Mike McNeill: Voting against all ballot issues will send Arkansas lawmakers a message

By MIKE McNEILL | magnoliareporter.com

With early voting drawing near in the 2026 General Election, we’re repeating our previous advice to vote AGAINST all four of the proposals submitted to the public by the Arkansas Legislature. CLICK HERE to read the Arkansas Ballot Issues guide from the Cooperative Extension Service. The guide provides excellent, point-by-point, pro and con examinations of all the issues on the ballot. 

We’ll acknowledge up front that two of the proposals, Issue 3 and Issue 4, would provide all Arkansans with some benefits. Issue 3 shows promise for providing more economic development opportunities for small towns like Magnolia. Issue 4 would issue $500 million in bonds for water, waste disposal and pollution abatement. 

Issue 1 and Issue 2 are nonsensical, and the legislature should be embarrassed about wasting time, effort and money to place them on the ballot. 

Issue 1 seeks to further define who is eligible to vote in Arkansas, the goal being that no non-citizens of the United States should be allowed to vote in Arkansas elections. That’s already the case. This is simply another example of wild-eyed Republican legislators seeking to solve a problem that doesn’t exist, but which does help to rev up that part of the voting base that’s not known for critical thinking. 

Issue 2 is similar. Again, it seeks to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. There’s no threat to Arkansans who want to possess and use ammunition and firearms accessories without limitations. But it does throw red meat to a certain segment of voters. 

Arkansas legislators: Really? You only have a limited number of constitutional amendments you can offer at any election, and these are what you have put forth to the public? Might you have come up with something that provides more and better health care to all Arkansans? Or gives counties more means for improving rural roads? Or done something about the problem that small towns have keeping police officers? Or raise the veil on the governor’s travel expenses? Nope. 

But our primary beef isn’t with these legislative issues, per se. Our issue is with the hostility that the legislature and our elected statewide leadership, Gov. Sanders, Lt. Gov. Rutledge, Attorney General Griffin, Secretary of State Jester and others have toward initiative and referendum – campaigns coming from the grass roots-level. These citizens have sought to place on the ballot issues ranging from marijuana use to reforming the LEARNS Act. The right of citizens to circumvent the legislature and to propose new laws in written into our state constitution. 

But our state legislature and Republican leadership attack these citizens at every turn. As long as that hostility remains, we urge AGAINST votes on any matter the legislature puts in front of the public at an election.

This column first appeared at magnoliareporter.com, and is republished here with permission.

Mike McNeill is publisher and editor of magnoliareporter.com. He has been a reporter or managing editor at six daily newspapers in four states since 1977, launching magnoliareporter.com in April 2010.