Legislative Update

It’s been a tough year with many divisive bills advancing in our General Assembly. That said, we’ve seen some good legislation, too, on issues that we’ve taken a stand on over the years, including one allowing bilingual education, House Bill 1451, which is now very close to becoming law, and another, Act 513, already signed into law by the Governor, that allows immigrants to obtain teaching licenses if they have work permits under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.

We also like House Bill 1517 which would establish online voter registration. It has cleared the House and is awaiting consideration in Senate committee.Two more bills by Fayetteville’s Sen. Greg Leding would also make voting more accessible: Senate Bill 508 would recognize Election Day as a holiday, and Senate Bill 509 would require businesses to provide workers at least two hours off work to vote.

However, as we’ve seen happen in other states this year, the Arkansas Legislature main focus seems to be on putting forward onerous restrictions on voting and anti-democratic measures that would curb citizens’ fundamental rights.

Find explanations of current proposals to restrict voting in Arkansas here and a spreadsheet with updates on where these bills are in the process of becoming law here. Then, please take a stand and let your lawmakers know your positions on these bills.

House: (501) 682-6211

Senate: (501) 682-2902

In Solidarity, LWVWC Board