ARKANSAS, USA — A statewide referendum aimed at stopping the LEARNS Act has been resubmitted after it was initially rejected by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.
On Monday, April 24, AG Griffin rejected the referendum, stating that he believes that it's "misleading" and "insufficient."
“I have determined that the popular name and ballot title failed to explain the impact of a vote for or against the measure and failed to adequately summarize the LEARNS Act. Therefore, the proposal failed to meet legal standards and cannot be certified,” AG Griffin said.
The referendum was introduced by CAPES (Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students), with the organization continuing its pushback against the LEARNS Act as they feel it will be detrimental to public education in the state.
CAPES posted an update to Twitter on Thursday, April 27, stating that the referendum had been resubmitted.
CAPES said that this pushback is due to the fact that the legislation will lead to the consolidation of schools throughout the state. They also said that it will further lead to the defunding and privatization of public education.
Following the attorney general's response to a statement of organization with the Arkansas Ethics Commission that was released on April 24, CAPES released a new statement where they expressed disappointment in the attorney general.
"We are disappointed the attorney for the people of Arkansas took 14 calendar days to give us a response. At first glance, we are also concerned that a reason for rejection was the absence of the original act, which was provided by CAPES and refused by the Attorney General's office," they said.
CAPES Vice-chair Veronica McClane explained that Arkansans should be able to choose if this is implemented, not the state government.
"We need to allow the community to have full input on what they want. We need the buy-in from the people that utilize public education," McClane said. "We need the buy-in from the educators, we need the buy-in from the superintendents from the school board members, I didn't see that. I didn't see that."
CAPES is a new ballot question committee in Arkansas that was created with the goal of giving "power back to the people" and letting them "#SayNoToLEARNS." They originally filed a statement of organization with the Arkansas Ethics Commission on April 10.
Steve Grappe, Chair of CAPES, filed a veto referendum along with the original LEARNS Act for approval with the Attorney General's office on that same day.
CAPES explained that they believe the LEARNS Act will "detrimentally impact" public education in Arkansas. The group also believes that the law will also have a negative impact on the communities surrounding the public schools.
They held rallies throughout the state on Thursday, April 27, with hopes to accommodate the "flourishing, statewide movement."
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