New Arkansas Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Ethics Laws Take Immediate Effect


Amid the thrill of victory and agony of defeat this Election Day, Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment that will have a major impact on those involved in the political and legislative process there.  While enacting legislation and regulations may bring some additional clarity to the issues, the amendment is effective immediately and brings the following changes:

We can already anticipate a few effects of this amendment.  PACs will become a much more important feature of the Arkansas campaign finance landscape.  Corporations and unions may decide to make more independent expenditures to support candidates, or to direct more of their spending to groups that are not subject to the contribution ban.  Arkansas could also see a rise in “unlobbyists” who legally avoid registration and thus could give gifts or evade the cooling off period.  We will continue to monitor developments in the General Assembly and Arkansas Ethics Commission to see how these laws develop over time.


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National Law Review, Volume IV, Number 312