‘Hey, you want to sign the petition?’ a common cry

Usually, I am one of those curmudgeons who really despises those canvassers who, with clipboard in hand, hawk the latest petition for folks to sign outside the post office, courthouse or any busy corner of business.

But perhaps not this political season.

There are some issues Arkansans are ready to get to the ballot box for the November general election.

At least six, yes six, major election questions, if enough signatures are collected, will be making it — at least this far in the process.

In a short but hopefully concise list, here are the six issues petition holders, canvass workers, volunteers and others are hawking out there on street corners these fresh spring days.

The Medical Marijuana Amendment. An amendment to the Arkansas State Constitution that will expand medical access, allowing for more types of medical personnel – nurses, physicians assistants, chiropractors and others — to be able to prescribe medical marijuana cards for Arkansans.

The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment. This will be an amendment to the Arkansas State Constitution repealing portions of LEARNS Act from the previous Legislative Session.

The amendment is a ballot measure that will ensure all Arkansas students have access to a high-quality education. It strengthens opportunities for students in three ways, according to a website from the group. The three ways are:

• first, guaranteeing voluntary universal access to four of the most powerful, proven boosts to student success: pre-kindergarten classes for 3-to-4-year-olds, afterschool and summer time programming, quality special education and extra educational support for low-income children;

• second, it seeks to establish the minimum quality standards in the Arkansas Constitution; and

• third, it will create a level playing field for all schools that receive taxpayer funds by requiring them to meet the same high-quality standards that traditional public schools are required to follow.

The Reproductive Rights Amendment from the AR liberty folks or better known as Arkansans for Limited Government. This will seek to expand the laws currently on the books on abortions.

The Right to Government Transparency Amendment, a petition to seek to codify the Freedom of Information Act of 2023. This will roll back some of the legislation passed in the most recent session. This is sponsored by a group called Arkansas Citizens for Transparency. A website for questions and training and defining the proposal can be found at Arcitizens4transparency. org.

Another FOIA Act petition, the Right to Government Transparency Act, is said to strengthen the FOIA as we know it, making its changes by the legislature harder — by a two-thirds vote, rather than a simple majority vote.

And the last of the six petitions out there statewide is the Period Poverty Project. This is a petition to remove the state and local sales taxes on feminine hygiene products. It is referred to as the Tampon Tax, but does cover more than just menstrual products.

In Fayetteville, a local petition is being circulated for Sunday store sales of all alcoholic beverages — liquor, beer and wine. The petition is being sponsored by a coalition of businesses, called “Keep Our Dollars In Fayetteville,” and is heavily backed by Walmart Stores Inc.,

Just this past week, petition sign-up tables were allowed inside the entryway to the Walmart Supercenter on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Fayetteville. That was a “first” as I can never recall any political issue petition being allowed inside the doors of the retailer.

The petition will allow businesses who already sell alcoholic beverages, under state law and local supervision, to expand to Sunday sales.

This will be voluntary for all established businesses, grocery stores, convenience stores or liquor stores.

Currently only hard liquor can be sold at liquor stores.

Most area grocery stores in Fayetteville sell beer and wine.

The group needs only 4,200 signatures to get the

measure on the November general ballot for Fayetteville voters to decide.

The other six major state ballot initiatives take 90,704 signatures total and a specific number from at least 50 of the 75 counties in Arkansas to qualify.

The deadline for collecting the signatures and filing with the Arkansas Secretary of State is July 5.

“Hey, pal wanna sign a petition?”

Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several Northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at maylontrice@yahoo.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.