Arkansas House of Representatives
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Party control: | Republican |
| Session start: | April 10, 2024 |
| Session end: | May 9, 2024 |
| Term length: | 2 years |
| Term limits: | 12 consecutive years; can return after a four-year break |
| Redistricting: | Commission |
| Salary: | $44,356/year + per diem |
| Members | |
| Total: | 100 |
| Democrats: | 18 |
| Republicans: | 82 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 0 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker: | Matthew Shepherd (R) |
| Maj. Leader: | Marcus Richmond (R) |
| Min. Leader: | Tippi McCullough (D) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Arkansas General Assembly. Alongside the Arkansas State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Arkansas state government and works alongside the governor of Arkansas to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Arkansas House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
The Arkansas House of Representatives meets in the state capitol building in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Arkansas has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature. |
This page contains the following information on the Arkansas House of Representatives.
- Which party controls the chamber
- The chamber's current membership
- Partisan control of the chamber over time
- Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
- A district map
- How redistricting works in the state
- Legislation currently under consideration
- Legislative session dates
- Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
- A list of committees
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Arkansas House of Representatives as of January 2024:
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 82 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Members
Leadership
The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body and is elected every two years by the membership. Duties of the speaker include preserving order and decorum, deciding all questions of order, assigning committee leadership, and naming members to select committees. The speaker also appoints a speaker pro tempore and may appoint assistant speakers pro tempore to assist in leadership duties.[1]
Leadership and members
- Speaker of the House: Matthew Shepherd (R)
- Majority leader: Marcus Richmond (R)
- Minority leader: Tippi McCullough (D)
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $44,356/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $59/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the capitol: $155/day. |
Swearing in dates
Arkansas legislators assume office on the second Monday of January following their election.
Membership qualifications
Article 5, Section 4 of the Arkansas Constitution states: "No person shall be a Senator or Representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, a resident of this State, and for one year next preceding his election, a resident of the county or district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age."[2]
Historical party control
Republicans won control of the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2012. In 2022, they won an 82-18 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Arkansas House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Arkansas House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 89 | 88 | 86 | 76 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 75 | 71 | 55 | 49 | 36 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 18 |
| Republicans | 10 | 12 | 14 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 45 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 74 | 78 | 82 |
Before 1992
Democrats held the chamber between 1874 and 2012. The Democratic majority did not fall below 95 seats from 1900 to 1978.
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Arkansas was under the following types of trifecta control:
- Democratic trifecta: 1992-1996, 2007-2012
- Republican trifecta: 2015-2023
- Divided government: 1997-2006, 2013-2014
Arkansas Party Control: 1992-2024
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Elections
Elections by year
Arkansas state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Arkansas holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2024
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is March 5, 2024, and a primary runoff is April 2, 2024. The filing deadline was November 14, 2023.
2022
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for May 24, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for June 21, 2022. The filing deadline was March 1, 2022.
In the 2022 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 78-22 to 82-18.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 18 | |
| Republican Party | 78 | 82 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2020
Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff was scheduled for March 31, 2020. The filing deadline was November 11, 2019.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 75-23 to 78-22.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 23 | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 75 | 78 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2018
Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on May 22, 2018.[3] A primary runoff election took place on June 19, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 1, 2018.[4]
In the 2018 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 75-24 to 76-24.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 24 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 75 | 76 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
2016
Ballotpedia's analysis revealed that only 42 of the 100 seats up for election in 2016 involved competition between Democrats and Republicans. This made it numerically impossible for Democrats to take control of either Arkansas legislative chamber in 2016.
The reason for the low competition was that candidates were in safe districts for their parties. Between 1972 and 2014, an upward trend in uncontested state legislative elections occurred.
The Democratic Party of Arkansas focused its 2016 efforts on the state’s House of Representatives. Without the numbers to win the state Senate, H.L. Moody, communications director for the Democratic Party of Arkansas, told Ballotpedia that the party’s goal was to “start building back where we can,” beginning with the House.
