The Attorney General or the Secretary of State?

Who "should have" ballot approval authority?

What does the Arkansas Constitution say? Attorney Clint Lancaster of Benton is asking the Arkansas Supreme Court to step in and rule on whether the Attorney General or Secretary of State (per the Arkansas Constitution) is the proper authority to approve proposed legislation to appear on Arkansas ballots.

AG Tim Griffin’s office has repeatedly rejected almost every single piece of proposed legislation submitted so far for the 2024 ballot; the written rulings on the various proposals are drawing close scrutiny from conservative and far-right Republicans, who are frustrated and perplexed at the rejections from Griffin’s office. “This can’t be freedom,” Lancaster says. “He’s limiting access,” agrees Corbitt.

Lancaster, who represents the Arkansas Voter Integrity Initiative (AVII), has submitted more than one version of proposed legislation dealing with paper ballots and absentee ballot processing on AVII’s behalf; he tells about his one success today.

Lancaster joined fellow attorneys Rob Steinbuch and Chris Corbitt on Dave Elswick’s Show on 101.1 FM The Answer as they discussed Griffin and the ballot title submission process, Griffin’s new nickname, and Steinbuch/Corbitt’s recent FOIA wins (a hot topic, too, with proposed FOIA legislation getting caught up in Griffin’s “no, no, no” rejection sweep).

Here’s where it all stands as of 10am today (and tune in at 9am next Friday to hear more updates from Lancaster):