hickey, Jr	8	4	Republican	jimmy.hickey@senate.ar.gov	870-772-4444
Senator	Ricky	Hill	15	11	Republican	ricky.hill@senate.ar.gov	501-286-2285
Senator	Missy	Irvin	2	24	Republican	missy.Irvin@senate.ar.gov	870-269-2703
Senator	Blake	Johnson	12	21	Republican	blake.Johnson@senate.ar.gov	870-323-1766
Senator	Mark	Johnson	16	17	Republican	mark.johnson@senate.ar.gov	501-682-2920
Senator	Bryan	King	22	28	Republican	bryan.king@senate.ar.gov	501-682-5452
Senator	Greg	Leding	17	30	Democrat	greg.leding@senate.ar.gov	479-966-9201
Senator	Fredrick J.	Love	33	15	Democrat	fred.love@senate.ar.gov	501-612-3939
Senator	Matt	McKee	24	6	Republican	matt@mattmckeeforarkansas.com	501-622-0860
Senator	Reginald	Murdock	23	9	Democrat	reginald.murdock@senate.ar.gov	870-295-3162
Senator	John	Payton	32	22	Republican	john.payton@senate.ar.gov	501-362-5815
Senator	Clint	Penzo	25	31	Republican	clint.penzo@senate.ar.gov	479-466-6681
Senator	Jim	Petty	27	29	Republican	jim.petty@senate.ar.gov	479-459-6362
Senator	Terry	Rice	11	5	Republican	terry.Rice@senate.ar.gov	479-637-3100
Senator	Jamie	Scott	35	12	Democrat	jamie.scott@senate.ar.gov	501-398-2961
Senator	Matt	Stone	30	2	Republican	matt.stone@senate.ar.gov	870-818-0750
Senator	Gary	Stubblefield	7	26	Republican	gary.stubblefield@senate.ar.gov	479-635-4314
Senator	Dan	Sullivan	19	20	Republican	dan.sullivan@senate.ar.gov	870-275-2929
Senator	Clarke	Tucker	20	14	Democrat	clarke.tucker@senate.ar.gov	501-246-4933
Senator	Dave	Wallace	13	19	Republican	david.wallace@senate.ar.gov	870-919-8046

*Wednesday’s Entire Legislative Watchlist:

These bills are in various committees and on the Senate floor today. Conduit has flagged these bills for consideration in our legislative scorecard.

As always, it’s crucial to consider whether a piece of legislation allows more freedom or less freedom by considering: (1) If it Grows or shrinks government (2) Increases/Decreases dependency on government and/or (3) Spends money the state does not have.

House Insurance & Commerce:

❌ HB1159 by Rep. J. Richardson: Government Mandated Employment and Security Measures for Convenience Stores — OPPOSE

This bill would place government mandates on private businesses to require a certain number of employees working at specific times within a convenience store. It would also mandate types of security cameras the private businesses must use, types of safes, lighting outside the store, forced speech on signage of how much money is in their safe, regulations on how signs may be displayed in the store, install height measures at store entrances to measure people’s heights, mandate how much cash the store can have at a certain time, mandate employment training, mandate silent alarms installation, and force the businesses to be locked from 9pm to 6am and only transact business through a trapdoor or window. This is government overreach that would cost small businesses and over-regulate free enterprise if passed.

House State Agencies:

🟢 HB1243 by Rep. Underwood: Increased Transparency in Financial Disclosure of Local Elections — SUPPORT

This bill would increase transparency in local elections by requiring candidates for school district, city council, mayor, etc. to file with the county clerk financial disclosure reports similar to those required for state legislative candidates. This will increase the information to the public as to who is funding candidates’ campaigns for office and provide it in a more timely manner, including a pre-election 10-day report.

Senate Judiciary:

🟢 HB1049 by Rep. Tosh: Criminalizing Unlawful Squatting — SUPPORT

This bill would further protect private property rights against unlawful squatters by making such squatting a criminal offense – a class B misdemeanor. Specifically, if a person enters onto the premises of another person, resides there for any time period, and does so unlawfully, and cannot produce evidence of having a deed to the property, a lease agreement, or evidence of payment of rent, they can be charged with a crime.

