User:Apt-ark/Sandbox/Arkansas Constitution of 1874, as amended

Preamble. We, the People of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government; for our civil and religious liberty; and desiring to perpetuate its blessings, and secure the same to our selves and posterity; do ordain and establish this Constitution.

Article 1. Boundaries
We do declare and establish, ratify and confirm, the following as the permanent boundaries of the State of Arkansas, that is to say: Beginning at the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River, on the parallel of thirty-six degrees of north latitude, running thence west with said parallel of latitude to the middle of the main channel of the St. Francis River; thence up the main channel of said last-named river to the parallel of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes of north latitude; thence west with the southern boundary line of the State of Missouri to the southwest corner of said last-named state; thence to be bounded on the west to the north bank of Red River, as by act of Congress and treaties existing January 1, 1837, defining the western limits of the Territory of Arkansas, and to be bounded across and south of Red River by the boundary line of the State of Texas as far as to the northwest corner of the State of Louisiana; thence easterly with the northern boundary line of said last-named State to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River; thence up the middle of the main channel of said last-named river, including an island in said river known as "Belle Point Island," and all other land originally surveyed and included as a part of the Territory or State of Arkansas, to the thirty-sixth degree of north latitude, the place of beginning.

The seat of government of the state of Arkansas shall be and remain at Little Rock, where it is now established.

Art. 2, § 1. Authority of government
All political power is inherent in the people and government is instituted for their protection, security and benefit; and they have the right to alter, reform or abolish the same, in such manner as they may think proper.

Art. 2, § 2. Individual liberty
All men are created equally free and independent, and have certain inherent and inalienable rights; amongst which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty; of acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and reputation; and of pursuing their own happiness. To secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Art. 2, § 3. Legal equality
The equality of all persons before the law is recognized, and shall ever remain inviolate; nor shall any citizen ever be deprived of any right, privilege or immunity; nor exempted from any burden or duty, on account of race, color or previous condition.

Art. 2, § 4. Freedom of assembly; petition
The right of the people peaceably to assemble, to consult for the common good; and to petition, by address or remonstrance, the government, or any department thereof, shall never be abridged.

Art. 2, § 5. Freedom to bear arms
The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense.

Art. 2, § 6. Freedom of speech; press; criminal prosecutions for libel
The liberty of the press shall forever remain inviolate. The free communication of thoughts and opinions, is one of the invaluable rights of man; and all persons may freely write and publish their sentiments on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of such right. In all criminal prosecutions for libel, the truth may be given in evidence to the jury; and, if it shall appear to the jury that the matter charged as libelous is true, and was published with good motives and for justifiable ends, the party charged shall be acquitted.

Art. 2, § 7. Jury trials; rights [Amended 1928]
The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate, and shall extend to all cases at law, without regard to the amount in controversy; but a jury trial may be waived by the parties in all cases in the manner prescribed by law; and in all jury trials in civil cases, where as many as nine of the jurors agree upon a verdict, the verdict so agreed upon shall be returned as the verdict of such jury, provided, however, that where a verdict is returned by less than twelve jurors all the jurors consenting to such verdict shall sign the same.

Art. 2, § 8. Criminal procedure; double jeopardy; right against self-incrimination; due process
No person shall be held to answer a criminal charge unless on the presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases of impeachment or cases such as the General Assembly shall make cognizable by justices of the peace, and courts of similar jurisdiction; or cases arising in the army and navy of the United States; or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; and no person, for the same offense, shall be twice put in jeopardy of life or liberty; but if, in any criminal prosecution, the jury be divided in opinion, the court before which the trial shall be had, may, in its discretion, discharge the jury, and commit or bail the accused for trial, at the same or the next term of said court; nor shall any person be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law. All persons shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for capital offenses, when the proof is evident or the presumption great.

Art. 2, § 9. Bail; limitations on penalties; detention of witnesses
Excessive bail shall not be required; nor shall excessive fines be imposed; nor shall cruel or unusual punishment be inflicted; nor witnesses be unreasonably detained.

Art. 2, § 10. Rights of defendant
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the county in which the crime shall have been committed; provided, that the venue may be changed to any other county of the judicial district in which the indictment is found, upon the application of the accused, in such manner as now is, or may be prescribed by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, and to have a copy thereof; and to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to be heard by himself and his counsel.

Art. 2, § 11. Habeas corpus
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended; except by the General Assembly, in case of rebellion, insurrection or invasion, when the public safety may require it.

Art. 2, § 12. Abrogation of laws prohibited
No power of suspending or setting aside the law or laws of the State, shall ever be exercised, except by the General Assembly.

Art. 2, § 13. Remedies
Every person is entitled to a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries or wrongs he may receive in his person, property or character; he ought to obtain justice freely, and without purchase; completely, and without denial; promptly and without delay; conformably to the laws.

Art. 2, § 14. Treason
Treason against the State shall only consist in levying and making war against the same, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

Art. 2, § 15. Searches and seizures
The right of the people of this State to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue, except upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or thing to be seized.

Art. 2, § 16. Incarceration for debt prohibited
No person shall be imprisoned for debt in any civil action, on mesne or final process, unless in cases of fraud.

Art. 2, § 17. Attainder; ex post facto laws; impairment of contract
No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts shall ever be passed; and no conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate.

Art. 2, § 18. Privileges and immunities; nondiscrimination
The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.

Art. 2, § 19. Perpetuities and monopolies prohibited
Perpetuities and monopolies are contrary to the genius of a republic, and shall not be allowed; nor shall any hereditary emoluments, privileges or honors ever be granted or conferred in this State.

Art. 2, § 20. Resident aliens and citizens; property rights
No distinction shall ever be made by law, between resident aliens and citizens, in regard to the possession, enjoyment or descent of property.

Art. 2, § 21. Fundamental rights of life, liberty, property; exile prohibited
No person shall be taken, or imprisoned, or disseized of his estate, freehold, liberties or privileges; or outlawed, or in any manner destroyed, or deprived of his life, liberty or property; except by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land; nor shall any person, under any circumstances, be exiled from the State.

Art. 2, § 22. Compensation for property
The right of property is before and higher than any constitutional sanction; and private property shall not be taken, appropriated or damaged for public use, without just compensation therefor.

Art. 2, § 23. Taxation and eminent domain; delegation
The State's ancient right of eminent domain and of taxation, is herein fully and expressly conceded; and the General Assembly may delegate the taxing power, with the necessary restriction, to the State's subordinate political and municipal corporations, to the extent of providing for their existence, maintenance and well being, but no further.

Art. 2, § 24. Freedom of religion
All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; no man can, of right, be compelled to attend, erect, or support any place of worship; or to maintain any ministry against his consent. No human authority can, in any case or manner whatsoever, control or interfere with the right of conscience; and no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment, denomination or mode of worship, above any other.

Art. 2, § 25. Religious freedom protected
Religion, morality and knowledge being essential to good government, the General Assembly shall enact suitable laws to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship.

Art. 2, § 26. Religious discrimination prohibited
No religious test shall ever be required of any person as a qualification to vote or hold office; nor shall any person be rendered incompetent to be a witness on account of his religious belief; but nothing herein shall be construed to dispense with oaths or affirmations.

Art. 2, § 27. Slavery prohibited; military authority limited
There shall be no slavery in this State, nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime. No standing army shall be kept in time of peace; the military shall, at all times, be in strict subordination to the civil power; and no soldier shall be quartered in any house, or on any premises, without the consent of the owner, in time of peace; nor in time of war, except in a manner prescribed by law.

Art. 2, § 28. Feudal land tenures prohibited
All lands in this State are declared to be allodial; and feudal tenures of every description, with all their incidents, are prohibited.

Art. 2, § 29. Additional rights not precluded
This enumeration of rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people; and to guard against any encroachments on the rights herein retained, or any transgression of any of the higher powers herein delegated, we declare that everything in this article is excepted out of the general powers of the government; and shall forever remain inviolate; and that all laws contrary thereto, or to the other provisions herein contained, shall be void.

Art. 3, § 2. Right of suffrage
Elections shall be free and equal. No power, civil or military, shall ever interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage; nor shall any law be enacted whereby such right shall be impaired or forfeited, except for the commission of a felony, upon lawful conviction thereof.

Art. 3, § 3. XXX [Repealed]
All elections by the people shall be by ballot. Every ballot shall be numbered in the order in which it shall be received, and the number recorded by the election officers on the list of voters opposite the name of the elector who presents the ballot. The election officer shall be sworn or affirmed not to disclose how any elector shall have voted, unless required to do so as witnesses in a judicial proceeding, or a proceeding to contest an election.

Art. 3, § 4. Arrest; immunity while voting
Electors shall, in all cases (except treason, felony and breach of the peace,) be privileged from arrest during their attendance at elections, and going to and from the same.

Art. 3, § 5. XXX [Repealed]
No idiot or insane person shall be entitled to the privileges of an elector.

Art. 3, § 6. Election laws; violations
Any persons who shall be convicted of fraud, bribery, or other willful and corrupt violation of any election law of this State, shall be adjudged guilty of a felony, and disqualified from holding any office of trust or profit in this State.

Art. 3, § 7. Military personnel; voting
No soldier, sailor, or marine, in the military or naval service of the United States, shall acquire a residence by reason of being stationed on duty in this State.

Art. 3, § 8. Time of holding elections
The general elections shall be held biennially, on the days and at times fixed by the General Assembly.

Art. 3, § 9. Contested elections; witness testimony
In trials of contested elections and in proceedings for the investigation of elections, no person shall be permitted to withhold his testimony on the ground that it may criminate himself or subject him to public infamy: but such testimony shall not be used against him in any judicial proceeding, except for perjury in giving such testimony.

Art. 3, § 10. Election officers
The General Assembly shall determine the qualifications of an election officer.

Art. 3, § 11. Tallying votes
If the officers of any election shall unlawfully refuse or fail to receive, count, or return the vote or ballot of any qualified elector, such vote or ballot shall nevertheless be counted upon the trial of any contests arising out of said election.

Art. 3, § 12. Proxies; viva voce voting
All elections by persons acting in a representative capacity shall be viva voce.

Art. 4, § 1. Division of governmental authority
The powers of the government of the State of Arkansas shall be divided into three distinct departments, each of them to be confided to a separate body of magistracy, to-wit: Those which are legislative, to one, those which are executive, to another, and those which are judicial, to another.

Art. 4, § 2. Separation of powers
No person or collection of persons, being of one of these departments, shall exercise any power belonging to either of the others, except in the instances hereinafter expressly directed or permitted.

Art. 5, § 1. Initiative and Referendum
The legislative power of the people of this State shall be vested in a General Assembly, which shall consist of the Senate and House of Representatives, but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose legislative measures, laws and amendments to the Constitution, and to enact or reject the same at the polls independent of the General Assembly; and also reserve the power, at their own option to approve or reject at the polls any entire act or any item of an appropriation bill.

Initiative. The first power reserved by the people is the initiative. Eight per cent of the legal voters may propose any law and ten per cent may propose a constitutional amendment by initiative petition and every such petition shall include the full text of the measure so proposed. Initiative petitions for state-wide measures shall be filed with the Secretary of State not less than four months before the election at which they are to be voted upon; provided, that at least thirty days before the aforementioned filing, the proposed measure shall have been published once, at the expense of the petitioners, in some paper of general circulation.

Referendum. The second power reserved by the people is the referendum, and any number not less than six per cent of the legal voters may, by petition, order the referendum against any general Act, or any item of an appropriation bill, or measure passed by the General Assembly, but the filing of a referendum petition against one or more items, sections or parts of any such act or measure shall not delay the remainder from becoming operative. Such petition shall be filed with the Secretary of State not later than ninety days after the final adjournment of the session at which such Act was passed, except when a recess or adjournment shall be taken temporarily for a longer period than ninety days, in which case such petition shall be filed not later than ninety days after such recess or temporary adjournment. Any measure referred to the people by referendum petition shall remain in abeyance until such vote is taken. The total number of votes cast for the office of Governor in the last preceding general election shall be the basis upon which the number of signatures of legal voters upon state-wide initiative and referendum petitions shall be computed.

Upon all initiative or referendum petitions provided for in any of the sections of this article, it shall be necessary to file from at least fifteen of the counties of the State, petitions bearing the signature of not less than one-half of the designated percentage of the electors of such county.

Emergency. If it shall be necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety that a measure shall become effective without delay, such necessity shall be stated in one section, and if upon a yea and nay vote two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, or two-thirds of all the members elected to city or town councils, shall vote upon separate roll call in favor of the measure going into immediate operation, such emergency measure shall become effective without delay. It shall be necessary, however, to state the fact which constitutes such emergency. Provided, however, that an emergency shall not be declared on any franchise or special privilege or act creating any vested right or interest or alienating any property of the State. If a referendum is filed against any emergency measure such measure shall be a law until it is voted upon by the people, and if it is then rejected by a majority of the electors voting thereon, it shall be thereby repealed. The provision of this sub-section shall apply to city or town councils.

Local for Municipalities and Counties. The initiative and referendum powers of the people are hereby further reserved to the legal voters of each municipality and county as to all local, special and municipal legislation of every character in and for their respective municipalities and counties, but no local legislation shall be enacted contrary to the Constitution or any general law of the State, and any general law shall have the effect of repealing any local legislation which is in conflict therewith.

Municipalities may provide for the exercise of the initiative and referendum as to their local legislation. General laws shall be enacted providing for the exercise of the initiative and referendum as to counties. Fifteen per cent of the legal voters of any municipality or county may order the referendum, or invoke the initiative upon any local measure. In municipalities the number of signatures required upon any petition shall be computed upon the total vote cast for the office of mayor at the last preceding general election; in counties upon the office of circuit clerk. In municipalities and counties the time for filing an initiative petition shall not be fixed at less than sixty days nor more than ninety days before the election at which it is to be voted upon; for a referendum petition at not less than thirty days nor more than ninety days after the passage of such measure by a municipal council; nor less than ninety days when filed against a local or special measure passed by the General Assembly.

Every extension, enlargement, grant, or conveyance of a franchise or any rights, property, easement, lease, or occupation of or in any road, street, alley or any part thereof in real property or interest in real property owned by municipalities, exceeding in value three hundred dollars, whether the same be by statute, ordinance, resolution, or otherwise, shall be subject to referendum and shall not be subject to emergency legislation.

Definition. The word "measure" as used herein includes any bill, law, resolution, ordinance, charter, constitutional amendment or legislative proposal or enactment of any character.

No Veto. The veto power of the Governor or mayor shall not extend to measures initiated by or referred to the people.

Amendment and Repeal. No measure approved by a vote of the people shall be amended or repealed by the General Assembly or by any city council, except upon a yea and nay vote on roll call of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house of the General Assembly, or of the city council, as the case may be.

Election. All measures initiated by the people whether for the State, county, city or town, shall be submitted only at the regular elections, either State, congressional or municipal, but referendum petitions may be referred to the people at special elections to be called by the proper official, and such special elections shall be called when fifteen per cent of the legal voters shall petition for such special election, and if the referendum is invoked as to any measure passed by a city or town council, such city or town council may order a special election.

Majority. Any measure submitted to the people as herein provided shall take effect and become a law when approved by a majority of the votes cast upon such measure, and not otherwise, and shall not be required to receive a majority of the electors voting at such election. Such measures shall be operative on and after the thirtieth day after the election at which it is approved, unless otherwise specified in the Act.

This section shall not be construed to deprive any member of the General Assembly of the right to introduce any measure, but no measure shall be submitted to the people by the General Assembly, except a proposed constitutional amendment or amendments as provided for in this Constitution.

Canvass and Declaration of Results. The result of the vote upon any State measure shall be canvassed and declared by the State Board of Election Commissioners (or legal substitute therefor); upon a municipal or county measure, by the county election commissioners (or legal substitute therefor).

Conflicting Measures. If conflicting measures initiated or referred to the people shall be approved by a majority of the votes severally cast for and against the same at the same election, the one receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall become law.

Title. At the time of filing petitions the exact title to be used on the ballot shall by the petitioners be submitted with the petition, and on state-wide measures, shall be submitted to the State Board of Election Commissioners, who shall certify such title to the Secretary of State, to be placed upon the ballot; on county and municipal measures such title shall be submitted to the county election board and shall by said board be placed upon the ballot in such county or municipal election.

