10/14/16   Arkansas Supreme Court Changes Face Of The Ballot In The Upcoming Election

Arkansas Supreme Court Justices made decisions yesterday that will impact the upcoming election. The justices say voters can consider a medical marijuana proposal, they disqualified a proposal to legalize casinos in three counties, and the court says voters cannot consider whether to impose award limits in medical liability cases.

The Justices yesterday sided with supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize marijuana for patients with certain medical conditions, rejecting a lawsuit by opponents of the measure that sought to disqualify it from being considered in the November 8 election. Justices said language to be presented to voters clearly states what the proposal would do.

Justices yesterday sided with opponents of the proposed constitutional amendment that would give three private companies rights to run casinos in Boone, Miller and Washington counties. The court ruled that the ballot title “does not honestly and accurately reflect what is contained in the proposed amendment”, and the court ordered election officials to not count any votes for the measure in the Nov 8 election.

And the court says voters cannot consider whether to impose award limits in medical liability cases because the language to be placed on the ballot doesn't fully describe what the proposal would do. A unanimous court yesterday directed that no votes be counted on the proposal, which would have allowed legislators to cap non-economic damages against medical injuries at a minimum of 250 thousand dollars. A special master appointed by the court raised questions about the signature gathering process, but justices said the term “no-economic damages” was not clear.