Senate Education:

🟢 SB90 by Sen. English: Increased Public Input at School Board Meetings — SUPPORT

This bill would require school boards to provide opportunities for the public to give comment for at least three minutes per meeting. This will increase public input and transparency in local school boards, assisting both sides in improved communications.

❌ SB135 Sen. J. Boyd: Avoiding Elections to Approve Property Taxes — OPPOSE

This bill would allow avoidance of an election by taxpayers to determine/approve tax rate assessments by a government school district if the property assessment tax rates for the school district remain unchanged from year over year. It is logical to conclude that there would also be no requirement for posting the proposed budget as required by AR Code Sec 26-80-102 if this bill is passed. This bill robs the people of their right to vote to approve or disapprove their tax rate. This is an affront to the economic freedom and basic fundamental rights of Arkansans to have representation before taxation. The bill was wrongly referred to the Education committee instead of the State Agencies committee which handles election legislation.

Senate Public Health:

🟢 SB2 by Sen. Penzo — To repeal the statewide fluoridation program and to remove the mandate for water systems to maintain a fluoride content.

🟢 SB101 by Sen. Penzo: Physician Assistant Licensure Compact — SUPPORT

This bill would pass the physician assistant licensure compact with other states to allow increased reciprocity with licensed physician assistants from other states to get licensure in Arkansas. This would increase the supply of providers to the public, and could lower or maintain prices for consumers.

🟢 SB119 by Sen. Penzo: Establishes Interstate Medical Licensure Compact — SUPPORT

This bill would add Arkansas to the interstate medical licensure compact, making it easier for medical licensees in other states to obtain licensure and regulatory approval in Arkansas. This will make it easier for out of state medical service providers to conduct business and provide healthcare services to consumers in Arkansas, thus increasing the supply and creating more competition for services, providing lower prices, and/or higher quality services.

House City, County, Local:

❌ HB1416 by Rep. L. Johnson: Allowing Municipal & “Volunteer” Fire Departments to Levy Taxes on Persons Who do Not Live in their Municipality — OPPOSE

This bill would allow municipal fire departments to levy a tax (called “dues”) on people who do not live in their municipality or an area with a volunteer fire department. However, AR Code Sec 14-284-406(b)(2) allows the municipality to not respond to the fire outside their municipality when in the opinion of the proper municipal authorities, its municipal property or fire classification rating would be jeopardized. There is no provision in this bill for a refund of dues when the municipal fire department does not respond to a fire outside its city limits.

❌ HB1436 by Rep. Steele: Government Prohibitions & Slaughterhouses & Food Processing Plant in Certain Locations — OPPOSE

This bill would prohibit companies who operate a slaughterhouse together with their food processing plant to be located in certain areas within a city. This will create less opportunities for these companies to find locations to open/operate, thus increasing costs for them which will be passed along to consumers of the food. This decreases economic freedom and increased government regulations.

Senate Chamber:

❌ SB207 – SB211 by Sen. K. Hammer: Making it Harder to Pass Initiatives and Ballot Measures —OPPOSE

Here we go again! These series of bills will make it harder to pass citizen initiatives and ballot measures put up for a vote by petition by the people. Some of the new regulations would require people collecting signatures to read entire portions of the proposed legislation, read aloud names and addresses of people signing, separately confirm information from people signing the petition outside of what is written on the petition such as requiring viewing of photo ID, and otherwise making it easier to disqualify signatures collected to place items on the ballot for a vote. This undermines the individual and possible economic freedoms of the people to pass laws and make changes to their government.

❌ SB168 by Sen. Rice: Adds New Barriers to Get Massage Therapy License – Government Test — OPPOSE

This bill adds unwanted regulations except by those wanting to eliminate competition! It would add a government mandated, created, and administered test for those seeking a massage therapy license. It would require 100 questions, and people must get a 70% to pass and receive their license. This is an added regulation to make it harder for people to work as a massage therapist and is but another law which would deprive the consumer of making their own choices regarding their own health or use of personal services.

🟢 HB1048 by Rep. C. Cooper: Increased Freedom for Sale of Goat/Sheep Milk  — SUPPORT

This bill would allow the sale of raw goat, sheep, and whole milk at places other than just the farm where the milk is produced, allowing greater access to consumers who wish to buy this product and increasing markets to producers.