Limitation. No limitation shall be placed upon the number of constitutional amendments, laws, or other measures which may be proposed and submitted to the people by either initiative or referendum petition as provided in this section. No petition shall be held invalid if it shall contain a greater number of signatures than required herein.

Verification. Only legal votes shall be counted upon petitions. Petitions may be circulated and presented in parts, but each part of any petition shall have attached thereto the affidavit of the person circulating the same, that all signatures thereon were made in the presence of the affiant, and that to the best of the affiant's knowledge and belief each signature is genuine, and that the person signing is a legal voter and no other affidavit or verification shall be required to establish the genuineness of such signatures.

Sufficiency. The sufficiency of all state-wide petitions shall be decided in the first instance by the Secretary of State, subject to review by the Supreme Court of the State, which shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction over all such causes. The sufficiency of all local petitions shall be decided in the first instance by the county clerk or the city clerk as the case may be, subject to review by the chancery court.

Court Decisions. If the sufficiency of any petition is challenged such cause shall be a preference cause and shall be tried at once, but the failure of the courts to decide prior to the election as to the sufficiency of any such petition, shall not prevent the question from being placed upon the ballot at the election named in such petition, nor militate against the validity of such measure, if it shall have been approved by a vote of the people.

Amendment of Petition.

Unwarranted Restrictions Prohibited. No law shall be passed to prohibit any person or persons from giving or receiving compensation for circulating petitions, nor to prohibit the circulation of petitions, nor in any manner interfering with the freedom of the people in procuring petitions; but laws shall be enacted prohibiting and penalizing perjury, forgery, and all other felonies or other fraudulent practices, in the securing of signatures or filing of petitions.

Publication. All measures submitted to a vote of the people by petition under the provisions of this section shall be published as is now, or hereafter may be provided by law.

Enacting Clause. The style of all bills initiated and submitted under the provisions of this section shall be, "Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Arkansas, (municipality or county, as the case may be)." In submitting measures to the people, the Secretary of State and all other officials shall be guided by the general election laws or municipal laws as the case may be until additional legislation is provided therefor.

Self-Executing. This section shall be self-executing, and all its provisions shall be treated as mandatory, but laws may be enacted to facilitate its operation. No legislation shall be enacted to restrict, hamper or impair the exercise of the rights herein reserved to the people.

Art. 5, § 2. House of Representatives
The House of Representatives shall consist of members to be chosen every second year, by the qualified electors of the several counties.

Art. 5, § 3. Senate
The Senate shall consist of members to be chosen every four years, by the qualified electors of the several districts. At the first session of the Senate, the Senators shall divide themselves into two classes, by lot, and the first class shall hold their places for two years only, after which all shall be elected for four years.

Art. 5, § 4. General Assembly members; requirements
No person shall be a Senator or Representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, a resident of this State, and for one year next preceding his election, a resident of the county or district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age.

§ 6. General Assembly vacancies
The Governor shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies as shall occur in either house of the General Assembly.

§ 7. Government officers; eligibility
No judge of the Supreme, Circuit or inferior courts of law or equity, Secretary of State, Attorney General for the State, Auditor or Treasurer, Recorder, clerk of any court of record, Sheriff, Coroner, member of Congress, nor any other person holding any lucrative office under the United States or this State (militia officers, justices of the peace, postmasters, officers of public schools and notaries excepted), shall be eligible to a seat in either house of the General Assembly.

§ 8. Public funds; eligibility of collector or holder
No person who now is, or shall be hereafter, a collector or holder of public money, nor any assistant or deputy of such holder or collector of public money, shall be eligible to a seat in either house of the General Assembly, nor to any office of trust or profit, until he shall have accounted for, and paid over, all sums for which he may have been liable.

§ 10. Assembly members; ineligible to hold civil office
No Senator or Representative shall, during the term for which he shall have been elected, be appointed or elected to any civil office under this State.

§ 11. Selection of officers; quorum
Each house shall appoint its own officers, and shall be sole judge of the qualifications, returns and elections of its own members. A majority of all the members elected to each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner and under such penalties as each house shall provide.

§ 12. Authority and obligations
Each house shall have power to determine the rules of its proceedings; and punish its members, or other persons, for contempt or disorderly behavior in its presence; enforce obedience to its process; to protect its members against violence or offers of bribes, or private solicitations; and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member; but not a second time for the same cause. A member expelled for corruption shall not, thereafter, be eligible to either house; and punishment for contempt, or disorderly behavior, shall not bar an indictment for the same offense. Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings; and, from time to time, publish the same, except such parts as require secrecy; and the yeas and nays, on any question, shall, at the desire of any five members, be entered on the journals.

§ 13. Open sessions; exception
The sessions of each house, and of committees of the whole, shall be open, unless when the business is such as ought to be kept secret.

§ 14. Appointment of officers; ratification
Whenever an officer, civil or military, shall be appointed by the joint or concurrent vote of both houses, or by the separate vote of either house of the General Assembly, the vote shall be taken viva voce, and entered on the journals.

§ 15. Privilege from arrest of members; freedom of speech or debate
The members of the General Assembly shall, in all cases except treason, felony, and breach or surety of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the sessions of their respective houses; and, in going to and returning from the same; and, for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any other place.

§ 16. Per diem and mileage of General Assembly [Repealed]
Each member of the General Assembly shall receive six dollars per day for his services during the first sixty days of any regular session of the General Assembly, and if any regular session shall be extended, such member shall serve without further per diem. Each member of the General Assembly shall also receive ten cents per mile for each mile traveled in going to and returning from the seat of government, over the most direct and practicable route. When convened in extraordinary session by the Governor, they shall each receive three dollars per day for their services during the first fifteen days, and if such extraordinary session shall extend beyond fifteen days, they shall receive no further per diem. They shall be entitled to the same mileage for any extraordinary session as herein provided for regular sessions. The terms of all members of the General Assembly shall begin on the day of their election, and they shall receive no compensation, perquisite or allowance whatever, except as herein provided.

§ 18. Election of presiding officers
Each house, at the beginning of every regular session of the General Assembly, and whenever a vacancy may occur, shall elect from its members a presiding officer, to be styled, respectively, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and whenever, at the close of any session, it may appear that the term of the member elected President of the Senate will expire before the next regular session, the Senate shall elect another President from those members whose terms of office continue over, who shall qualify and remain President of the Senate until his successor may be elected and qualified; and who, in the case of a vacancy in the office of Governor, shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of Governor as elsewhere herein provided.

§ 19. Laws; enacting language
The style of the laws of the State of Arkansas shall be: "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas."

§ 20. Sovereign immunity of the State of Arkansas
The State of Arkansas shall never be made defendant in any of her courts.

§ 21. Bills and amendments
No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so altered or amended on its passage through either house, as to change its original purpose.

§ 22. Bills; passage by vote
Every bill shall be read at length, on three different days, in each house; unless the rules be suspended by two-thirds of the house, when the same may be read a second or third time on the same day; and no bill shall become a law unless, on its final passage, the vote be taken by yeas and nays; the names of the persons voting for and against the same be entered on the journal; and a majority of each house be recorded thereon as voting in its favor.

§ 23. Prohibition against revival, amendment, or extension of laws
No law shall be revived, amended, or the provisions thereof extended or conferred, by reference to its title only; but so much thereof as is revived, amended, extended or conferred, shall be reenacted and published at length.

§ 24. Local and special matters; legislation prohibited
The General Assembly shall not pass any local or special law, changing the venue in criminal cases; changing the names of persons, or adopting or legitimating children; granting divorces; vacating roads, streets or alleys.

§ 25. Special legislation; prohibition
In all cases where a general law can be made applicable, no special law shall be enacted; nor shall the operation of any general law be suspended by the legislature for the benefit of any particular individual, corporation or association; nor where the courts have jurisdiction to grant the powers, or the privileges, or the relief asked for.

§ 26. Local and special legislation; notice and publication
No local or special bill shall be passed, unless notice of the intention to apply therefor shall have been published, in the locality where the matter or the thing to be affected may be situated; which notice shall be, at least, thirty days prior to the introduction into the General Assembly of such bill, and in the manner to be provided by law. The evidence of such notice having been published, shall be exhibited in the General Assembly before such act shall be passed.

§ 27. Additional compensation; legislative appropriations
No extra compensation shall be made to any officer, agent, employee, or contractor, after the service shall have been rendered, or the contract made; nor shall any money be appropriated or paid on any claim, the subject matter of which shall not have been provided for by preexisting laws; unless such compensation, or claim, be allowed by bill passed by two-thirds of the members elected to each branch of the General Assembly.

§ 28. Adjournments; limitations
Neither house shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days; nor to any other place than that in which the two houses shall be sitting.

§ 29. Appropriations
Except as provided in Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 31, no money shall be drawn from the treasury except in pursuance of specific appropriation made by law, the purpose of which shall be distinctly stated in the bill, and the maximum amount which may be drawn shall be specified in dollars and cents; and no appropriations made by the General Assembly after December 31, 2008, shall be for a longer period than one (1) fiscal year.

[Amended 2014 by Amendment 94, § 5; amended 2008 by Amendment 86, § 3.]

2014 amendment

No Except as provided in Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 31, no money shall

2008 amendment

and no appropriations made by the General Assembly after December 31, 2008, shall be for a longer period than two years one (1) fiscal year.

§ 30. General and special appropriations
Except as provided in Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 31, the general appropriation bill shall embrace nothing but appropriations for the ordinary expenses of the executive, legislative and judicial departments of the State; all other appropriations shall be made by separate bills, each embracing but one subject.

[Amended 2014 by Amendment 94, § 6.]

2014 amendment

The Except as provided in Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 31, the general appropriation bill shall

§ 31. Appropriations and taxes; use
No State tax shall be allowed, or appropriation of money made, except to raise means for the payment of the just debts of the State, for defraying the necessary expenses of government, to sustain common schools, to repel invasion and suppress insurrection, except by a majority of two-thirds of both houses of the General Assembly.

§ 32. Workers' Compensation
The General Assembly shall have power to enact laws prescribing the amount of compensation to be paid by employers for injuries to or death of employees, and to whom said payment shall be made. It shall have power to provide the means, methods, and forum for adjudicating claims arising under said laws, and for securing payment of same. Provided, that otherwise no law shall be enacted limiting the amount to be recovered for injuries resulting in death or for injuries to persons or property; and in case of death from such injuries the right of action shall survive, and the General Assembly shall prescribe for whose benefit such action shall be prosecuted.

[Amended YYYY by Amendment 26.]

YYYY amendment

XXX

§ 33. Corporate obligations to State
No obligation or liability of any railroad, or other corporation, held or owned by this State shall ever be exchanged, transferred, remitted, postponed or in any way diminished by the General Assembly; nor shall such liability or obligation be released, except by payment thereof into the State treasury.

§ 34. Introduction of bills—Time limit
No new bill shall be introduced into either house during the last three days of a regular or fiscal session.

[Amended 2008 by Amendment 86, § 4.]

2008 amendment

the last three days of the a regular or fiscal session.

§ 35. Bribery; felony
Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, offer, give, or promise any money, or thing of value, testimonial, privilege or personal advantage to any executive or judicial officer, or member of the General Assembly; and any such executive or judicial officer, or member of the General Assembly, who shall receive or consent to receive any such consideration, either directly or indirectly, to influence his action in the performance or non performance of his public or official duty, shall be guilty of a felony, and be punished accordingly.

§ 36. Criminal indictment; expulsion
Proceedings to expel a member for a criminal offense, whether successful or not, shall not bar an indictment and punishment, under the criminal laws, for the same offense.

[§ 37.] Laws; enactment by majority
Not less than a majority of the members of each House of the General Assembly may enact a law.

[§ 38.] Tax increases; approval
None of the rates for property, excise, privilege or personal taxes, now levied shall be increased by the General Assembly except after the approval of the qualified electors voting thereon at an election, or in case of emergency, by the votes of three-fourths of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly.

[§ 39.] State expenses—Limitation—Exceptions
Excepting monies raised or collected for educational purposes, highway purposes, to pay Confederate pensions and the just debts of the State, the General Assembly is hereby prohibited from appropriating or expending more than the sum of Two and One-Half Million Dollars for all purposes, for any fiscal year; provided the limit herein fixed may be exceeded by the votes of three-fourths of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly.

[Amended 2008 by Amendment 86, § 5. Added 1934 by Amendment 19, § 3.]

2008 amendment

the sum of Two and One-Half Million Dollars for all purposes, for any biennial period fiscal year ; provided the limit herein fixed may

[§ 40.] General appropriation bill—Enactment
In making appropriations for any fiscal year, the General Assembly shall first pass the General Appropriation Bill provided for in Section 30 of Article 5 of the Constitution, and no other appropriation bill may be enacted before that shall have been done.

[Added 1934 by Amendment 19, § 4. Amended 2008 by Amendment 86, § 6. ]

2008 amendment

In making appropriations for any biennial period fiscal year, the General Assembly shall

[§ 41.] Obligations incurred by legislation
No expense shall be incurred or authorized for either House except by a bill duly passed by both Houses and approved by the Governor.

The provisions of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas in conflict with this Amendment are hereby repealed in so far as they are in conflict herewith, and this Amendment shall be self-executing and shall take and have full effect immediately upon its adoption by the electors of the State.

§ 1. Executive department officers
The executive department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State and Attorney General, all of whom shall keep their offices in person at the seat of government and hold their offices for the term of two years and until their successors are elected and qualified, and the General Assembly may provide by law for the establishment of the office of Commissioner of State Lands.

YYYY amendment

§ 2. Governor
The supreme executive power of this State shall be vested in a chief magistrate, who shall be styled "the Governor of the State of Arkansas."

§ 3. Executive officers; elections
The Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, and Attorney General shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State at large, at the time and places of voting for members of the General Assembly; the returns of each election therefor shall be sealed up separately and transmitted to the seat of government by the returning officers, and directed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives; who shall, during the first week of the session, open and publish the votes cast and given for each of the respective officers hereinbefore mentioned, in the presence of both houses of the General Assembly. The persons having the highest number of votes, for each of the respective offices, shall be declared duly elected thereto; but if two or more shall be equal, and highest in votes for the same office, one of them shall be chosen by the joint vote of both houses of the General Assembly, and a majority of all the members elected shall be necessary to a choice.

§ 4. Contested elections; executive officers
Contested elections for Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, and Attorney General shall be determined by the members of both houses of the General Assembly, in joint session; who shall have exclusive jurisdiction in trying and determining the same, except as hereinafter provided in the case of special elections; and all such contests shall be tried and determined at the first session of the General Assembly after the election in which the same shall have arisen.

§ 5. Governor; requirements
No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor except a citizen of the United States, who shall have attained the age of thirty years, and shall have been seven years a resident of this State.

§ 6. Governor; military commander-in-chief
The Governor shall be commander-in-chief of the military and naval forces of this State, except when they shall be called into the actual service of the United States.

§ 7. Governor; reporting requirements
He may require information, in writing, from the officers of the executive department, on any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and shall see that the laws are faithfully executed.

§ 8. Governor; address to General Assembly
He shall give to the General Assembly, from time to time, and at the close of his official term, to the next General Assembly, information, by message, concerning the condition and government of the State; and recommend for their consideration such measures as he may deem expedient.

§ 9. State Seal
A seal of the State shall be kept by the Governor, used by him officially, and called the "Great Seal of the State of Arkansas."

§ 10. Grants and commissions; issuance
All grants and commissions shall be issued in the name, and by the authority, of the State of Arkansas; sealed with the great seal of the State; signed by the Governor, and attested by the Secretary of State.

§ 11. Governor's office exclusive
No member of Congress, or other person holding office under the authority of this State, or of the United States, shall exercise the office of Governor, except as herein provided.

§ 12. President of Senate; gubernatorial succession
In case of the death, conviction on impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, absence from the State, or other disability of the Governor, the powers, duties and emoluments of the office for the remainder of the term, or until the disability be removed, or a Governor elected and qualified, shall devolve upon, and accrue, to the President of the Senate.

§ 13. Speaker of House; gubernatorial succession
If, during the vacancy of the office of Governor, the President of the Senate shall be impeached, removed from office, refuse to qualify, resign, die, or be absent from the State; the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall, in like manner, administer the government.

