A grassroots organization trying to overturn the Arkansas LEARNS education overhaul began collecting and counting the final signatures for a ballot measure over the weekend.
CAPES, or Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students, opposes a package of omnibus education legislation championed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders also known as LEARNS.
In order to put a measure on the 2024 ballot to overturn the law, the group needs to collect at least 54,000 signatures by 5 p.m. Monday. The group held a signature collection event at the Arkansas State Capitol Sunday evening.
In their final hours, members of the group remained hopeful they would make it.
“Most of our volunteers are teachers, and teachers know how to get things done," said volunteer Amanda Goff, an educator from Bryant. "We just want to give everyone in Arkansas a chance to vote on this instead of the way it was pushed through.”
Volunteer Veronica McClane has been working to collect signatures for months. She spent the night Sunday at the group's headquarters counting signatures as they came in from across the state.
“Each time I'm shocked,” she said, describing what it is like watch signature counts come in. “There is still someone out in Perry County that has over 100 signatures that we didn't know about.”
Counted signatures will then be scrutinized to see if they match the ones on residents' voter registration. Carol Egan is also a volunteer working into the night to count the signatures.
“We think we are going to make it, but it is definitely down to the wire,” she said.
If they collect enough signatures, the measure will go on the ballot in Arkansas in November 2024, giving the voters the option to stop the law from going into effect.
In a news conference Monday morning, CAPES volunteer Steve Grappe said the group was nearing 49,000 signatures collected with more on the way. He said, if they're unsuccessful this go-around, the group would try again with an initiative next year.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she stands by and is proud of the LEARNS bill. She believes CAPES' efforts will not be successful in keeping the bill from becoming law.
