Gov. Asa Hutchinson has scheduled a special election on May 22, 2018, to fill the state Senate District 29 seat vacated by Eddie Joe Williams.

The primary will be February 13 and a primary runoff, if necessary, on March 13.

Williams vacated the seat to become a representative to the Southern States Energy Board.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has scheduled a special election on May 22, 2018, to fill the state Senate District 29 seat vacated by Eddie Joe Williams.

The primary will be February 13 and a primary runoff, if necessary, on March 13.

Williams vacated the seat to become a representative to the Southern States Energy Board.

Beginning October 1, 2017, all lobbyists must register and file reports through the new lobbyist registration and reporting system.

The new system requires all lobbyists, regardless of whether they are new lobbyists or currently registered, to re-register and submit a new signature card.

Lobbyists must re-register and submit a new signature card to file third quarter reports. The new system may be accessed at the Secretary of State’s website.

The First Extraordinary Session of the 91^st General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 3, 2017.

One ethics bill was passed to cleanup legislation passed during the regular session.

Four other bills were passed, including a bill regarding the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson is expected to sign all five special session bills.

The 91^st General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 1, 2017. A half hour after adjourning, the Legislature convened a special session.

The special session was called to address approving authorization for Arkansas Works waivers, restructuring the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace, cleaning up medical marijuana laws, and boosting long-term reserve funding for Arkansas.

The special session is likely to adjourn by the end of the week.

Effective July 30, 2017, Arkansas constitutional officers are prohibited from soliciting or accepting loans from lobbyists.

Senate Bill 7, now known as Act 1108, amends the definition of gift to include any advance or loan. The bill excludes an advance or loan made in the ordinary course of business by a financial institution or business regularly extending credit.

Bills signed during the regular session are effective 90 days after the final, official day of session, unless otherwise specified. The 91^st General Assembly is set to adjourn sine die on May 1, 2017.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed House Bill 1401 and Senate Bill 169 into law. Both bills provide exceptions to the definition of gift.

For example, House Bill 1401 excludes nonalcoholic beverages provided to attendees at a meeting of a civic, social, or cultural organization or group from the definition of gift, as well as food and nonalcoholic beverages provided to participants at a bona fide panel, seminar, or speaking engagement at which the audience is a civic, social, or cultural organization or group.

Senate Bill 169 provides the use of one or more rooms or facilities owned, operated, or otherwise utilized by a state agency or political subdivision of the state for the purpose of conducting a meeting of a specific governmental body is not a gift.

House Bill 1401 is effective immediately and Senate Bill 169 will become effective 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die, or June 9, 2017.

Since pre-filing began for the 2017 Arkansas legislative session, multiple measures have been introduced regarding lobbying, ethics and campaign finance.

If passed, measures introduced in the House would require reporting and disclosure of electioneering communications and covered transfers (House Bill 1005), prevent a member of the General Assembly from forming more than one political action committee (PAC) as either a registered agent or an officer (House Bill 1009), require the Secretary of State to make independent expenditures and PAC reports public (House Bill 1010), prohibit PAC-to-PAC transfers (House Bill 1011)  and ban direct contributions to candidates from PACs (House Bill 1012). Several measures introduced in the Senate mirror the House bills.

Additionally, bills introduced in the Senate would bar soliciting or accepting campaign contributions before the expiration of the immediately preceding general election (Senate Bill 2), prohibit elected officials from registering as a lobbyist while serving as an elected state official (Senate Bill 3) and ban constitutional officers, like the governor, from soliciting or accepting loans from lobbyists (Senate Bill 7).

On August 30, 2016, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced state Rep. Bill Gossage as his deputy chief of staff for external operations. As a result, Gossage is resigning as the House District 82 representative.

Hutchinson will not call a special election to fill the remainder of Gossage’s term because the vacancy will be filled within 150 days, as required by law. The state Republican party will be responsible for selecting a nominee to run in Gossage’s place.

Gossage was running unopposed in the November 8 general election, and other political parties will be unable to run a candidate in this race as the filing deadline has already passed.

Photo of Bill Gossage courtesy of the Arkansas House of Representatives website.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson will call a special election to fill the House seat left vacant by the passing of state Rep. Sheilla Lampkin.

The special election will coincide with the November 8 general election.

Voters in Lampkin’s district will be able to vote in both the special election to fill Lampkin’s remaining term and in the general election for the seat.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the subject of a probable cause hearing scheduled by the Ethics Commission on July 22, 2016.

Attorney Matt Campbell filed a complaint on March 31, claiming Hutchinson violated campaign practices law by campaigning for other candidates during “usual office hours.” If prosecuted, Hutchinson could face up to a year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and removal from office.

On May 23, the Third Extraordinary Session of the 90th General Assembly adjourned sine die.

The primary focus of the special session was Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s $50 million highway funding plan. After three days, the plan was given final approval by the Legislature.

The state Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit requiring Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to approve language or offer an alternative to Attorney David Couch’s ethics initiative for the November ballot.

Couch is unlikely to submit a new proposal since state law would require statewide notice to be published by June 8, with language preapproved by Rutledge.

On May 13, attorney David Couch petitioned the Arkansas Supreme Court to issue a preliminary injunction requiring Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to approve the language of his ethics initiative or offer an alternative as any further delay could cause “irreparable” harm to Couch’s attempt to get the constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Couch cannot began collecting the 84,859 signatures due by July 8, until Rutledge approves the language.

If approved by voters, the proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit certain gifts from lobbyists to elected officials and lower campaign contribution limits.