The Democratic Party of Arkansas laid out their legislative vision Tuesday, as the state nears the 2025 legislative session. Starting in January, lawmakers have four main policy goals. Democratic Rep. Andrew Collins said the four ideas came to light after talking to constituents throughout election season.
On the menu for Democrats: public education, maternal health, democracy and mental health.
“This agenda, like Arkansans, is not about ideology,” Collins said. “It's about results. Democrats have all types in our big tent.”
The bills will be filed Wednesday, but face several hurdles to become law. Right now, Republicans have supermajorities in both the House and Senate.
During a press conference Tuesday, Collins expressed pride that the party had flipped one seat in the house. Democrat Diana Gonzalez Worthen beat her opponent, incumbent Rep. DeAnna Hodges, R-Springdale, by ten points.
Maternal Healthcare
Rep. Ashley Hudson, D-Little Rock, pointed to recent rankings putting Arkansas at the bottom of the nation for maternal health. She called the current state of Arkansas maternal health “bleak.”
“We are now one of the worst states to have a baby and to be a mother,” she said. Hudson referenced new data from the March of Dimes giving Arkansas an "F" ranking in infant mortality and maternal health.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders gathered a maternal health task force to address the numbers. The group did not consider expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year, which is one of the biggest goals for the legislation.
Right now, mothers only get 60 days of Medicaid coverage after birth. All other states offer a year of postpartum Medicaid coverage.
Previous legislators like Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Knoxville, put forward legislation to expand that term to a year. That bill died before it became law.
Democrats also propose expanding paid maternity leave. Gov. Sanders already expanded maternity leave for state employees, but not those in the private sector.
Democrats plan to put forward legislation eliminating the tax on period products. Previous attempts to pass laws axing the tax have died in the legislature. Earlier this year, a group working to put a measure to eliminate the tax did not gather enough signatures for it to go on the ballot.
Democrats say their plan would add diapers and breast feeding devices to the sales tax exemption along with period products.
Education
One proposed bill is designed to “strengthen public education.” Rep. Tara Shephard, D-Little Rock, said the legislation was a response to the Arkansas LEARNS Act, a state law that gives tax money to public schools.
“We have an achievement gap,” Shephard said. “The way to bridge that gap is to provide investments, innovation and support for school personnel.”
A previous effort to repeal Arkansas LEARNS failed when canvassers fell short of the needed number of signatures. While a different ballot amendment that would add caveats to LEARNS also fell short of the threshold.
The current Democratic plan would expand special and early childhood education in public schools.
Democracy
Newly elected Rep. Jessie McGruder, D-Marion, spoke on making voting easier. This comes after a legal dispute over whether to allow early voting in a county he represents.
The plan runs the gamut of voting rights expansion. The bill would allow online voter registration, more time to turn in an absentee ballot and no-excuse absentee voting. It would also let people give water to someone waiting in line to vote.
The bill aims to create redistricting reform by setting up a bipartisan commission to draw out voting maps. It would require so-called “dark money” disclosures for appellate judges.
Rep. Andrew Collins told Little Rock Public Radio this package was the least likely to pass.
Mental Health
Collins says this bill is the most likely to pass. Rep. Nicole Clowney, D-Fayetteville, spoke on this proposed legislation.
“There never seems to be enough money for real investment in things like mental health,” Clowney said. “It doesn't have to be this way.”
One proposal is a "red flag law." This would allow the state to block gun sales to someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
The bill would also give more money to mental health providers and build a new acute psychiatric inpatient hospital.