§ 14. Governor; vacancy
Whenever the office of Governor shall have become vacant by death, resignation, removal from office or otherwise, provided such vacancy shall not happen within twelve months next before the expiration of the term of office for which the late Governor shall have been elected, the President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, exercising the powers of Governor for the time being, shall immediately cause an election to be held to fill such vacancy, giving, by proclamation, sixty days, previous notice thereof, which election shall be governed by the same rules prescribed for general elections of Governor as far as applicable; the returns shall be made to the Secretary of State, and the acting Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General shall constitute a board of canvassers, a majority of whom shall compare said returns and declare who is elected; and if there be a contested election, it shall be decided as may be provided by law.

§ 15. Legislation; approval or veto
Every bill which shall have passed both houses of the General Assembly, shall be presented to the Governor; if he approve it, he shall sign it; but if he shall not approve it, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated; which house shall enter the objections at large upon their journal and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, a majority of the whole number elected to that house, shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other house; by which, likewise, it shall be reconsidered; and, if approved by a majority of the whole number elected to that house, it shall be a law; but in such cases the vote of both houses shall be determined by "yeas and nays;" and the names of the members voting for or against the bill, shall be entered on the journals. If any bill shall not be returned by the Governor within five days, Sundays excepted, after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it; unless the General Assembly, by their adjournment, prevent its return; in which case it shall become a law, unless he shall file the same, with his objections, in the office of the Secretary of State, and give notice thereof, by public proclamation, within twenty days after such adjournment.

§ 16. Concurrent resolutions or orders; endorsement or veto
Every order or resolution in which the concurrence of both houses of the General Assembly may be necessary, except on questions of adjournment, shall be presented to the Governor, and, before it shall take effect, be approved by him; or, being disapproved, shall be repassed by both houses according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill.

§ 17. Line item veto
The Governor shall have power to disapprove any item, or items, of any bill making appropriation of money, embracing distinct items; and the part or parts of the bill approved shall be the law; and the item or items of appropriations disapproved, shall be void unless repassed according to the rules and limitations prescribed for the passage of other bills over the executive veto.

§ 18. Executive clemency
In all criminal and penal cases, except in those of treason and impeachment, the Governor shall have power to grant reprieves, commutations of sentence, and pardons, after conviction; and to remit fines and forfeitures, under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by law. In cases of treason, he shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to grant reprieves and pardons; and he may, in the recess of the Senate, respite the sentence until the adjournment of the next regular session of the General Assembly. He shall communicate to the General Assembly at every regular session each case of reprieve, commutation or pardon, with his reasons therefor; stating the name and crime of the convict, the sentence, its date, and the date of the commutation, pardon or reprieve.

§ 19. Special sessions of Assembly
The Governor may, by proclamation, on extraordinary occasions, convene the General Assembly at the seat of government, or at a different place, if that shall have become, since their last adjournment, dangerous from an enemy or contagious disease; and he shall specify in his proclamation the purpose for which they are convened; and no other business than that set forth therein shall be transacted until the same shall have been disposed of; after which they may, by a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to both houses, entered upon their journals, remain in session not exceeding fifteen days.

§ 20. General Assembly; adjournment by Governor
In cases of disagreement between the two houses of the General Assembly, at a regular or special session, with respect to the time of adjournment, the Governor may, if the facts be certified to him by the presiding officers of the two houses, adjourn them to a time not beyond the day of their next meeting; and on account of danger from an enemy or disease, to such other place of safety as he may think proper.

§ 21. Secretary of State; duties
The Secretary of State shall keep a full and accurate record of all the official acts and proceedings of the Governor; and, when required, lay the same with all papers, minutes and vouchers relating thereto, before either branch of the General Assembly. He shall also discharge the duties of Superintendent of Public Instruction, until otherwise provided by law.

§ 22. Executive officers; duties
The Treasurer of State, Secretary of State, Auditor of State, and Attorney-General shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law; they shall not hold any other office or commission, civil or military, in this State or under any State, or the United States, or any other power, at one and the same time; and in case of vacancy occurring in any of said offices, by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall fill said office by appointment for the unexpired term.

§ 23. Governor; commissions
When any office, from any cause, may become vacant, and no mode is provided by the Constitution and laws for filling such vacancy, the Governor shall have the power to fill the same by granting a commission, which shall expire when the person elected to fill said office, at the next general election, shall be duly qualified.

§ 1. XXX [Repealed]
The Judicial power of the State shall be vested in one Supreme Court, in Circuit Courts, in County and Probate Courts, and in Justices of the Peace. The General Assembly may also vest such jurisdiction as may be deemed necessary in Municipal Corporation Courts, Courts of Common Pleas, where established; and, when deemed expedient, may establish separate Courts of Chancery.

§ 2. XXX [Repealed]
The Supreme Court shall be composed of three judges, one of whom shall be styled Chief Justice, and elected as such; any two of whom shall constitute a quorum, and the concurrence of two judges shall, in every case, be necessary to a decision.

§ 3. XXX [Repealed]
When the population of the State shall amount to one million, the General Assembly, may, if deemed necessary, increase the number of Judges of the Supreme Court to five; and, on such increase, a majority of Judges shall be necessary to make a quorum or a decision.

§ 4. XXX [Repealed]
The Supreme Court, except in cases otherwise provided by this Constitution, shall have appellate jurisdiction only; which shall be co-extensive with the State, under such restrictions as may from time to time be prescribed by law. It shall have a general superintending control over all inferior courts of law and equity; and, in aid of its appellate and supervisory jurisdiction, it shall have power to issue writs of error, and supersedeas, certiorari, habeas corpus, prohibition, mandamus, and quo warranto, and other remedial writs; and to hear and determine the same. Its judges shall be conservators of the peace throughout the State, and shall severally have power to issue any of the aforesaid writs.

§ 5. XXX [Repealed]
In the exercise of original jurisdiction, the Supreme Court shall have power to issue writs of quo warranto to the Circuit Judges and Chancellors, when created, and to officers of Political Corporations when the question involved is the legal existence of such Corporations.

§ 6. XXX [Repealed]
A Judge of the Supreme Court shall be at least thirty years of age, of good moral character, and learned in the law; a citizen of the United States, and two years a resident of the State; and who has been a practicing lawyer eight years, or whose service upon the bench of any court of record when added to the time he may have practiced law, shall be equal to eight years. The Judges of the Supreme Court shall be elected by the qualified electors of the State and shall hold their offices during the term of eight years from the date of their commissions; but at the first meeting of the court, after the first election under this Constitution, the Judges shall, by lot, divide themselves into three classes; one of which shall hold his office for four, one for six, and the other for eight years; after which, each Judge shall be elected for a full term of eight years. A record shall be made in the court of this classification.

§ 7. XXX [Repealed]
The Supreme Court shall appoint its Clerk and Reporter, who shall hold their offices for six years, subject to removal for good cause.

§ 8. XXX [Repealed]
The terms of the Supreme Court shall be held at the seat of government, at the times that now are, or may be, provided by law.

§ 9. XXX [Repealed]
In case all, or any of the Judges of the Supreme Court shall be disqualified from presiding in any cause or causes, the court, or the disqualified judge, shall certify the same, to the Governor, who shall immediately commission the requisite number of men learned in the law, to sit in the trial and determination of such causes.

§ 10. XXX [Repealed]
The Supreme Judges shall, at stated times, receive a compensation for their services to be ascertained by law, which shall not be, after the adjournment of the next General Assembly, diminished during the time for which they shall have been elected. They shall not be allowed any fees or perquisites of office, nor hold any other office, nor hold any office of trust or profit under the State or the United States.

§ 11. XXX [Repealed]
The Circuit Court shall have jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases, the exclusive jurisdiction of which may not be vested in some other court provided for by this Constitution.

§ 12. XXX [Repealed]
The Circuit Courts shall hold their terms in each county, at such times and places as are, or may be, prescribed by law.

§ 13. XXX [Repealed]
The State shall be divided into convenient circuits, each circuit to be made up of contiguous Counties, for each of which circuits a Judge shall be elected; who, during his continuance in office, shall reside in and be a conservator of the peace within the circuit for which he shall have been elected.

§ 14. XXX [Repealed]
The circuit courts shall exercise a superintending control and appellate jurisdiction over county, Probate, Court of Common Pleas, and Corporation Courts and Justices of the Peace; and shall have power to issue, hear and determine all the necessary writs to carry into effect their general and specific powers, any of which writs may be issued upon order of the Judge of the appropriate court in vacation.

§ 15. XXX [Repealed]
Until the General Assembly shall deem it expedient to establish Courts of Chancery, the Circuit Courts shall have jurisdiction in matters of equity, subject to appeal to the Supreme Court, in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

§ 16. XXX [Repealed]
A Judge of the Circuit Court shall be a citizen of the United States, at least twenty eight years of age, of good moral character, learned in the law, two years a resident of the State, and shall have practiced law six years, or whose service upon the bench of any court of record, when added to the time he may have practiced law, shall be equal to six years.

§ 17. XXX [Repealed]
The Judges of the Circuit Courts shall be elected by the qualified electors of the several circuits, and shall hold their offices for the term of four years.

§ 18. XXX [Repealed]
The Judges of the Circuit Courts shall at stated times, receive a compensation for their services to be ascertained by law; which shall not, after the adjournment of the first session of the General Assembly, be diminished during the time for which they are elected. They shall not be allowed any fees or perquisites of office, nor hold any other office of trust or profit under this State or the United States.

§ 19. Circuit clerks—Election—Term of office—Ex officio duties—County clerks elected in certain counties
The clerks of the circuit courts shall be elected by the qualified electors of the several counties for the term of four (4) years, and shall be ex officio clerks of the county and probate courts and recorder; provided that in any county having a population exceeding fifteen thousand (15,000) inhabitants, as shown by the last federal census, there shall be elected a county clerk, in like manner as the clerk of the circuit court, for the term of four (4) years, and in such case the county clerk shall be ex officio clerk of the probate court of such county until otherwise provided by the General Assembly.

[Amended YYYY1 by Amendment 94, § 3, and YYYY2 by Amendment 24, § 3.]

YYYY1 amendment

YYYY2 amendment

§ 20. XXX [Repealed]
No Judge or Justice shall preside in the trial of any cause in the event of which he may be interested, or where either of the parties shall be connected with him by consanguinity or affinity, within such degree as may be prescribed by law; or in which he may have been of counsel; or have presided in any inferior Court.

§ 21. XXX [Repealed]
Whenever the office of Judge of the Circuit Court of any county is vacant at the commencement of a term of such court, or the Judge of said Court shall fail to attend, the regular practicing attorneys in attendance on said court, may meet at 10 o'clock a. m. on the second day of the term, and elect a Judge to preside at such Court, or until the regular Judge shall appear: and if the Judge of said court shall become sick, or die, or unable to continue to hold such court after its term shall have commenced, or shall from any cause be disqualified from presiding at the trial of any cause then pending therein, then the regular practicing attorneys in attendance on said court may in like manner, on notice from the judge, or clerk of said Court, elect a Judge to preside at such Court, or to try said causes; and the attorney so elected shall have the same power and authority in said Court as the regular Judge would have had if present and presiding; but this authority shall cease at the close of the term at which the election shall be made. The proceedings shall be entered at large upon the record. The special Judge shall be learned in the law, and a resident of the State.

§ 22. XXX [Repealed]
The Judges of the Circuit Courts may temporarily exchange circuits, or hold courts for each other under such regulations as may be prescribed by law.

§ 23. Jury instructions
Judges shall not charge juries with regard to matters of fact, but shall declare the law; and, in jury trials, shall reduce their charge or instructions to writing, on the request of either party.

§ 24. XXX [Repealed]
The qualified electors of each circuit shall elect a Prosecuting Attorney, who shall hold his office for the term of two years; and he shall be a citizen of the United States, learned in the law, and a resident of the circuit for which he may be elected.

§ 25. XXX [Repealed]
The Judges of the Supreme, Circuit, or Chancery Courts shall not, during their continuance in office, practice law, or appear as counsel in any court—State or Federal—within this State.

§ 26. Indirect contempt
The General Assembly shall have power to regulate, by law, the punishment of contempts; not committed in the presence or hearing of the courts, or in disobedience of process.

§ 27. Impeachment of local officials
The Circuit Court shall have jurisdiction upon information, presentment, or indictment, to remove any county or township officer from office for incompetency, corruption, gross immorality, criminal conduct, malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in office.

§ 28. County Courts; jurisdiction
The County Courts shall have exclusive original jurisdiction in all matters relating to county taxes, roads, bridges, ferries, paupers, bastardy, vagrants, the apprenticeship of minors, the disbursement of money for county purposes, and in every other case that may be necessary to the internal improvement and local concerns of the respective counties. The County Court shall be held by one judge, except in cases otherwise herein provided.

§ 29. County judge—Election—Term—Qualifications
The judge of the county court shall be elected by the qualified electors of the county for the term of four (4) years. He or she shall be at least twenty-five (25) years of age, a citizen of the United States, an individual of upright character, of good business education, and a resident of the state for two (2) years before his or her election; and a resident of the county at the time of his or her election, and during his or her continuance in office.

[Amended 2016 by Amendment 95, § 4.]

2016 amendment

§ 30. County justices of peace
The Justices of the Peace of each county shall sit with and assist the County Judge in levying the county taxes, and in making appropriations for the expenses of the county, in the manner to be prescribed by law; and the County Judge, together with a majority of said Justices, shall constitute a quorum for such purposes; and in the absence of the County Judge a majority of the Justices of the Peace may constitute the court, who shall elect one of their number to preside. The General Assembly shall regulate by law the manner of compelling the attendance of such quorum.

§ 31. Terms of county courts
The terms of the County Courts shall be held at the times that are now prescribed for holding the Supervisors' Courts, or may hereafter be prescribed by law.

§ 32. XXX [Repealed]
The General Assembly may authorize the judges of the county court of any one or more counties, to hold severally a quarterly Court of Common Pleas, in their respective Counties; which shall be a court of record, with such jurisdiction in matters of contract and other civil matters, not involving title to real estate, as may be vested in such court.

§ 33. Judgments of courts; appeals
Appeals from all judgments of County Courts or Courts of Common Pleas, when established, may be taken to the Circuit Court under such restrictions and regulations as may be prescribed by law.

§ 34. XXX [Repealed]
The Judge of the County Court shall be the Judge of the Court of Probate, and have such exclusive original jurisdiction in matters relative to the probate of wills, the estates of deceased persons, executors, administrators, guardians, and persons of unsound mind, and their estates, as is now vested in the circuit court, or may be hereafter prescribed by law. The regular terms of the Court of Probate shall be held at the times that may hereafter be prescribed by law.

[Amended YYYY by Amendment 24, § 1. Repealed 2000 by Amendment 80, § 22(A).]

YYYY amendment [#24]

§ 35. XXX [Repealed]
Appeals may be taken from judgments and orders of the Probate Court to the Circuit Court, under such regulations and restrictions as may be prescribed by law.

[Amended YYYY by Amendment 24, § 2. Repealed 2000 by Amendment 80, § 22(B).]

YYYY amendment [#24]

§ 36. Commission of special judges
Whenever a Judge of the County or Probate Court may be disqualified from presiding, in any cause or causes pending in his court, he shall certify the facts to the Governor of the State, who shall thereupon commission a special judge to preside in such cause or causes during the time said disqualification may continue, or until such cause or causes may be fully disposed of.

§ 37. County judge; compensation, powers
The County Judge shall receive such compensation for his services as presiding Judge of the County Court, as Judge of the Court of Probate and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, when established, as may be provided by law. In the absence of the Circuit Judge from the county, the County Judge shall have power to issue orders for injunctions and other provisional writs in their counties, returnable to the court having jurisdiction; provided, that either party may have such order reviewed by any superior Judge in vacation in such manner as shall be provided by law. The County Judge shall have power, in the absence of the Circuit Judge from the county, to issue, hear and determine writs of habeas corpus, under such regulations and restrictions as shall be provided by law.

§ 38. Election; justices of peace
The qualified electors of each township shall elect the Justices of the Peace for the term of two years; who shall be commissioned by the Governor, and their official oath shall be indorsed on the commission.

§ 39. XXX [Repealed]
For every two hundred electors there shall be elected one Justice of the Peace; but every township, however small, shall have two Justices of the Peace.

§ 40. XXX [Repealed]
They shall severally have original jurisdiction in the following matters:

First—Exclusive of the Circuit Court, in all Matters of Contract where the amount in controversy does not exceed the sum of one hundred dollars, excluding interest; and concurrent jurisdiction in Matters of Contract, where the amount in controversy, does not exceed the sum of three hundred dollars, exclusive of interest.