Ballotpedia spoke to political analyst Richard Winger, who said that the early primary deadline for the 2016 elections was a possible factor as well, making it difficult for Democrats to recruit candidates early.
The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing period began at noon local time on November 2, 2015, and ended at noon local time on November 9, 2015.[5] All 100 House seats were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 64-34 majority. Republicans gained nine seats in the election, giving them a 73-27 majority.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 34 | 27 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | 73 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
| Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014Elections for the Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014; a runoff election took place where necessary on June 10, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 3, 2014. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 51-48 majority. Republicans gained 13 seats in the election, giving them a 64-36 majority.
2012Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 22, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was March 1, 2012. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2012. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 54-46 majority. Democrats lost five seats in the election, giving Republicans a 51-49 majority.
The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012.
2010Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on May 18, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was March 8, 2010. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 71-28 majority. Democrats lost 16 seats in the election, giving them a 55-45 majority.
In 2010, candidates running for the House raised a total of $5,568,912 in campaign contributions. Their top 10 contributors were:[6]
2008Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 20, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $5,071,811. The top 10 contributors were:[7]
2006Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 5, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $4,666,062. The top 10 contributors were:[8]
2004Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 18, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $3,956,366. The top 10 contributors were:[9]
2002Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 21, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $2,775,317. The top 10 contributors were:[10]
2000Elections for the office of Arkansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 23, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. All 100 House seats were up for election in 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $2,748,032. The top 10 contributors were:[11]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Term limits
- See also: State legislatures with term limits
The Arkansas legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. The Arkansas House of Representatives has been term-limited since Arkansas voters approved the Arkansas Term Limits Initiative in 1992 as an initiated constitutional amendment. The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was 2000.
In 2014, voters approved the Arkansas Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency and Financial Reform Amendment, which permitted a legislator to serve a total of 16 years in the House or Senate during his or her lifetime.[12] In 2020, voters modified the term limits for Arkansas state legislative members. Voters passed Issue 2 in November 2020 with 55.38% of the vote. The measure imposed term limits of 12 consecutive years for state legislators with the opportunity to return after a four-year break. State legislators elected in November 2020 or already in office would be allowed to serve the former term limit of 16 years.
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Arkansas General Assembly, the governor must call for a special election to fill the vacancy. The election must be called by the governor without delay.[13][14] For all special elections in the Senate, the county that first established the district is responsible for conducting the election.[15] If the special election is to fill a House seat, the county board of election commissioners representing the vacant district conducts the election.[16] All special elections must be held on the second Tuesday of the month, unless the second Tuesday of the month falls on a legal holiday or is in June during an even-numbered year.[17]
See sources: Arkansas Stat. Ann. § 7-11-103 and Arkansas Cons. Art. 5, § 6
District map
- See also: Arkansas state legislative districts
The state of Arkansas has 100 state House districts. Each district elects one representative.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Arkansas
The Arkansas General Assembly is responsible for drawing congressional district lines. Both chambers of the state legislature must approve a single redistricting plan. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.[18]
Arkansas' state legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission, the Arkansas Board of Apportionment. The commission comprises the governor, the secretary of state, and the attorney general.[18]
The Arkansas Constitution requires that Arkansas State Senate district lines be "contiguous, and that they follow county lines except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[18]
2020
On December 29, 2021, new state House and Senate district maps went into effect.[19] The Arkansas Board of Apportionment—made up of the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general—initially displayed these maps on Oct. 29, 2021, beginning a month-long public comment period.[20] The board met on Nov. 29 to incorporate feedback and then voted 3-0 in favor of the final maps. These maps took effect for Arkansas' 2022 legislative elections.
District map after 2020 redistricting
Click here to view images of the enacted House district maps. This map took effect for Arkansas' 2022 legislative elections.
2010
Four early versions of the Senate maps were released in late March 2011, and the Board of Apportionment released five proposed House maps in May of 2011.[21] Governor Mike Beebe (D) and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) released their initial map proposals in late July 2011.[22] On July 29, 2011, the Board of Apportionment approved the new state legislative maps by a 2-1 vote.[23]
Sessions
Legislation
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Arkansas House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the House to the Senate and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.
