Amidst a heavy rainstorm, protesters gathered on the steps of the Arkansas State Capitol building Thursday to speak against a Republican-led education overhaul as attempts to overturn it are ongoing.
The legislature last month approved the Arkansas LEARNS Act, a dense, wide-sweeping education package expanding school voucher programs in the state. An organization called CAPES, or Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students, is attempting to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot to repeal the law.
The repeal efforts hit their first roadblock earlier this week, after Attorney General Tim Griffin said the proposed amendment's ballot title was misleading. Veronica McClane, a volunteer with CAPES, said the organization has resubmitted a new title.
“We spoke with the assistant attorney general, asked questions, we worked hard to meet their demands,” she said, adding she would “have some concerns” if Griffin did not approve the ballot title a second time.
McClane says her group plans to keep fighting.
“And we might just have to start looking at some other ways to help Attorney General Griffin understand the importance of this because he represents us,” she said.
Under LEARNS, parents will be able to use public funds to enroll their children in private and parochial schools. The law also allows charter school companies to take over struggling public school districts.
Chris Jones, who mounted an unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial campaign against the incumbent Sanders, said that could hurt rural school districts that depend on schools for their community.
“My dad grew up in Hughes, Ark.,” he said. “And the school was closed under [former Gov. Mike] Huckabee. It devastated the community,” he said.
A similar protest was held in Jonesboro Thursday. Sanders has said she is “proud” of the law and “does not think it is going anywhere.”