Second—Concurrent jurisdiction in suits for the recovery of personal property, where the value of the property does not exceed the sum of three hundred dollars; and in all matters of damage to personal property where the amount in controversy does not exceed the sum of one hundred dollars.

Third—Such jurisdiction of misdemeanors as is now, or may be prescribed by law.

Fourth—To sit as examining courts and commit, discharge or recognize offenders to the court having jurisdiction, for further trial, and to bind persons to keep the peace, or for good behavior.

Fifth—For the foregoing purposes, they shall have power to issue all necessary process.

Sixth—They shall be conservators of the peace within their respective counties.

Provided, a Justice of the Peace shall not have jurisdiction where a lien on land, or title or possession thereto is involved.

§ 41. Justice of peace; residence
A Justice of the Peace shall be a qualified elector and a resident of the township for which he is elected.

§ 42. XXX [Repealed]
Appeals may be taken from the final judgments of the Justices of the Peace, to the Circuit Courts, under such regulations as are now, or may be provided by law.

§ 43. XXX [Repealed]
Corporation Courts, for towns and cities, may be invested with jurisdiction concurrent with Justices of the Peace in civil and criminal matters, and the General Assembly may invest such of them as it may deem expedient with jurisdiction of any criminal offences not punishable by death, or imprisonment in the penitentiary, with or without indictment, as may be provided by law; and until the General Assembly shall otherwise provide, they shall have the jurisdiction now provided by law.

§ 44. XXX [Repealed]
The Pulaski Chancery Court shall continue in existence until abolished by law or the business pending at the adoption of this Constitution shall be disposed of, or the pending business be transferred to other courts. The Judge and Clerk of said court shall hold office for the term of two years; and shall be elected by the qualified voters of the State. All suits and proceedings which relate to sixteenth section lands, or to money due for said lands shall be transferred to the respective counties where such lands are located, in such manner as shall be provided by the General Assembly at the next session.

§ 45. XXX [Repealed]
The Separate Criminal Courts established in this State are hereby abolished, and all the jurisdiction exercised by said Criminal Courts is vested in the Circuit Courts of the respective counties; and all causes now pending therein are hereby transferred to said Circuit Courts respectively. It shall be the duty of the clerks of said Criminal Courts to transfer all the records, books and papers pertaining to said Criminal Courts to the Circuit Courts of their respective counties.

§ 46. County executive officers—Compensation of county assessor
The qualified electors of each county shall elect one (1) sheriff, who shall be ex officio collector of taxes, unless otherwise provided by law; one (1) assessor, one (1) coroner, one (1) treasurer, who shall be ex officio treasurer of the common school fund of the county, and one (1); [sic] county surveyor for the term of four (4) years, with such duties as are now or may be prescribed by law provided that no per centum shall ever be paid to assessors upon the valuation or assessment of property by them. If a separate collector of taxes has been created by law for a county, the qualified electors of that county shall elect one (1) collector of taxes for a term of four (4) years, with duties as provided by law.

[Amended 2016 by Amendment 95, § 5.]

2016 amendment

§ 47. Election of constable
The qualified electors of each township shall elect the Constable for the term of two years, who shall be furnished, by the presiding Judge of the County Court, with a certificate of election, on which his official oath shall be indorsed.

§ 48. Officers; commissioned by Governor
All officers provided for in this article, except Constables, shall be commissioned by the Governor.

§ 49. Writs and process; indictments
All writs and other judicial process, shall run in the name of the State of Arkansas, bear test and be signed by the clerks of the respective courts from which they issue. Indictments shall conclude: "Against the peace and dignity of the State of Arkansas."

§ 50. XXX [Repealed]
All vacancies occurring in any office provided for in this article, shall be filled by special election; save that in case of vacancies occurring in county and township offices six months, and in other offices nine months, before the next general election, such vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor.

§ 51. City, etc. allowances; appeals
That in all cases of allowances made for or against counties, cities or towns, an appeal shall lie to the Circuit Court of the county, at the instance of the party aggrieved, or on the intervention of any citizen or resident and tax payer of such county, city or town, on the same terms and conditions on which appeals may be granted to the Circuit Court in other cases; and the matter pertaining to any such allowance shall be tried in the Circuit Court de novo. In case an appeal be taken by any citizen, he shall give a bond, payable to the proper county, conditioned to prosecute the appeal, and save the county from costs on account of the same being taken.

§ 52. Election contests; appeals
That in all cases of contest for any county, township, or municipal office, an appeal shall lie at the instance of the party aggrieved, from any inferior board, council, or tribunal to the Circuit Court, on the same terms and conditions on which appeals may be granted to the Circuit Court in other cases, and on such appeals the case shall be tried de novo.

§ 53. County officers ineligible to civil office
A person elected or appointed to any of the following county offices shall not, during the term for which he or she has been elected, be appointed or elected to any civil office in this state:

§ 1. Board of Apportionment
A Board to be known as "The Board of Apportionment," consisting of the Governor (who shall be Chairman), the Secretary of State and the Attorney General is hereby created and it shall be its imperative duty to make apportionment of representatives in accordance with the provisions hereof; the action of a majority in each instance shall be deemed the action of said board.

[Amended by amends. 23 and 45.]

§ 2. House of Representatives; members
The House of Representatives shall consist of one hundred members and each county existing at the time of any apportionment shall have at least one representative; the remaining members shall be equally distributed (as nearly as practicable) among the more populous counties of the State, in accordance with a ratio to be determined by the population of said counties as shown by the Federal census next preceding any apportionment hereunder.

[Amended by amends. 23 and 45.]

§ 3. Senate; members, districts
The Senate shall consist of thirty-five members. Senatorial districts shall at all times consist of contiguous territory, and no county shall be divided in the formation of such districts. "The Board of Apportionment" hereby created shall, from time to time, divide the state into convenient senatorial districts in such manner as that the Senate shall be based upon the inhabitants of the state, each senator representing, as nearly as practicable, an equal number thereof; each district shall have at least one senator.

§ 4. Reapportionment by board; report
On or before February 1 immediately following each Federal census, said board shall reapportion the State for Representatives, and in each instance said board shall file its report with the Secretary of State, setting forth (a) the basis of population adopted for representatives; (b) the number of representatives assigned to each county; whereupon, after 30 days from such filing date, the apportionment thus made shall become effective unless proceedings for revision be instituted in the Supreme Court within said period.

§ 5. State Supreme Court; jurisdiction
Original jurisdiction (to be exercised on application of any citizens and taxpayers) is hereby vested in the Supreme Court of the State (a) to compel (by mandamus or otherwise) the board to perform its duties as here directed and (b) to revise any arbitrary action of or abuse of discretion by the board in making such apportionment; provided any such application for revision shall be filed with said Court within 30 days after the filing of the report of apportionment by said board with the Secretary of State; if revised by the court, a certified copy of its judgment shall be by the clerk thereof forthwith transmitted to the Secretary of State, and thereupon be and become a substitute for the apportionment made by the board.

§ 6. Elections following apportionment
At the next general election for State and County officers ensuing after any such apportionment, Representatives shall be elected in accordance therewith, Senators shall be elected henceforth according to the apportionment now existing, and their respective terms of office shall begin on January 1 next following. Senators shall be elected for a term of four years at the expiration of their present terms of office.

§ 1. Exemptions of personal property; unmarried residents; residents not heads of households
The personal property of any resident of this State, who is not married or the head of a family, in specific articles to be selected by such resident, not exceeding in value the sum of two hundred dollars, in addition to his or her wearing apparel, shall be exempt from seizure on attachment, or sale on execution or other process from any court, issued for the collection of any debt by contract: Provided, That no property shall be exempt from execution for debts contracted for the purchase money therefor while in the hands of the vendee.

§ 2. Exemptions of personal property; married residents; heads of families
The personal property of any resident of this State, who is married or the head of a family, in specific articles to be selected by such resident, not exceeding in value the sum of five hundred dollars, in addition to his or her wearing apparel, and that of his or her family, shall be exempt from seizure on attachment, or sale on execution or other process from any court, on debt by contract.

§ 3. Homestead exemption
The homestead of any resident of this State, who is married or the head of a family, shall not be subject to the lien of any judgment or decree of any court, or to sale under execution, or other process thereon, except such as may be rendered for the purchase money, or for specific liens, laborers' or mechanics' liens for improving the same, or for taxes, or against executors, administrators, guardians, receivers, attorneys for moneys collected by them, and other trustees of an express trust, for moneys due from them in their fiduciary capacity.

§ 4. Homestead outside city, etc.
The homestead outside any city, town or village, owned and occupied as a residence, shall consist of not exceeding one hundred and sixty acres of land, with the improvements thereon, to be selected by the owner; Provided, The same shall not exceed in value the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars, and in no event shall the homestead be reduced to less than eighty acres, without regard to value.

§ 5. Homestead in city, etc.
The homestead in any city, town or village, owned and occupied as a residence, shall consist of not exceeding one acre of land, with the improvements thereon, to be selected by the owner; provided, the same shall not exceed in value the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, and in no event shall such homestead be reduced to less than one-quarter of an acre of land, without regard to value.

§ 6. Widows; children; entitlement in homestead
If the owner of a homestead die, leaving a widow, but no children, and said widow has no separate homestead in her own right, the same shall be exempt, and the rents and profits thereof shall vest in her during her natural life; Provided, That if the owner leaves children, one or more, said child or children shall share with said widow, and be entitled to half the rents and profits till each of them arrives at twenty-one years of age — each child's rights to cease at twenty-one years of age — and the shares to go to the younger children; and then all to go to the widow; and, provided, that said widow or children may reside on the homestead or not. And in case of the death of the widow, all of said homestead shall be vested in the minor children of the testator or intestate.

§ 7. Property of married woman
The real and personal property of any femme covert in this State, acquired either before or after marriage, whether by gift, grant, inheritance, devise or otherwise, shall, so long as she may choose, be and remain her separate estate and property, and may be devised, bequeathed or conveyed by her the same as if she were a femme sole; and the same shall not be subject to the debts of her husband.

§ 8. Married women; scheduling personal property
The General Assembly shall provide for the time and mode of scheduling the separate personal property of married women.

§ 9. Application of exemptions; 1868 Constitution
The exemptions contained in the Constitution of 1868 shall apply to all debts contracted since the adoption thereof, and prior to the adoption of this Constitution.

§ 10. Minor children; homestead benefits
The homestead provided for in this article shall inure to the benefit of the minor children, under the exemptions herein provided, after the decease of the parents.

§ 1. Creation of mining, manufacturing and agricultural bureau
The General Assembly shall pass such laws as will foster and aid the agricultural, mining and manufacturing interests of the State, and may create a bureau, to be known as the Mining, Manufacturing and Agricultural Bureau.

§ 2. Office of State Geologist
The General Assembly, when deemed expedient, may create the office of State Geologist, to be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, who shall hold his office for such time, and perform such duties, and receive such compensation as may be prescribed by law; Provided: That he shall be at all times subject to removal by the Governor, for incompetency or gross neglect of duty.

§ 3. Capital investments; taxation exemption
The General Assembly may, by general law, exempt from taxation for the term of seven years from the ratification of this Constitution, the capital invested in any or all kinds of mining and manufacturing business in this State, under such regulations and restrictions as may be prescribed by law.

§ 1. Composition of militia
The militia shall consist of all able-bodied male persons, residents of the State, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five years; except such as may be exempted by the laws of the United States, or this State; and shall be organized, officered, armed and equipped and trained in such manner as may be provided by law.

§ 2. Formation of volunteer companies
Volunteer Companies of Infantry, Cavalry or Artillery may be formed in such manner and with such restrictions as may be provided by law.

§ 3. Privileges from arrest
The volunteer and militia forces shall in all cases (except treason, felony and breach of the peace) be privileged from arrest during their attendance at muster and the election of officers, and in going to and returning from the same.

§ 4. Governor's power to call
The Governor shall, when the General Assembly is not in session, have power to call out the Volunteers or Militia, or both, to execute the laws, repel invasion, repress insurrection and preserve the public peace; in such manner as may be authorized by law.

§ 1. Invalidity of charters, grants
All existing charters or grants of special or exclusive privileges, under a bona fide organization shall not have taken place, and business been commenced in good faith, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall thereafter have no validity.

§ 2. Special acts; passage prohibited
The General Assembly shall pass no special act conferring corporate powers, except for charitable, educational, penal or reformatory purposes, where the corporations created are to be and remain under the patronage and control of the state.

§ 3. Organization; cities and towns
The General Assembly shall provide, by general laws, for the organization of cities (which may be classified) and incorporated towns; and restrict their power of taxation, assessment, borrowing money and contracting debts, so as to prevent the abuse of such power.

§ 4. Fiscal affairs; bond issuance
No municipal corporation shall be authorized to pass any laws contrary to the general laws of the state; nor levy any tax on real or personal property to a greater extent, in one year, than five mills on the dollar of the assessed value of the same; Provided: That, to pay indebtedness existing at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, an additional tax of not more than five mills on the dollar, may be levied.

The fiscal affairs of counties, cities and incorporated towns shall be conducted on a sound financial basis, and no county court or levying board or agent of any county shall make or authorize any contract or make any allowance for any purpose whatsoever in excess of the revenue from all sources for the fiscal year in which said contract or allowance is made; nor shall any county judge, county clerk, or other county officer, sign or issue any scrip warrant or make any allowance in excess of the revenue from all sources for the current fiscal year; nor shall any city council, board of aldermen, board of public affairs, or commissioners, of any city of the first or second class, or any incorporated town, enter into any contract or make any allowance for any purpose whatsoever, or authorize the issuance of any contract or warrants, scrip or other evidences of indebtedness in excess of the revenue for such city or town for the current fiscal year; nor shall any mayor, city clerk, or recorder, or any other officer or officers, however designated, of any city of the first or second class or incorporated town sign or issue scrip, warrant or other certificate of indebtedness of excess of the revenue from all sources for the current fiscal year.

Provided, however, to secure funds to pay indebtedness outstanding at the time of the adoption of this amendment, counties, cities, and incorporated towns may issue interest bearing certificates of indebtedness or bonds with interest coupons for the payment of which a county or city tax, in addition to that now authorized, not exceeding three mills may be levied for the time as provided by law until such indebtedness is paid.

Where the annual report of any city or county in the State of Arkansas shows that scrip, warrants or other certificate of indebtedness had been issued in excess of the total revenue for that year, the officer or officers of the county or city or incorporated town who authorized, signed or issued such scrip, warrants or other certificates of indebtedness shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less than five hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars, and shall be removed from office.

§ 6. Formation of corporations; laws
Corporations may be formed under general laws; which laws may, from time to time, be altered or repealed. The General Assembly shall have the power to alter, revoke or annul any charter of incorporation now existing and revocable at the adoption of this Constitution, or any that may hereafter be created, whenever, in their opinion, it may be injurious to the citizens of this State; in such manner, however, that no injustice shall be done to the corporators.

§ 7. State prohibited from stockholding
Except as herein provided, the State shall never become a stockholder in, or subscribe to, or be interested in, the stock of any corporation or association.

§ 8. Private corporations; stock issuance
No private corporation shall issue stocks or bonds, except for money or property actually received, or labor done; and all fictitious increase of stock or indebtedness shall be void; nor shall the stock or bonded indebtedness of any private corporation be increased, except in pursuance of general laws; nor until the consent of the persons holding the larger amount, in value, of stock, shall be obtained at a meeting held after notice given, for a period not less than sixty days, in pursuance of law.

§ 9. Property; appropriation to use of corporation
No property, nor right of way, shall be appropriated to the use of any corporation, until full compensation therefor shall be first made to the owner, in money; or first secured to him by a deposit of money; which compensation, irrespective of any benefit from any improvement proposed by such corporation, shall be ascertained by a jury of twelve men, in a court of competent jurisdiction, as shall be prescribed by law.

§ 10. Bills, notes, etc.; issuance
No act of the General Assembly shall be passed authorizing the issue of bills, notes, or other paper which may circulate as money.

§ 11. Foreign corporation doing business in this state; rules
Foreign corporations may be authorized to do business in this State, under such limitations and restrictions as may be prescribed by law; Provided: That no such corporation shall do any business in this State, except while it maintains therein one or more known places of business, and an authorized agent or agents in the same, upon whom process may be served; and, as to contracts made or business done in this State, they shall be subject to the same regulations, limitations and liabilities as like corporations of this State; and shall exercise no other or greater powers, privileges or franchises than may be exercised by like corporations of this State; nor shall they have power to condemn or appropriate private property.