Dates of legislative sessions in Arkansas by year
2024
- See also: 2024 Arkansas legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions
In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on April 10, 2024, and adjourn on May 9, 2024.
2023
In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9, 2023, and adjourn on May 1, 2023.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on February 14, 2022, and adjourn on March 15, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2021, and adjourn on October 15, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on April 8, 2020, and adjourn on April 24, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. On March 24, 2020, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) issued a proclamation convening a special session of the state legislature to begin March 26, 2020, and continuing indefinitely. The proclamation specified that one purpose of the special session would be "to create the COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund; to transfer funds to the COVID-19 Rainy Day Fund; and to Declare an Emergency." The special session adjourned on March 28, 2020. Lawmakers reconvened on April 8, 2020, and adjourned their regular session on April 24, 2020.[24][25] 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 14, 2019, through April 24, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from February 12, 2018, through March 13, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2017, through May 1, 2017. The legislature held a special session from May 1 to May 3. 2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from April 13 through May 9. The legislature held a three-day special session from April 6 to April 8 over healthcare.[26] The legislature held a second special session from May 19 to May 23 over transportation. 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 12 through April 2. The legislature had a special session from May 26 to May 28. Major issues in 2015Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included Medicaid expansion, tax cuts, prisons, abortion, same-sex marriage, and education reforms.[27] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from February 10 to March 20. Major issues in 2014Major issues in the 2014 legislative session included private option Medicaid expansion and a $5 billion proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The legislature also established an entrepreneurship program for college seniors called the Arkansas Fellowship.[28] Due to a 2008 constitutional amendment, sessions held in even-numbered years may only address financial matters.[29] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 14 to May 17. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included an agreement on expanding the Medicaid program by providing private insurance for low-income residents, a two percent increase in per-student funding for public schools, and a bill that requires voters to show photo identification at the polls.[30] During the first budget negotiations of the year, the Joint Budget Committee rejected a pay increase for elected officials.[31] 2012
In 2012, the legislature was in session from February 13 to March 13. 2011
In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 10 to April 27. 2010
In 2010, the legislature convened for its fiscal session, meeting from February 8th to March 4th. |
About legislative sessions in Arkansas
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[32] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
Article V of the Arkansas Constitution establishes when the Arkansas General Assembly, of which the House is a part, is to convene. Section 5 of Article V establishes the beginning date for regular sessions, but this date has been changed by law (as Section 5 allows). Under the law, the Arkansas legislature convenes its regular session on the second Monday in January of every odd numbered year. The fiscal session is convened on the second Monday in February of every even numbered year.[1]
Section 17 of Article V limits the length of sessions to sixty days, unless extended by a two-thirds vote of each legislative house.
Legislative roles and procedures
Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, term limits, and redistricting.
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Arkansas are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? A majority of members in both chambers.
| A simple majority of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 51 of the 100 members in the Arkansas House of Representatives and 18 of the 35 members in the Arkansas State Senate. Arkansas is one of six states that requires a majority vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
Authority: Article 6, Section 15 of the Arkansas Constitution.
| "Every bill which shall have passed both houses of the General Assembly, shall be presented to the Governor; if he approve it, he shall sign it; but if he shall not approve it, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated; which house shall enter the objections at large upon their journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, a majority of the whole number elected to that house, shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other house; by which, likewise, it shall be reconsidered; and, if approved by a majority of the whole number elected to that house, it shall be a law; but in such cases the vote of both houses shall be determined by "yeas and nays;" and the names of the members voting for or against the bill, shall be entered on the journals." |
Role in state budget
- See also: Arkansas state budget and finances
Arkansas on 
|
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[33][34]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in May of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in July.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in November.
- The state legislature adopts a budget between January and April. The budget must be passed by a three-fourths majority.
- The fiscal year begins July 1.
