Legislators wrap 95th General Assembly regular session

Arkansas lawmakers officially ended the 95th General Assembly regular session after months of passing laws affecting higher education, economic development, energy, maternal health, the last of the state grocery tax, affirmative action, and changes to the ballot initiative process.

They also approved a new state employee pay plan, banned cellphones in public schools, funded free breakfast for schoolchildren, and balanced a $6.5 billion budget.

All told, 1,026 bills were signed into law. Gov. Sarah Sanders vetoed four bills and the Legislature decided not to try to override any of them on the final day of the session, an official process known as sine die.

The Legislature can only come back into session to debate new laws if the governor calls a special session. Next year, legislators will reconvene for a fiscal session to consider budget issues.

About the only thing on Sanders’ agenda that didn’t pass legislative muster was funding for a new state prison. A $750 million appropriation measure failed to get a three-fourths vote in the state Senate despite multiple tries.

Lawmakers also referred three proposed constitutional amendments to voters for consideration in the 2026 general election. They are:

• A measure to prohibit non-citizens from voting in Arkansas elections;
• An amendment to protect the right to keep and bear arms; and
• An economic development proposal to create development districts aimed at stimulating more local, smaller job projects, including retail opportunities.