§ 12. Prohibition of state's assumption of liabilities
Except as herein otherwise provided, the State shall never assume, or pay the debt or liability of any county, town, city or other corporation whatever; or any part thereof; unless such debt or liability shall have been created to repel invasion, suppress insurrection, or to provide for the public welfare and defense. Nor shall the indebtedness of any corporation to the State, ever be released, or in any manner discharged, save by payment into the public treasury.

§ 1. Counties; area
No county now established shall be reduced to an area of less than six hundred square miles, nor to less than five thousand inhabitants: nor shall any new county be established with less than six hundred square miles and five thousand inhabitants: Provided, that this section shall not apply to the counties of Lafayette, Pope and Johnson, nor be so construed as to prevent the General Assembly from changing the line between the counties of Pope and Johnson.

§ 2. Altering county lines; consent of voters
No part of a county shall be taken off to form a new county, or a part thereof, without the consent of a majority of the voters in such part proposed to be taken off.

§ 3. County seat changes; consent of voters
No county seat shall be established or changed without the consent of a majority of the qualified voters of the county to be affected by such change, nor until the place at which it is proposed to establish or change such county seat shall be fully designated: Provided, That in formation of new counties, the county seat may be located temporarily by provisions of law.

§ 4. New county lines
In the formation of new counties no line thereof shall run within ten miles of the county seat of the county proposed to be divided, except the county seat of Lafayette County.

§ 5. Districts within Sebastian County
Sebastian County may have two districts and two county seats, at which county, probate and circuit courts shall be held as may be provided by law, each district paying its own expenses.

§ 1. Free public schools
Intelligence and virtue being the safeguards of liberty and the bulwark of a free and good government, the State shall ever maintain a general, suitable and efficient system of free public schools and shall adopt all suitable means to secure to the people the advantages and opportunities of education. The specific intention of this amendment is to authorize that in addition to existing constitutional or statutory provisions the General Assembly and/or public school districts may spend public funds for the education of persons over twenty-one (21) years of age and under six (6) years of age, as may be provided by law, and no other interpretation shall be given to it.

§ 2. Public school fund; use
No money or property belonging to the public school fund, or to this State, for the benefit of schools or universities, shall ever be used for any other than for the respective purposes to which it belongs.

§ 4. Public school supervision
The supervision of public schools, and the execution of the laws regulating the same, shall be vested in and confided to, such officers as may be provided for by the General Assembly.

§ 1. Officials subject to impeachment; conditions
The Governor and all State officers, Judges of the Supreme and Circuit Courts, Chancellors and Prosecuting Attorneys, shall be liable to impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors, and gross misconduct in office; but the judgment shall go no further than removal from office and disqualification to hold any office of honor, trust or profit under this State. An impeachment, whether successful or not, shall be no bar to an indictment.

§ 2. Impeachment powers of the House; trial by the Senate
The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment. All impeachments shall be tried by the Senate. When sitting for that purpose, the Senators shall be upon oath or affirmation; no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the members thereof. The Chief Justice shall preside, unless he is impeached or otherwise disqualified, when the Senate shall select a presiding officer.

§ 3. Removal of officers; Governor
The governor, upon the joint address of two-thirds of all the members elected to each House of the General Assembly, for good cause, may remove the Auditor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Attorney-General, Judges of the Supreme and Circuit Courts, Chancellors and Prosecuting Attorneys.

§ 1. Prohibition of lending of credit by government entities
Neither the State nor any city, county, town or other municipality in this State shall ever lend its credit for any purpose whatever; nor shall any county, city or town or municipality ever issue any interest bearing evidences of indebtedness, except such bonds as may be authorized by law to provide for and secure the payment of the indebtedness existing at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of 1874, and the State shall never issue any interest-bearing treasury warrants or scrip.

§ 2. Payment of State debts
The General Assembly shall, from time to time, provide for the payment of all just and legal debts of the State.

§ 3. Unauthorized profit-making
The making of profit out of public moneys, or using the same for any purpose not authorized by law, by any officer of the State, or member or officer of the General Assembly, shall be punishable as may be provided by law, but part of such punishment shall be disqualification to hold office in this State for a period of five years.

§ 4. Salaries and fees of state officers
Except as provided in Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 31, the General Assembly shall fix the salaries and fees of all officers in the State; and no greater salary or fee than that fixed by law shall be paid to any officer, employee, or other person, or at any rate other than par value; and the number and salaries of the clerks and employees of the different departments of the State shall be fixed by law.

§ 5. Property; taxation by value; exemptions
Nothing in this Section shall affect or repeal the provision of Amendment 57 to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas pertaining to intangible personal property.

§ 6. Additional tax exemption laws void
All laws exempting property from taxation, other than as provided in this Constitution shall be void.

§ 7. Taxation of corporations; power
The power to tax corporations and corporate property, shall not be surrendered or suspended by any contract or grant to which the State may be a party.

§ 8. Levying State taxes; rate
The General Assembly shall not have power to levy State taxes for any one year to exceed, in the aggregate, one per cent of the assessed valuation of the property of the State for that year.

§ 9. Levying of county taxes
No county shall levy a tax to exceed one-half of one per cent., for all purposes; but may levy an additional one-half of one per cent. to pay indebtedness existing at the time of the ratification of this Constitution.

§ 10. County, etc. taxes; payment
The taxes of counties, towns and cities shall only be payable in lawful currency of the United States, or the orders or warrants of said counties, towns and cities respectively.

§ 11. Tax levies; requirements
No tax shall be levied except in pursuance of law, and every law imposing a tax shall state distinctly the object of the same; and no moneys arising from a tax levied for any purpose shall be used for any other purpose.

§ 12. Disbursement of funds—Appropriation required
Except as provided in Arkansas Constitution, Article 19, § 31, no money shall be paid out of the treasury until the same shall have been appropriated by law; and then only in accordance with said appropriation.

§ 13. Protection against enforcement of illegal exactions
Any citizen of any county, city or town may institute suit, in behalf of himself and all others interested, to protect the inhabitants thereof against the enforcement of any illegal exactions whatever.

§ 14. Property reappraisals; tax adjustments
Current year of second period of (5) years

Taxes shall be current year taxes to which shall be added the following percentage of the difference between the current year taxes and the base year taxes (if greater than current year taxes)

1st year

80% of difference

2nd year

60% of difference

3rd year

40% of difference

4th year

20% of difference

5th year and thereafter

Current yearsyear's [sic] taxes only.

§ 16. Residence exemption; age 65
The General Assembly, upon approval thereof by a vote of not less than three-fourths (3/4ths) of the members elected to each house, may provide that the valuation of real property actually occupied by its owner as a residence who is sixty-five (65) years of age, or older, may be exempt in such amount as may be determined by law, but no greater than the first Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000) in value thereof, as a homestead from ad valorem property taxes.

§ 1. Railroad construction rights; common carriers
All railroads, canals and turnpikes shall be public highways, and all railroads and canal companies shall be common carriers. Any association or corporation, organized for the purpose, shall have the right to construct and operate a railroad between any points within this State, and to connect at the State line with railroads of other States. Every railroad company shall have the right with its road to intersect, connect with, or cross any other road, and shall receive and transport each the other's passengers, tonnage and cars, loaded or empty, without delay or discrimination.

§ 2. Maintenance of offices within the state
Every railroad, canal or turnpike corporation operated, or partly operated in this State, shall maintain one office therein, where transfers of its stock shall be made and where its books shall be kept for inspection by any stockholder or creditor of such corporation; in which shall be recorded the amount of capital stock subscribed or paid in, and the amounts owned by them respectively, the transfer of said stock, and the names and places of residence of the officers.

§ 3. Equal rights of transportation
All individuals, associations and corporations shall have equal right to have persons and property transported over railroads, canals and turnpikes; and no undue or unreasonable discrimination shall be made in charges for, or in facilities for transportation of freight or passengers within the State, or coming from, or going to any other State. Persons and property transported over any railroad shall be delivered at any station at charges not exceeding the charges for transportation of persons and property of the same class, in the same direction, to any more distant station. But excursion and commutation tickets may be issued at special rates.

§ 4. Property, stock consolidation prohibited
No railroad, canal or other corporation, or the lessees, purchasers or managers of any railroad, canal or corporation shall consolidate the stock, property or franchises of such corporation with, or lease, or purchase the works or franchises of, or in any way control any other railroad or canal corporation owning or having under its control a parallel or competing line, nor shall any officer of such railroad or canal corporation act as an officer of any other railroad or canal corporation owning or having control of a parallel or competing line; and the question whether railroads or canals are parallel or competing lines shall, when demanded by the party complainant, be decided by a jury as in other civil issues.

§ 5. Officers; personal interest prohibited
No president, director, officer, agent or employee of any railroad or canal company, shall be interested, directly or indirectly, in the furnishing of material or supplies to such company, or in the business of transportation as a common carrier of freight or passengers over the works owned, leased, controlled or worked by such company. Nor in any arrangement which shall afford more advantageous terms, or greater facilities than are offered or accorded to the public. And all contracts and arrangements in violation of this section shall be void.

§ 6. Prohibition of carrier discrimination
No discrimination in charges, or facilities for transportation, shall be made between transportation companies and individuals, or in favor of either by abatement, drawback or otherwise; and no railroad or canal company, or any lessee, manager or employee thereof shall make any preferences in furnishing cars or motive power.

§ 7. Prohibition of free passes
The General Assembly shall prevent by law the granting of free passes by any railroad or transportation company to any officer of this State, legislative, executive or judicial.

§ 8. Forfeiture of charters; remission
The General Assembly shall not remit the forfeiture of the charter of any corporation now existing, or alter or amend the same, or pass any general or special law for the benefit of such corporation, except on condition that such corporation shall thereafter hold its charter subject to the provisions of this Constitution.

§ 9. Eminent domain
The exercise of the right of eminent domain shall never be abridged or so construed as to prevent the General Assembly from taking the property and franchises of incorporated companies, and subjecting them to public—use the same as the property of individuals.

§ 10. Law enforcement; carrier regulations
The General Assembly shall pass laws to correct abuses and prevent unjust discrimination and excessive charges by railroads, canals and turn-pike companies for transporting freight and passengers, and shall provide for enforcing such laws by adequate penalties and forfeitures, and shall provide for the creation of such offices and commissions and vest in them such authority as shall be necessary to carry into effect the powers hereby conferred.

§ 11. Movable property; execution, sale
That rolling stock and all other movable property belonging to any railroad company or corporation in this State shall be considered personal property, and shall be liable to execution and sale, in the same manner as the personal property of individuals, and the General Assembly shall pass no law exempting any such property from execution and sale.

§ 12. Responsibility for damages
All railroads, which are now, or may be hereafter built, and operated either in whole or in part, in this State, shall be responsible for all damages to persons and property, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the General Assembly.

§ 13. Reports
The directors of every railroad corporation shall annually make a report under oath to the Auditor of Public Accounts, of all of their acts and doings, which reports shall include such matters relating to railroads as may be prescribed by law, and the General Assembly shall pass laws enforcing, by suitable penalties, the provisions of this section.

Judicial Circuits
Until otherwise provided by the General Assembly, the Judicial Circuits shall be composed of the following counties:

First—Phillips, Lee, St. Francis, Prairie, Woodruff, White and Monroe. Second—Mississippi, Crittenden, Cross, Poinsett, Craighead, Greene, Clayton and Randolph. Third—Jackson, Independence, Lawrence, Sharp, Fulton, Izard, Stone and Baxter. Fourth—Marion, Boone, Searcy, Newton, Madison, Carroll, Benton and Washington. Fifth—Pope, Johnson, Franklin, Crawford, Sebastian, Sarber and Yell. Sixth—Lonoke, Pulaski, Van Buren and Faulkner. Seventh—Grant, Hot Springs, Garland, Perry, Saline and Conway. Eighth—Scott, Montgomery, Polk, Howard, Sevier, Little River, Pike and Clark. Ninth—Hempstead, Lafayette, Nevada, Columbia, Union, Ouachita and Calhoun. Tenth—Chicot, Drew, Ashley, Bradley, Dorsey and Dallas. Eleventh—Desha, Arkansas, Lincoln and Jefferson.

Terms of Courts
Until otherwise provided by the General Assembly, the Circuit Courts shall be begun and held in the several counties as follows:

First Circuit. White—First Monday in February and August. Woodruff—Third Monday in February and August. Prairie—Second Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Monroe—Sixth Monday after the third Monday in February and August. St. Francis—Eighth Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Lee—Tenth Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Phillips—Twelfth Monday after the third Monday in February and August.

Second Circuit. Mississippi—First Monday in March and September. Crittenden—Second Monday in March and September. Cross—Second Monday after the second Monday in March and September. Poinsett—Third Monday after the second Monday in March and September. Craighead—Fourth Monday after the second Monday in March and September. Greene—Sixth Monday after the second Monday in March and September. Clayton—Seventh Monday after the second Monday in March and September. Randolph—Ninth Monday after the second Monday in March and September.

Third Circuit. Jackson—First Monday in March and September. Lawrence—Fourth Monday in March and September. Sharp—Second Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. Fulton—Fourth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. Baxter—Sixth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. Izard—Seventh Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. Stone—Ninth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. Independence—Tenth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September.

Fourth Circuit. Marion—Second Monday in February and August. Boone—Third Monday in February and August. Searcy—Second Monday after third Monday in February and August. Newton—Third Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Carroll—Fourth Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Madison—Fifth Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Benton—Sixth Monday after the third Monday in February and August. Washington—Eighth Monday after the third Monday in February and August.

Fifth Circuit. Greenwood District, Sebastian county—Third Monday in February and August. Fort Smith District, Sebastian county—First Monday after the fourth Monday in February and August. Crawford county—Fourth Monday after the fourth Monday in February and August. Franklin county—Sixth Monday after the fourth Monday in February and August. Sarber county—Eighth Monday after the fourth Monday in February and August. Yell county—Tenth Monday after the fourth Monday in February and August. Pope county—Twelfth Monday after fourth Monday in February and August. Johnson county—Fourteenth Monday after the fourth Monday in February and August.

Sixth Circuit. In the county of Pulaski on the first Monday in February, and continue twelve weeks if the business of said court require it. In the county of Lonoke on the first Monday succeeding the Pulaski Court, and continue two weeks if the business of said Court require it. In the county of Faulkner on the first Monday after the Lonoke Court, and continue two weeks if the business of said Court require it. In the county of Van Buren on the first Monday after the Faulkner Court, and continue two weeks if the business of said Court require it.

Fall Term, Sixth Circuit. In the county of Pulaski on the first Monday in October, and continue seven weeks if the business of said Court require it. In the county of Lonoke on the first Monday next after the Pulaski Court and continue two weeks if the business of said court require it. In the county of Faulkner on the first Monday after the Lonoke Court, and continue one week if the business of said Court require it. In the County of Van Buren on the first Monday after the Faulkner Court, and continue one week if the business of said Court require it.

Seventh Circuit. Hot Spring—Second Monday in March and September. Grant—Third Monday in March and September. Saline—Fourth Monday in March and September. Conway—Second Monday after fourth Monday in March and September. Perry—Fourth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. Garland—Fifth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September.

Eight Circuit. Montgomery—First Monday in February and August. Scott—First Monday after the first Monday in February and August. Polk—Second Monday after the first Monday in February and August. Sevier—Third Monday after the first Monday in February and August. Little River—Fifth Monday after the first Monday in February and August. Howard—Seventh Monday after the first Monday in February and August. Pike—Eighth Monday after the first Monday in February and August. Clark—Ninth Monday after the first Monday in February and August.

Ninth Circuit. Calhoun—First Monday in March and September. Union—Second Monday after the first Monday in March and September. Columbia—Fourth Monday after the first Monday in March and September. Lafayette—Sixth Monday after the first Monday in March and September. Hempstead—Eighth Monday after the first Monday in March and September. Nevada—Eleventh Monday after the first Monday in March and September. Ouachita—Thirteenth Monday after the first Monday in March and September.

Tenth Circuit. Dorsey—Third Monday in February and August. Dallas—First Monday in March and September. Bradley—Second Monday in March and September. Ashley—Third Monday in March and September. Drew—Second Monday after the third Monday in March and September. Chicot—Fourth Monday after the third Monday in March and September.