Arkansas is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[33]
The governor is required by statute to submit a balanced budget. The legislature is not legally required to pass a balanced budget.[33]
Committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Arkansas House of Representatives has 14 standing committees:
- Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs Committee
- House Advanced Communications and Information Technology Committee
- House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee
- House City, County and Local Affairs Committee
- House Education Committee
- House Insurance and Commerce Committee
- House Judiciary Committee
- House Management Committee
- House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee
- House Revenue and Taxation Committee
- House Rules Committee
- House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Legislative Orientation Committee
- Public Transportation Committee
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Arkansas Constitution can be amended:
The Arkansas Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process and a legislative process. Arkansas requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. There are 18 states that allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Arkansas, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Arkansas requires that a petition must contain qualified signatures equaling at least half of the required percentage of signatures (5%) from each of 50 of the state's 75 counties. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.
Legislature
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Arkansas State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 51 votes in the Arkansas House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Arkansas State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
2025 measures:
- See also: 2025 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures have been certified for the ballot.
No measures to list
Potential:
- The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.
No measures to list
2024 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.
- See also: Arkansas 2024 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures have been certified for the ballot.
| Arkansas Lottery Proceed Funding for Vocational-Technical School Scholarships and Grants Amendment | Democrats | Republicans | |||
| Senate: | Required: 18 | Yes votes: 30 (85.71%) | No votes: 0 (0.00%) | Yes: 5; No: 0 | Yes: 25; No: 0 |
| House: | Required: 51 | Yes votes: 97 (97.00%) | No votes: 0 (0.00%) | Yes: 17; No: 0 | Yes: 80; No: 0 |
Potential:
- The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.
No measures to list
See also
| Elections | Arkansas State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arkansas House of Representatives, "About the House," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "Arkansas Constitution Article 5 - Legislative Department Section 4 - Qualifications of senators and representatives," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2018 Election Dates," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Election Dates," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas House 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed April 21, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2008 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2006 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2004 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2002 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Arkansas 2000 Candidates," accessed May 28, 2013
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "HJR1009," accessed February 9, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 10-2-118)
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 10-2-119)
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 10-2-120(a)(1))
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 7-11-103(a))
- ↑ Arkansas Legislature, "Arkansas Code - Unannotated," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statutes, 7-11-105 1 (a)-(c))
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 All About Redistricting, "Arkansas," accessed April 20, 2015
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "Arkansas State Conference NAACP v. The Arkansas Board of Apportionment complaint," Dec. 29, 2021
- ↑ Arkansas Online, "Arkansas board accepts redrawn legislative district maps," Oct. 30, 2021
- ↑ Tolbert Report, "New Arkansas Senate Map Drafts," March 23, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Arkansas News, "Plans by Beebe, McDaniel for Senate redistricting draw grumbles," July 17, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Arkansas News UPDATE Governor’s redistricting maps adopted by panel, 29 July 2011]
- ↑ State of Arkansas Executive Department, "Proclamation," March 24, 2020
- ↑ UA Little Rock Public Radio, "Arkansas Lawmakers Conclude Coronavirus Special Session Early Saturday," March 28, 2020
- ↑ arkansasmatters.com, "Arkansas Works Set for Special Session," accessed April 6, 2016
- ↑ Houston Chronicle, "Things to watch in 2015 Arkansas legislative session," January 10, 2015
- ↑ The Arkansas Traveler, "Arkansas State Legislature Creates Entrepreneurship Program for College Seniors," accessed May 9, 2014
- ↑ akrnasasbusiness.com, "Fiscal Session 2014: A User's Guide to the Arkansas Legislature," February 10, 2014
- ↑ arkansasbusiness.com, "Sine Die: Arkansas Lawmakers Formally End Legislative Session," May 17, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ Arkansas online, " Legislative panel rejects pay rise for elected officials," January 16, 2013
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ Appropriations are considered annually for certain departments. See Page 13 here for more information.
| |||||||||||
 |
State of Arkansas Little Rock (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
