Secretary Daniels Approves Petitions for Foster and Adoption Ban Initiative
Monday, Aug 25, 2008
LITTLE ROCK, AR—Secretary Daniels today certified the second submission of petitions submitted by the Family Council Action Committee allowing the group’s foster and adoption ban initiative to appear on the statewide ballot in the November 4 general election.
The proposed initiated act would provide that an individual who is cohabitating outside of a valid marriage may not adopt or be a foster parent of a child less than eighteen years old.
Today’s certification brings the group’s valid signature total to 85,389. 61,974 valid signatures, or eight percent of the total number of votes cast for Governor in 2006, are required to get a proposed initiated act on the 2008 ballot.
On August 21, the group submitted petitions with 32,061 signatures to the Secretary of State. 27,501 were determined to belong to Arkansas registered voters. On July 7, the group submitted 65,972 signatures of which 57,888 were determined to belong to valid Arkansas voters. Under Arkansas law, ballot issue sponsors have 30 days from the date of notification of insufficiency to collect additional signatures.
The following three other measures were referred to the voters by the 86th General Assembly to appear on this year’s general election ballot:
• Referred Question 1—Arkansas Water, Waste Disposal, and Pollution Abatement Facilities Financing Act of 2007.
• Proposed Referred Constitutional Amendment 1—An Amendment Concerning Voting, Qualifications of Voters and Election Officers, and the Time of Holding General Elections.
• Proposed Referred Constitutional Amendment 2—An Amendment Providing that No Legislative Appropriation Shall be for a Period Longer than One Year, Providing for Fiscal Legislative Sessions, Requiring the General Assembly to Meet Every Year with Regular Sessions Continuing to be Held in Odd-Numbered Years and Fiscal Sessions Held in Even-Numbered Years, Unless the General Assembly Votes to Hold Regular Sessions in Even-Numbered Years and Fiscal Sessions in Odd-Numbered Years, and Allowing the General Assembly to Consider Non-Fiscal Matters During a Fiscal Session Upon Approval of Two-Thirds of Both Houses.
The full ballot titles of the proposed issues can be found at www.votenaturally.org.
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Contact: Natasha Naragon
Phone: (501) 683-1441
Email: natasha.naragon@sos.arkansas.gov
Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels
256 State Capitol Building
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: (501) 682-1010
Website: www.sos.ar.gov
Email: arsos@sos.ar.gov