Eleventh Circuit. In the county of Desha on the first Monday in March and September. In the county of Arkansas on the fourth Monday in March and September. In the county of Lincoln on the third Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September. In the county of Jefferson on the sixth Monday after the fourth Monday in March and September.

§ 1. Disqualification of atheists
No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a

§ 2. Dueling; disqualification
No person who may hereafter fight a duel, assist in the same as second, or send, accept, or knowingly carry a challenge therefor, shall hold any office in the State, for a period of ten years; and may be otherwise punished as the law may prescribe.

§ 3. Officeholders required to possess qualifications of electors
No persons shall be elected to, or appointed to fill a vacancy in, any office who does not possess the qualifications of an elector.

§ 4. Civil officers; residence requirements
All civil officers for the State at large shall reside within the State, and all district, county and township officers within their respective districts, counties and townships, and shall keep their offices at such places therein as are now, or may hereafter be required by law.

§ 5. Officers; continuation following expiration of term
All officers shall continue in office after the expiration of their official terms, until their successors are elected and qualified.

§ 6. Holding multiple offices prohibited
No person shall hold or perform the duties of more than one office in the same department of the government at the same time, except as expressly directed or permitted by this Constitution.

§ 7. Absences not affecting residency
Absence on business of the State, or of the United States, or on a visit, or on necessary private business, shall not cause a forfeiture of residence once obtained.

§ 8. Salary deductions for neglect of duty
It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to regulate, by law in what cases, and what, deductions from the salaries of public officers shall be made for neglect of duty in their official capacity.

§ 9. Permanent offices; creation limited
The General Assembly shall have no power to create any permanent State Office, not expressly provided for by this Constitution.

§ 10. Secretary of State; election returns
Returns for all elections, for officers who are to be commissioned by the Governor, and for members of the General Assembly, except as otherwise provided by this Constitution, shall be made to the Secretary of State.

§ 12. Receipts and expenditures; publication
An accurate and detailed statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public money, the several amounts paid, to whom and on what account, shall, from time to time, be published as may be prescribed by law.

§ 16. Contract awards; buildings, bridges
All contracts for erecting or repairing public buildings or bridges in any county, or for materials therefor; or for providing for the care and keeping of paupers, where there are no alms-houses, shall be given to the lowest responsible bidder, under such regulations as may be provided by law.

§ 17. State laws; revisions, publication, etc.
The laws of this State, civil and criminal, shall be revised, digested, arranged, published and promulgated at such times and in such manner as the General Assembly may direct.

§ 18. Securing safety; mining employees travelers on railroads, public conveyances
The General Assembly, by suitable enactments, shall require such appliances and means to be provided and used as may be necessary to secure, as far as possible, the lives, health and safety of persons employed in mining, and of persons traveling upon railroads, and by other public conveyances, and shall provide for enforcing such enactments by adequate pains and penalties.

§ 19. Certain disabled persons; support
It shall be the duty of the General Assembly to provide by law for the support of institutions for the education of the deaf and dumb, and of the blind; and also for the treatment of the insane.

§ 20. Oath of office of public officeholders
Senators and Representatives, and all judicial and executive, State and county officers, and all other officers, both civil and military, before entering on the duties of their respective offices, shall take and subscribe to the following oath of affirmation: "I, __________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Arkansas, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of __________, upon which I am now about to enter."

§ 21. Sureties upon official bonds
The sureties upon the official bonds of all State Officers shall be residents of, and have sufficient property within the State, not exempt from sale under execution, attachment or other process of any court, to make good their bonds and the sureties upon the official bonds of all county officers shall reside within the counties where such officers reside, and shall have sufficient property therein, not exempt from such sale, to make good their bonds; provided, however, that any surety, bonding or guaranty company, organized for the purpose of doing a surety, or bonding business, and authorized to do business, in this State, may become surety on the bonds of all State, County and Municipal Officers under such regulations as may be prescribed by law.

§ 22. Amendments to the Constitution
Either branch of the General Assembly, at a regular session thereof, may propose amendments to this Constitution; and if the same be agreed to by a majority of all members elected to each house, such proposed amendments shall be entered on the journals with the yeas and nays, and published in at least one newspaper in each county, where a newspaper is published, for six months immediately preceding the next general election for Senators and Representatives, at which time the same shall be submitted to the electors of the State, for approval or rejection; and if a majority of the electors voting at such election adopt such amendments, the same shall become a part of this Constitution. But no more than three amendments shall be proposed or submitted at the same time. They shall be so submitted as to enable the electors to vote on each amendment separately.

§ 24. Mode of contesting elections
The General Assembly shall provide by law the mode of contesting elections in cases not specifically provided for in this Constitution.

§ 25. State seal
The present seal of the State shall be and remain the seal of the State of Arkansas until otherwise provided by law, and shall be kept and used as provided in this Constitution.

§ 26. Officers filling of offices
Militia officers, and officers of the public schools, and Notaries may be elected to fill any executive or judicial office.

§ 27. Assessments for local improvements
Nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prohibit the General Assembly from authorizing assessments on real property for local improvements, in towns and cities, under such regulations as may be prescribed by law; to be based upon the consent of a majority in value of the property-holders owning property adjoining the locality to be affected; but such assessments shall be ad valorem and uniform.

Article 20. "Holford" bonds not to be paid
The General Assembly shall have no power to levy any tax, or make any appropriations, to pay either the principal or interest, or any part thereof, of any of the following bonds of the State, or the claims, or pretended claims, upon which they may be based, to-wit: Bonds issued under an act of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, entitled, "An act to provide for the funding of the public debt of the State," approved April 6th, A. D. 1869, and numbered from four hundred and ninety-one to eighteen hundred and sixty, inclusive, being the "funding bonds," delivered to F. W. Caper, and sometimes called "Holford bonds;" or bonds known as railroad aid bonds, issued under an act of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, entitled, An act to aid in the construction of railroads, approved July 21, A. D. 1868; or bonds called "levee bonds," being bonds issued under an act of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, entitled "An act providing for the building and repairing the public levees of the State, and for other purposes," approved March 16, A. D. 1869, and the supplemental act thereto, approved April 12, 1869; and the act entitled "An act to amend an act entitled an act providing for the building and repairing of the public levees of this State," approved March 23, A. D. 1871, and any law providing for any such tax or appropriation, shall be null and void.

§ 1. Continuation of current laws
All laws now in force, which are not in conflict or inconsistent with this Constitution, shall continue in force until amended or repealed by the General Assembly, and all laws exempting property from sale on execution, or by decree of a court, which were in force at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of 1868, shall remain in force with regard to contracts made before that time. Until otherwise provided by law no distinction shall exist between sealed and unsealed instruments, concerning contracts between individuals, executed since the adoption of the Constitution of 1868; Provided: That the statutes of limitation with regard to sealed and unsealed instruments in force at that time, continue to apply to all instruments afterward executed, and until altered or repealed.

§ 3. Elections
An election shall be held at the several election precincts of every county in the State, on Tuesday, the thirteenth day of October, 1874, for Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney-General, Commissioner of State Lands, (for two years unless the office is sooner abolished by the General Assembly), Chancellor, and Clerk of the separate Chancery court of Pulaski county, Chief Justice and two Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, a Circuit Judge and Prosecuting Attorney for each Judicial Circuit provided for in this Constitution; Senators and Representatives to the General Assembly, all county and township officers provided for in this Constitution; and also for the submission of this Constitution to the qualified electors of the State, for its adoption or rejection.

§ 4. Voter qualification
The qualification of voters at the election, to be held as provided in this schedule, shall be the same as is now prescribed by law.

§ 5. Election notice
The State Board of Supervisors, hereinafter mentioned, shall give notice of said election immediately after the adoption of this Constitution by this Convention, by proclamation in at least two newspapers published at Little Rock, and such other newspapers as they may select. And each county board of Supervisors, shall give public notice in their respective counties, of said election, immediately after their appointment.

§ 6. Proclamation issuance by Governor
The Governor shall also issue a proclamation enjoining upon all peace officers the duty of preserving good order on the day of said election, and preventing any disturbance of the same.

§ 7. Election supervisors; State board
Augustus H. Garland, Gordon N. Peay and Dudley E. Jones are hereby constituted a State Board of Supervisors of said election, who shall take an oath faithfully and impartially to discharge the duties of their office; a majority of whom shall be a quorum, and who shall perform the duties herein assigned them. Should a vacancy occur in said Board, by refusal to serve, death, removal, resignation, or otherwise; or if any member should become incapacitated from performing said duties, the remaining members of the Board shall fill the vacancy by appointment. But if all the places on said Board become vacant at the same time, the said vacancies shall be filled by the President of this Convention.

§ 8. Election supervisors; county board
Said State Board shall at once proceed to appoint a Board of Election Supervisors for each County of this State, consisting of three men of known intelligence and uprightness of character, who shall take the same oath as above provided for the State Board. A majority of each Board shall constitute a quorum, and shall perform the duties herein assigned to them; and vacancies occurring in the County Boards shall be filled by the State Board.

§ 9. Poll-books; form
The State Board shall provide the form of poll books and each County Board shall furnish the Judges of each election precinct with three copies of the poll books in the form prescribed, and with ballot-boxes at the expense of the county.

§ 10. Distribution of Constitution copies
The State Board of Supervisors shall cause to be furnished in pamphlet form a sufficient number of copies of this Constitution to supply each County Supervisor and Judge of Election with a copy, and shall forward the same to the County Election Boards for distribution.

§ 11. Appointment of election judges, clerks
The Boards of County Election Supervisors shall at once proceed to appoint three Judges of Election for each election precinct in their respective counties; and the Judges shall appoint three Election Clerks for their respective precincts, all of whom shall be good, competent men, and take an oath as prescribed above. Should the Judges of any election precinct fail to attend at the time and place provided by law, or decline to act, the assembled electors shall choose competent persons, in the manner provided by law, to act in their place, who shall be sworn as above.

§ 12. Means of conducting elections
Said election shall be conducted in accordance with existing laws, except as herein provided. As the electors present themselves at the polls to vote, the judges of the election shall pass upon their qualifications and the clerks of the election shall register their names on the poll-books if qualified; and such registration by said clerks shall be a sufficient registration in conformity with the Constitution of this State, and then their votes shall be taken.

§ 13. Words on ballot ticket
Each elector shall have written or printed on his ticket "For Constitution," or "Against Constitution," and also the offices and the names of the candidates for the offices for whom he desires to vote.

§ 14. Voting procedure
The judges shall deposit the tickets in the ballot-box; but no elector shall vote outside of the township or ward in which he resides. The names of the electors shall be numbered, and the corresponding numbers shall be placed on the ballots by the judges when deposited.

§ 15. Dram shops, etc.; closure
All dram shops and drinking houses in this State shall be closed during the day of said election, and the succeeding night; and any person selling or giving away intoxicating liquors during said day or night shall be punished by fine, not less than two hundred dollars, for each and every offense, or imprisoned not less than six months, or both.

§ 16. Opening, closing of polls
The polls shall be opened at eight o'clock in the forenoon, and shall be kept open until sunset. After the polls are closed the ballots shall be counted by the judges at the place of voting, as soon as the polls are closed, unless prevented by violence or accident; and the results by them certified on the poll-books, and the ballots sealed up. They shall be returned to the County Board of Election Supervisors, who shall proceed to cast up the votes and ascertain and state the number of votes cast for the Constitution and the number cast against the Constitution, and also the number of votes cast for each candidate voted for for any office, and shall forthwith forward to the State Board of Supervisors, duly certified by them, one copy of the statement or abstracts of the votes so made out by them, retain one copy in their possession, and file one copy in the office of the County Clerk, where they shall also deposit, for safe-keeping, the ballots, sealed up, and one copy of the poll-books, retaining possession of the other copies.

§ 17. Results; counting and publication
The State Board of Supervisors shall at once proceed, on receiving such returns from the County Boards, to ascertain therefrom, and state the whole number of votes given for the Constitution, and the whole number given against it; and if a majority of all votes cast in favor of the Constitution, they shall at once make public the fact by publication in two or more of the leading newspapers published in the city of Little Rock, and this Constitution, from that date, shall be in force; and they shall also make out and file, in the office of the Secretary of State an abstract of all the votes cast for the Constitution, and all votes cast against it; and also an abstract of all votes cast for every candidate voted for at the election, and file the same in the office of the Secretary of State, showing the candidate elected. They shall also make out and certify, and lay before each house of the General Assembly a list of the members elected to that house; and shall also make out, certify and deliver to the Speaker of the House of Representatives an abstract of all votes cast at the election, for any and all persons for the office of Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General and Commissioner of State Lands, and the said Speaker shall cast up the votes and announce the names of the persons elected to these offices. The Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney-General and Commissioner of State Lands chosen at said election shall qualify and enter upon the discharge of the duties of their respective offices within fifteen days after the announcement of their election as aforesaid.

§ 18. Commissioning of officers; Governor
All officers shown to be elected by the abstract of said election filed by the State Board of Supervisors in the office of the Secretary of State, required by this Constitution to be commissioned, shall be commissioned by the Governor.

§ 19. Representatives and Senators; election
At said election the qualified voters of each County and Senatorial District, as defined in article eight of this Constitution, shall elect, respectively, Representatives and Senators according to the numbers and apportionment contained in said article. The Board of Election Supervisors of each county shall furnish certificates of election to the person or persons elected to the House of Representatives as soon as practicable after the result of the election has been ascertained; and such Board of Election Supervisors in each county shall make a correct return of the election for Senator or Senators to the Board of Election Supervisors of the county first named in the Senatorial apportionment, and said Board shall furnish certificates of election to the person or persons elected as Senator or Senators in said Senatorial district as soon as practicable.

§ 20. Assumption of officer duties
All officers elected under this Constitution, except the Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of State, Treasurer, Attorney-General and Commissioner of State Lands shall enter upon the duties of their several offices when they shall have been declared duly elected by said State Board of Supervisors, and shall have duly qualified. All such officers shall qualify and enter upon the duties of their offices within fifteen days after they have been duly notified of their election.

§ 21. Incumbents; vacation of office
Upon the qualification of the officers elected at said election the present incumbents of the offices for which the election is held shall vacate the same and turn over to the officers thus elected and qualified, all books, papers, records, moneys and documents belonging or pertaining to said offices by them respectively held.

§ 22. Commencement of first session
The first session of the General Assembly under this constitution shall commence on the first Tuesday after the second Monday in November, 1874.

§ 23. Courts regarded as continuations
The County Courts provided for in this Constitution shall be regarded in law as a continuation of the Boards of Supervisors now existing by law, and the Circuit Courts shall be regarded in law as continuations of the Criminal Courts wherever the same may have existed in their respective counties: and the Probate Courts shall be regarded as continuations of the Circuit Courts for the business within the jurisdiction of such Probate Courts, and the papers and records pertaining to said courts and jurisdictions shall be transferred accordingly; and no suit or prosecution of any kind shall abate because of any change made in this Constitution.

§ 24. Continuation of incumbents; conditions
All officers now in office whose offices are not abolished by this Convention, shall continue in office and discharge the duties imposed on them by law, until their successors are elected and qualified under this Constitution. The office of Commissioner of State Lands shall be continued; Provided, That the General Assembly at its next session may abolish or continue the same in such manner as may be prescribed by law.

§ 25. Fraudulent behavior during election
Any election officer, appointed under the provisions of this schedule, who shall fraudulently and corruptly permit any person to vote illegally or refuse the vote of any qualified elector, cast up or make a false return of said election, shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and on conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than five years nor more than ten years. And any person who shall vote when not a qualified elector, or vote more than once, or bribe any one to vote contrary to his wishes, or intimidate or prevent any elector by threats, menace or promises from voting, shall be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one, nor more than five years.

§ 26. Time of holding offices
All officers elected at the election provided for in this schedule shall hold their offices for the respective periods provided for in the foregoing Constitution, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The first general elections after the ratification of this Constitution shall be held on the first Monday of September, A. D. 1876. Nothing in this Constitution and the schedule thereto shall be so construed as to prevent the election of congressmen at the time as now prescribed by law.

§ 27. Election expenses; appropriations
The sum of five thousand dollars is hereby appropriated out of any money in the treasury, not otherwise appropriated, to defray the expenses of the election provided for in this schedule, and the Auditor of State shall draw his warrants on the Treasurer for such expenses, not exceeding said amount, on the certificate of the State Board of Supervisors of election.

