By Andrew DeMillo | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Advocate readers! Arkansas has been given the green light to enforce a law that could impose criminal penalties on librarians for providing “harmful” materials to minors. And a setback has been dealt to an effort to put a direct democracy measure on the November ballot. You can find more Arkansas government and politics news on the Advocate site here.
And be sure to check out Deputy Editor Antoinette Grajeda talking about her recent coverage of Arkansas’ school vouchers on the latest episode of the Stories from the States podcast.
The “social section” in Crawford County Library’s Van Buren branch (Screenshot from court documents)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Tess Vrbin
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Arkansas’ 2023 law restricting access to library materials can go into effect, three years after a judge blocked two sections of the law on First Amendment grounds.
A supporter of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment holds up a sign in an Arkansas Capitol hallway where petitions to put the amendment on the November ballot were delivered Friday, July 5, 2024. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Ainsley Platt and Antoinette Grajeda
All signatures submitted in favor of putting on the November ballot a proposal to strengthen Arkansas’ initiative and referendum process were tossed because none of them were countable under state law, the secretary of state’s office announced Thursday.
Arkansas Board of Corrections Chair Benny Magness (right) and board member Lee Watson (left) testify at a Joint Performance Review Committee hearing on the Franklin County prison site selection on Sept. 8, 2025. (Photo by Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Ainsley Platt
A current and former member of the Arkansas Board of Corrections were granted permission by a Pulaski County judge Wednesday to intervene in a longrunning lawsuit over the panel’s power to fire top prison officials.
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