§ 28. Compensation and salaries
For the period of two years from the adoption of this Constitution, and until otherwise provided by law, the respective officers herein enumerated shall receive for their services the following salaries per annum.

For Governor, the sum of $3,500

For Secretary of State, the sum of $2,000

For Treasurer, the sum of $2,500

For Auditor, the sum of $2,500

For Attorney General, the sum of $2,000

For Commissioner of State Lands, the sum of $2,000

For Judges of Supreme Court, each, the sum of $3,500

For Judges of Circuit and Chancery Courts, each, the sum of $2,500

For Prosecuting Attorneys, each, the sum of $400

For members of the General Assembly, the sum of $6 per day, and twenty cents per mile for each mile traveled in going to and returning from the seat of government over the most direct and practicable route.

Amendment 1 (1884). "Holford" bonds
(Adding art. 20.)

Amdt. 2 (1898). Regulation of carriers
(Amending art. 17, § 10.)

Amdt. 4 (1900). Sureties on official bonds by bonding companies
(Amending art. 19, § 21.)

Amdt. 5 (1914). Per diem and mileage of general assembly
(Amending art. 5, § 16.)

Amdt. 6, § 1. Executive department
(Amending art. 6, § 1.)

Amdt. 6, § 2. Executive power
The executive power shall be vested in a Governor, who shall hold office for two years; a Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen at the same time and for the same term. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor elected next preceding the time when this section shall take effect shall hold office until and including the second Monday of September, and their successors shall be chosen at the general election in that year.

Amdt. 6, § 3. Election of governor and lieutenant governor
The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be elected at the times and places of choosing members of the Assembly. The persons respectively having the highest number of votes for Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall be elected, but in case two or more shall have an equal and the highest number of votes for Governor, or for Lieutenant Governor, the two houses of the Legislature at its next annual session shall forthwith, by joint ballot, choose one of the said persons so having an equal and the highest number of votes for Governor or Lieutenant Governor.

Amdt. 6, § 4. When lieutenant governor to act as governor
In case of the impeachment of the Governor, or his or her removal from office, death, inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, or resignation, the powers and duties of the office, shall devolve upon the Lieutenant Governor for the residue of the term, or until the disability shall cease. When the Governor shall, with the consent of the Legislature, be out of the State, in time of war, at the head of a military force thereof, he or she shall continue commander-in-chief of all the military force of the State.

Amdt. 6, § 5. Qualifications and duties of lieutenant governor; succession to the governorship
The Lieutenant Governor shall possess the same qualifications of eligibility for the office as the Governor. He shall be President of the Senate, but shall have only a casting vote therein in case of a tie vote. If during a vacancy of the office of Governor, the Lieutenant Governor shall be impeached, displaced, resign, die, or become incapable of performing the duties of his office or be absent from the State, the President of the Senate shall act as Governor until the vacancy be filled or the disability shall cease; and if the President of the Senate for any of the above causes shall become incapable of performing the duties pertaining to the office of Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly shall act as Governor until the vacancy be filled or the disability shall cease.

Amdt. 6, § 6. Salary of lieutenant governor. Repealed by Amdt. 94, § 10 (2012).
The Lieutenant Governor shall receive for his services an annual salary of two thousand dollars, and shall not receive or be entitled to any other compensation, fee or perquisite, for any duty or service he may be required to perform by the Constitution or by law.

Amdt. 7 (1920). Initiative and referendum
(Amending art. 5, ss 1.)

Amdt. 8 (1920). Equal suffrage [Superseded]
(Amending art. 3, § 1.)

§ 1. Organization—procedure
The Supreme Court shall be composed of five judges, one of whom shall be styled Chief Justice and elected as such, any three of whom shall in every case be necessary to a decision. Provided if it should hereafter become necessary to increase the number of the judges of the Supreme Court, the Legislature may provide for two additional judges and may also provide for the court sitting in divisions under such regulations as may be prescribed by law; provided further, that should the court sit in divisions, in all cases where the construction of the Constitution is involved, the cause shall be heard by the court in banc, and in all cases when a judge of a division dissents from the opinion therein, at the request of the Chief Justice, or such dissenting justice, the cause shall be transferred to the court in banc for its decision.

§ 2. Compensation of judges [Repealed]
The Supreme Court judges shall at stated times receive compensation for their services to be fixed by law. When the salary of the judges under this amendment to the Constitution shall have been established by law, such salary shall not thereafter be increased or diminished during their respective terms. Until otherwise provided by law, the judges of the Supreme Court shall each receive a salary of Seven thousand five hundred dollars per annum.

Amdt. 10 (1924). Restriction on local bond issues
(Amending art. 12, § 4.)

Amdt. 11 (1926). Eighteen-mill district school tax
(Amending art. 14, § 3, which was thereafter amended by amdts. 40 and 74.)

Amdt. 12 (1926). Cotton-mill tax exemption
All capital invested in a textile mill in this state for the manufacture of cotton and fiber goods in any manner shall be and is hereby declared to be exempt from taxation for a period of seven years from the date of the location of said textile mill.

Amdt. 13 (1926). Credit lending [Repealed]
(Amending art. 16, § 1.)

Amdt. 14 (1926). Local and special acts by legislature prohibited
The General Assembly shall not pass any local or special act. This amendment shall not prohibit the repeal of local or special acts.

Amdt. 15 (1928). Salaries of state officials [Repealed]
The annual salaries of the State and District Officers hereinafter mentioned, which shall be paid in monthly installments, shall be as follows:

For Governor, the sum of $6,000.00; for Secretary of State, the sum of $4,000.00; for Treasurer of the State, the sum of $4,000.00; for Auditor of the State, the sum of $4,000.00; for Attorney General, the sum of $5,000.00; for Judge of the Circuit Courts and Chancellors, each, the sum of $3,600.00.

The members of the General Assembly shall receive as their salary the sum of One Thousand ($1,000.00) Dollars, except the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall receive his salary of Eleven Hundred Dollars ($1,100.00), for each period of two (2) years; and in addition to such salary the members of the general Assembly shall receive five cents per mile for each mile traveled in going to and returning from the seat of government over the most direct and practicable route, and provided further that when said members are required to attend an extraordinary session of the General Assembly they shall receive in addition to the salary herein provided the sum of 6.00 per day for each day they are required to attend, and mileage at the rate herein provided.

Amdt. 16 (1928). Trial by jury
(Amending art. 2, § 7.)

Amdt. 18 (1928). Tax to aid industries
City tax.—It being most apparent that factories, industries and transportation facilities are necessary for the development of a community and for the welfare of its inhabitants, a special tax not exceeding five mills on the dollar of all taxable property in cities of the first class located in counties now or hereafter having not less than one hundred five thousand population, in addition to other taxes now provided by law, may be levied in such cities for the period that may be provided by law, when petitioned for by ten per cent of the owners of real property in such city and on consent of a majority of the electors of such city voting on the question.

The proceeds of such tax shall be expended by a board of three commissioners, each of whom shall be taxpayer in such city, said commissioners, to serve for such term as may be provided by law without compensation, except actual expenses. One of the commissioners shall be selected by a majority of the judges of the Supreme Court, sitting as a board, one by a majority of the judges of the Circuit, County and Chancery Courts of the county, sitting as a board, and one by a majority of the banks and trust companies located in such city whose representatives shall sit as a board. Where there are two such cities in such county and the tax herein provided for has been voted in each, one board of commissioners may be appointed for both cities if a majority of the boards having the appointive power deem best, and in that event a majority of the banks and trust companies in both cities shall appoint one commissioner, and the proceeds of the tax shall be expended for the benefit of both cities.

The proceeds of such tax may be expended as may be provided by law for the purpose of securing the location of factories, industries, river transportation and facilities therefor within and adjacent to such cities or other public purposes, exclusive of charities and those now within the powers of said cities to perform, and expenditures may also be made for advertising such cities and the State, or making secured loans to such factories and industries, or for any other public purpose that may be provided by law, connected with securing the location of such factories and industries and encouraging them.

The provisions of this amendment are separable, and if any should be held invalid the remainder shall stand.

Amdt. 19 (1934). Tax increase restrictions; passage of laws
(Adding art. 5, §§ 37–41.)

Amdt. 20 (1934). State bonds
Bonds prohibited except when approved by majority vote of electors.—Except for the purpose of refunding the existing outstanding indebtedness of the State and for assuming and refunding valid outstanding road improvement district bonds, the State of Arkansas shall issue no bonds or other evidence of indebtedness pledging the faith and credit of the State or any of its revenues for any purpose whatsoever, except by and with the consent of the majority of the qualified electors of the State voting on the question at a general election or at a special election called for that purpose.

This Amendment to the Constitution of Arkansas shall be self-executing and require no enabling act, but shall take and have full force and effect immediately upon its adoption by the electors of the State.

§ 1. Prosecution of offenses by indictment or information
All offenses heretofore required to be prosecuted by indictment may be prosecuted either by indictment by a grand jury or information filed by the Prosecuting Attorney.

§ 2. Determination of salaries of prosecuting attorneys
The General Assembly of Arkansas shall by law determine the amount and method of payment of salaries of prosecuting attorneys.

§ 1. Exemption
The homestead of each and every resident of the State, whether or not such resident be married or unmarried, male or female, shall be wholly exempt from all state taxes authorized or referred to in Section 8 of Article 16 of the Constitution of Arkansas in all cases where such homestead does not exceed the assessed valuation of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Where the assessed valuation of such homestead exceeds one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) this exemption shall apply to the first one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of such valuation.

§ 2. Future exemptions; limits
Within a maximum limit of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) and a minimum limit of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), the legislature is hereby authorized and empowered from time to time to fix the amount of the exemption hereby provided.

§ 3. Restoration of funds; necessary legislation
It is hereby made the duty of the legislature, and the legislature is hereby directed:

§ 4. Protection of rights of bond and note holders
Nothing herein shall ever be construed, applied or administered so as to impair any right of any holder of any bond, note or other obligation heretofore issued or assumed by the state and now outstanding; but this amendment shall in every respect be construed, applied and administered so as fully to protect all the legal rights of all such holders.

§ 5. Effectiveness of amendment and related legislation
After and as soon as, and not before, the legislature shall have fulfilled the requirements of section 3 hereof, this amendment or any legislation enacted in pursuance of section 2, shall be in full force and effect.

Amdt. 23 (1936). Board of apportionment
(Amending art. 8, which was thereafter amended by amdt. 45.)

Amdt. 24 (1938). Probate courts
(Amending art. 7, §§ 19, 34, 35. See also amdt. 80, § 22 (repealing art. 7, §§ 34 and 35).)

Amdt. 26 (1938). Workers' compensation
(Amending art. 5, § 32.)

Amdt. 27 (1938). Industry tax exemption
Power to exempt---Duration.

The Governor and the Agricultural and Industrial Commission (or the agency created by law to assist in the industrial development of Arkansas) may investigate and contract with the owners of any new manufacturing or processing establishment to be located in the State, or owners making addition or additions to any manufacturing or processing establishment already located in the State, for the exemption from State property taxation of any such new manufacturing or processing establishment, or any addition or additions to any such existing manufacturing or processing establishment, upon such terms and conditions as the Governor and the said Commission may deem to the best interests of the State; provided, that no exemption from taxes shall be granted under this amendment for a longer period than ten (10) calendar years succeeding the date of any such contract. Any such exemption shall "ipso facto" cease upon violation of the terms and conditions of any contract hereby made.

Amdt. 28 (1938). Rules regulating practice of law and conduct of attorneys
The Supreme Court shall make rules regulating the practice of law and the professional conduct of attorneys at law.

§ 1. United States Senate; elective offices
Vacancies in the office of United States Senator, and in all elective state, district, circuit, county, and township offices except those of Lieutenant Governor, Member of the General Assembly and Representative in the Congress of the United States, shall be filled by appointment by the Governor.

§ 2. Persons not eligible
The Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor shall be ineligible for appointment to fill any vacancies occurring or any office or position created, and resignation shall not remove such ineligibility. Husbands and wives of such officers, and relatives of such officers, or of their husbands and wives within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, shall likewise be ineligible. No person appointed under Section 1 shall be eligible for appointment or election to succeed himself.

§ 3. Compensation of wrongful officeholders prohibited
No person holding office contrary to this amendment shall be paid any compensation for his services. Any warrant, voucher or evidence of indebtedness issued in payment for such services shall be void.

§ 4. Duration of appointments
The appointee shall serve during the entire unexpired term in the office in which the vacancy occurs if such office would in regular course be filled at the next General Election if no vacancy had occurred. If such office would not in regular course be filled at such next general election the vacancy shall be filled as follows: At the next General Election, if the vacancy occurs four months or more prior thereto, and at the second General Election after the vacancy occurs if the vacancy occurs less than four months before the next General Election after it occurs. The person so elected shall take office on the 1st day of January following his election.

§ 5. Candidates allowed on ballots
Only the names of candidates for office nominated by an organized political party at a convention of delegates, or by a majority of all the votes cast for candidates for the office in a primary election, or by petition of electors as provided by law, shall be placed on the ballots in any election.

§ 1. Maintenance taxes—Election petitions—Ballot form
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city, having a population of not less than 5,000, shall file a petition with the Mayor asking that an annual tax on real and personal property be levied for the purpose of maintaining and operating a public city library and shall specify a rate of taxation not to exceed five mills on the dollar, the question as to whether such tax shall be levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such city at a general or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot shall be in substantially the following form:

For a __________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance and operation of a public city library.

Against a __________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance and operation of a public city library.

§ 2. Certification of election results—Use of tax proceeds
The Election Commissioners shall certify to the Mayor the result of the vote, and if a majority of the qualified electors voting on the question at such election vote in favor of the specified tax, then it shall thereafter be continually levied and collected as other general taxes of such city are levied and collected. The result of the election shall be proclaimed by the Mayor. The result so proclaimed shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days. The proceeds of any tax voted for the maintenance of a city public library shall be segregated by the city officials and used only for that purpose.

§ 3. Petitions and elections to raise, reduce, or abolish taxes
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any city having a library tax in force shall file a petition with the Mayor asking that such tax be raised, reduced or abolished, the question shall be submitted to the qualified electors at a general or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot shall follow, as far as practicable, the form set forth in Section 1 hereof. The result shall be certified and proclaimed, as provided in Section 2 hereof, and the result as proclaimed shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days. Subject to the limitations of Section 5(e) hereof, the tax shall be lowered, raised or abolished, as the case may be, according to the majority of the qualified electors voting on the question of such election. If lowered or raised, the revised tax shall thereafter be continually levied and collected and the proceeds used in the manner and for the purposes as provided in Section 2 hereof.

§ 4. Coordination of library services
Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing a co-ordination of the services of a city public library and a county public library.

§ 5. Capital improvement and construction taxes—Election petitions—Ballot form
{{dent|2em|-2em|(c){{em}}The maximum rate of any special tax to pay bonded indebtedness, as authorized by paragraph (b) hereof shall be stated on the ballot.

(d){{em}}The special tax for payment of bonded indebtedness authorized in paragraph (b) hereof shall constitute a special fund pledged as security for the payment of such indebtedness. The special tax shall never be extended for any purpose, nor collected for any greater length of time than necessary to retire such bonded indebtedness, except that tax receipts in excess of the amount required to retire the debt according to its terms may, subject to covenants entered into with the holders of the bonds, be pledged as security for the issuance of additional bonds if authorized by the voters. The tax for such additional bonds shall terminate within the time provided for the tax originally imposed. Upon retirement of the bonded indebtedness, any surplus tax collections, which may have accumulated shall be transferred to the general funds of the city, and shall be used for maintenance and operation of the public city library.

(e){{em}}Notwithstanding any other provision of this amendment, a tax approved by the voters for the purpose of paying the bonded indebtedness shall not be reduced or diminished, nor shall it be used for any other purpose than to pay principal of, premium or interest on, and the reasonable fees of a trustee or paying agent, so long as the bonded indebtedness shall remain outstanding and unpaid.

Amdt. 31 (1940). Municipal retirement tax
After consent of the majority of those voting on the question at any general or special election in cities of the first or second class, the cities may annually thereafter, levy a tax on the assessed value of real and personal property, not to exceed two mills on the dollar, from which there shall be created a Fund to pay Retirement Salaries and pensions to policemen and firemen theretofore or thereafter earned, and pensions to the widows and minor children of such, as may be provided by law. The annual levy for the Policeman's Retirement Salary and Pension Fund shall not exceed one mill on the dollar, and the annual levy for the Fireman's Retirement Salary and Pension Funds, shall not exceed one mill on the dollar. The manner of such levy of the tax, and the eligibility for the retirement salaries and pensions, the several amounts thereof and when payable, shall be such as may be provided by law.

§ 1. Election petitions
Whenever in any county where there is located a public hospital owned by such county or by any municipal corporation therein, whether such hospital be operated by such county or municipal corporation or by a benevolent association as the agent or lessee of such county or municipal corporation, one hundred or more electors of such county shall file a petition with the county judge asking that an annual tax on real and personal property in such county be levied for the purpose of maintaining, operating and supporting such hospital and shall specify a rate of taxation not exceeding one mill on the dollar of the assessed value of real and personal property in the county. The question as to whether such tax shall be levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such county at a general election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The county judge upon the filing of such petition shall notify the county board of election commissioners thereof and the county board of election commissioners shall cause the question to be placed upon the ballots in substantially the following form:

{{dent|2em|0|For a __________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance, operation and support of a public hospital.

Against a __________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance, operation and support of a public hospital.

§ 2. Certification of election results; use of tax proceeds
The election commissioners shall certify to the county judge the result of the vote and if a majority of the qualified electors voting on the question at such election vote in favor of the specified tax then it shall thereafter be continually levied and collected as other general taxes of such county are levied and collected. The result of the election shall be proclaimed by the county judge by publication for one insertion in some newspaper published and having a bona fide circulation in such county. The result so proclaimed shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days and after the election it shall not be competent to attack the result thereof on the ground that any signers of the petition were not qualified electors. The proceeds of any tax so voted shall upon the settlement of the collecting officer be paid by the treasurer of the county to the treasurer of such hospital to be used by such treasurer in the maintenance, operation and support of such institution; provided that any county where there may be more than one hospital qualified to receive the proceeds of such tax, the quorum court at its meeting for the purpose of adopting the county's budget, shall provide for the apportionment of the proceeds of said tax between the institutions so qualified according to their respective needs.

§ 3. Petitions and elections to raise, reduce, or abolish taxes
Whenever one hundred or more electors of any county having a hospital tax in force shall file a petition with the county judge asking that such tax be raised, reduced or abolished, the question shall be submitted to the qualified electors at a general election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballots shall follow, as far as practicable, the form set out in Section 1 hereof, and the result shall be certified and proclaimed as provided in Section 2 hereof and shall be conclusive in like manner. The tax shall be lowered, raised or abolished as the case may be, according to the majority of qualified electors voting on the question at such election, provided, however, that it shall not be raised to more than one mill on the dollar. If lowered or raised the revised tax shall thereafter be continually levied and collected and the proceeds used in the manner and for the purposes provided in Section 2 hereof.

§ 4. Execution of amendment
This amendment shall be self executing and shall become a part of the constitution of the State of Arkansas when approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon at the next general election.

§ 1. Terms of office
The term of office of members of the boards or commissions charged with the management or control of all charitable, penal or correctional institutions and institutions of higher learning of the State of Arkansas, now in existence or hereafter created, shall be five years when the membership is five in number, seven years when the membership is seven in number, and ten years when the membership is ten in number. Such terms of office shall be arranged by the General Assembly to provide a membership with one term of office expiring every year from the effective date of this amendment. The unexpired terms of members serving on the effective date of this amendment shall not be decreased.

§ 2. Abolition and consolidation; transfer of powers
The board or commission of any institution, governed by this amendment, shall not be abolished nor shall the powers vested in any such board or commission be transferred, unless the institution is abolished or consolidated with some other State institution. In the event of abolition or consolidation, the new board or commission shall consist of a membership of five, seven, or ten.

§ 3. Increase or decrease of members
The membership of any such board or commission now in existence shall not be increased or decreased in number after the effective date of this amendment nor shall the number of members of any such board or commission created after this amendment is in operation be increased or decreased subsequent to its creation.

§ 4. Removal of members; appeal
The Governor shall have the power to remove any member of such boards or commissions before the expiration of his term for cause only, after notice and hearing. Such removal shall become effective only when approved in writing by a majority of the total number of the board or commission, but without the right to vote by the member removed or by his successor, which action shall be filed with the Secretary of State together with a complete record of the proceedings at the hearing. An appeal may be taken to the Pulaski Circuit Court by the Governor or the member ordered removed, and the same shall be tried de novo on the record. An appeal may be taken from the circuit court to the Arkansas Supreme Court, which shall likewise be tried de novo.

§ 5. Vacancies
Any vacancy arising in the membership of such board or commission for any reason other than the expiration of the regular term for which the member was appointed shall be filled by appointment by the Governor, subject to approval by a majority of the remaining members of the board or commission, and to be thereafter effective until the expiration of such regular term.

§ 1. Discrimination prohibited
No person shall be denied employment because of membership in or affiliation with or resignation from a labor union, or because of refusal to join or affiliate with a labor union; nor shall any corporation or individual or association of any kind enter into any contract, written or oral, to exclude from employment members of a labor union or persons who refuse to join a labor union, or because of resignation from a labor union; nor shall any person against his will be compelled to pay dues to any labor organization as a prerequisite to or condition of employment.

§ 2. Enforcement
The General Assembly shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

§ 1. Powers; membership
The control, management, restoration, conservation and regulation of birds, fish, game and wildlife resources of the State, including hatcheries, sanctuaries, refuges, reservations and all property now owned, or used for said purposes and the acquisition and establishment of same, the administration of the laws now and/or hereafter pertaining thereto, shall be vested in a Commission to be known as the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission, to consist of eight members. Seven of whom shall be active and one an associate member who shall be the Head of the Department of Zoology at the University of Arkansas, without voting power.

§ 2. Appointment of original members; terms
Commissioners shall have knowledge of and interest in wildlife conservation. All shall be appointed by the Governor. The first members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor for terms as follows: One for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, one for five years, one for six years, and one for seven years. Each Congressional District must be represented on the Commission.

§ 3. Appointment of successor members; terms
Upon the expiration of the foregoing terms of the said Commission, a successor shall be appointed by the Governor for a term of seven years, which term of seven years shall thereafter be for each member of the Commission. No Commissioner can serve more than one term and none can succeed himself.

§ 4. Oath of office; compensation
Each Commissioner shall take the regular oath of office provided in the Constitution and serve without compensation other than actual expenses while away from home engaged entirely on the work of the Commission.

§ 5. Removal of members
A Commissioner may be removed by the Governor only for the same causes as apply to other Constitutional Officers, after a hearing which may be reviewed by the Chancery Court for the First District with right of appeal therefrom to the Supreme Court, such review and appeal to be without presumption in favor of any finding by the Governor or the trial court.

§ 6. Filling of vacancies; election of chairman
Vacancies on the Commission due to resignation or death shall be filled by appointment of the Governor for the unexpired term within thirty days from date of such vacancy; upon failure of the Governor to fill the vacancy within thirty days, the remaining Commissioners shall make the appointment for the unexpired term. A chairman shall be elected annually from the seven members of the Commission to serve one year.

§ 7. Executive secretary and other personnel—Selection—Salaries and expenditures
The Commission shall elect an Executive Secretary, whose salary shall not exceed that of limitations placed on other constitutional departments; and other executive officers, supervisor, personnel, office assistants, wardens, game refuge keepers, and hatchery employees, whose salaries and expenditures must be submitted to the Legislature and approved by an Act covering specific items in the appropriation as covered by Article XVI Section 4 of the Constitution.

§ 8. Nepotism; arrest powers; funds; auditing of financial affairs; licenses and permits; acquisition of property; matching funds
No person shall be employed by the Commission who shall be related to any of the Commissioners or any other State officers within the third degree of relationship by blood or marriage. All employed personnel may make arrests for violation of the game and fish laws.

The fees, monies, or funds arising from all sources by the operation and transaction of the said Commission and from the application and administration of the laws and regulations pertaining to birds, game, fish and wildlife resources of the State and the sale of property used for said purposes shall be expended by the Commission for the control, management, restoration, conservation and regulation of the birds, fish and wildlife resources of the State, including the purchases or other acquisitions of property for said purposes and for the administration of the laws pertaining thereto and for no other purposes. All monies shall be deposited in the Game Protection Fund with the State Treasurer and such monies as are necessary, including an emergency fund, shall be appropriated by the Legislature at each legislative session for the use of the Game and Fish Commission as hereto set forth. No monies other than those credited to the Game Protection Fund can be appropriated.

All money to the credit of or that should be credited to the present Game Protection Fund shall be credited to the new Game Protection Fund and any appropriation made by the Legislature out of the Game Protection Fund shall be construed to be for the use of the new Commission and out of the new Game Protection Fund.

The books, accounts and financial affairs of the Commission shall be audited by the State Comptroller as that department deems necessary, but at least once a year.

Resident hunting and fishing license, each, shall be One and 50/100 Dollars annually, and shall not exceed this amount unless a higher license fee is authorized by an Act of Legislature.

The Commission shall have the exclusive power and authority to issue licenses and permits, to regulate bag limits and the manner of taking game and fish and furbearing animals, and shall have the authority to divide the State into zones, and regulate seasons and manner of taking game, and fish and furbearing animals therein, and fix penalties for violations. No rule or regulations shall apply to less than a complete zone, except temporarily in case of extreme emergency.

Said Commission shall have the power to acquire by purchase, gifts, eminent domain, or otherwise, all property necessary, useful or convenient for the use of the Commission in the exercise of any of its duties, and in the event the right of eminent domain is exercised, it shall be exercised in the same manner as now or hereafter provided for the exercise of eminent domain by the State Highway Commission. All laws now in effect shall continue in force until changed by the Commission. All contracts and agreements now in effect shall remain in force until the date of their expiration.

This amendment shall not repeal, alter or modify the provisions of any existing special laws under the terms of which a County Game Commission has been created:

The Commission shall be empowered to spend such monies as are necessary to match Federal grants under the Pittman-Robertson or similar acts for the propagation, conservation and restoration of game and fish.

This amendment shall become effective July 1, 1945.

Amdt. 36 (1944). Votes of military personnel; poll tax exemption
Any citizen of Arkansas, while serving in the armed forces of the United States, may vote in any election, without having paid a poll tax, if otherwise qualified to vote in any such election.

§ 1. Maintenance taxes—Election petitions—Ballot form
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any county shall file a petition in the County Court asking that an annual tax on real and personal property be levied for the purpose of maintaining and operating a public county library or a county library service or system and shall specify a rate of taxation not to exceed five mills on the dollar, the question as to whether said tax shall be levied shall be submitted to the qualified electors of such county at a general or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot shall be in substantially the following form:

{{dent|2em|0|FOR a __________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance and operation of a public county library or county library service or system.

AGAINST a __________ mill tax on real and personal property to be used for maintenance and operation of a public county library or county library service or system.

§ 2. Certification of election results—Levy of taxes—Use of tax proceeds
The election commissioners shall certify to the County Judge the result of the vote. The County Judge shall cause the result of the election to be entered of record in the County Court. The result so entered shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days. If a majority of the qualified electors voting on the question at such election vote in favor of the specified tax, then it shall thereafter be continually levied and collected as other general taxes of such county are levied and collected; provided, however, that such tax shall not be levied against any real or personal property which is taxed for the maintenance of a city library, pursuant to the provisions of Amendment No. 30; and no voter residing within such city shall be entitled to vote on the question as to whether county tax shall be levied. The proceeds of any tax voted for the maintenance of a county public library or county library service or system shall be segregated by the county officials and used only for that purpose. Such funds shall be held in the custody of the County Treasurer. No claim against said funds shall be approved by the County Court unless first approved by the County Library Board, if there is a county Library Board functioning under Act 244 of 1927, or similar legislation.

§ 3. Petitions and elections to raise, reduce, or abolish taxes
Whenever 100 or more taxpaying electors of any county having library tax in force shall file a petition in the County Court asking that such tax be raised, reduced or abolished, the question shall be submitted to the qualified electors at a general or special election. Such petition must be filed at least thirty days prior to the election at which it will be submitted to the voters. The ballot shall follow, as far as practicable, the form set forth in Section 1 hereof. The result shall be certified and entered of record as provided in Section 2 hereof, and the result as entered of record shall be conclusive unless attacked in the courts within thirty days. Subject to the limitations of Section 5(e) hereof, the tax shall be lowered, raised or abolished, as the case may be, according to the majority of qualified electors voting on the question at such election. If lowered or raised, the revised tax shall thereafter be continually levied and collected and proceeds used in the manner and for the purposes as provided in Section 2 hereof.

§ 4. Coordination of library services
Nothing herein shall be construed as preventing the co-ordination of the services of a city public library and county public library, or the co-ordination of the services of libraries of different counties.

Amdt. 39 (1948). Voter registration
The General Assembly shall have power to enact laws providing for a registration of voters prior to any general, special, or primary election, and to require that the right to vote at any such election shall depend upon such previous registration.

Amdt. 40 (1948). School tax millage
(Amending art. 14, § 3, which had been previously amended by Amendment 11. Section 3 was then amended by Amendment 74.)

Amdt. 41. Election of county clerk
The provisions for the election of a county clerk upon a population basis are hereby abolished and there may be elected a county clerk in like manner as a circuit clerk for the term of four (4) years, and in such cases, the County Clerk may be ex officio clerk of the probate court of such county until otherwise provided by the General Assembly.

§ 1. Creation; powers
There is hereby created a State Highway Commission which shall be vested with all the powers and duties now or hereafter imposed by law for the administration of the State Highway Department, together with all powers necessary or proper to enable the Commission or any of its officers or employees to carry out fully and effectively the regulations and laws relating to the State Highway Department.

§ 2. Appointment of original members; terms of office
Within ten days after the convening of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas in the year 1953, the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint five persons who are qualified electors of the State to constitute the State Highway Commission for terms of two, four, six, eight and ten years respectively. The terms of the persons so appointed shall be determined by lot. The Commissioners to be appointed from the State at large; provided, however, that no two Commissioners shall be appointed from any single Congressional District. In the event of rejection by the Senate of a person whose name has been so submitted, the Governor shall within five days after receipt of written notice from the Secretary of the Senate of such rejection submit the name of another appointee to fill such vacancy. In the event the Governor should within five days thereafter fail to appoint or fail to submit to the Senate for confirmation the name of any person to be appointed, the Senate shall proceed to make the appointment of its own choice.

§ 3. Appointment of successor members; terms of office
Upon the expiration of the foregoing terms of said Commissioners, a successor shall be appointed by the Governor in the manner provided for in Section 2 for a term of ten years, which term shall thereafter be for each member of the Commission.

§ 4. Removal of members
A Commissioner may be removed by the Governor only for the same causes as apply to other constitutional officers after a hearing which may be reviewed by the Chancery Court for the First District with right of appeal therefrom to the Supreme Court, such review and appeal to be without presumption in favor of any finding by the Governor or the trial court, and provided further, in addition to the right of confirmation hereinabove reserved to the Senate, the Senate may upon the written request of at least Five (5) of its members that a member or members of the Commission should be removed therefrom, proceed, when in session, to hear any and all evidence pertinent to the reasons for removal. The member or members whose removal is so requested shall be entitled to be heard in the matter and to be represented before the Senate by legal Counsel. These proceedings conducted by the Senate shall be public and a transcript of the testimony so heard shall be prepared and preserved in the journal of the Senate. The taking of evidence either orally or by deposition shall not be bound by the formal rules of evidence. Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the Senate, sitting as a body in executive session, may remove said member or members of the Commission by a majority vote conducted by secret ballot.

§ 5. Filling of vacancies
Vacancies on the Commission due to resignations, death or removal shall be filled by appointment of the Governor for the unexpired term within thirty days from the date of such vacancy. Upon failure of the Governor to fill the vacancy within thirty days, the remaining Commissioners shall make the appointment for the unexpired term.

§ 6. Director of Highways; appointment; duties
The Commission shall appoint a Director of Highways who shall have such duties as may be prescribed by the Commission or by statute.

Amendment 43. Compensation of judges [Repealed]
The General Assembly shall by law determine the amount and method of payment of salaries and expenses of the judges of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, Chancery Courts, and Municipal Courts of Arkansas; provided such salaries and expenses may be increased but not diminished during the term for which such judges are elected; provided further that the salaries of Circuit and Chancery Judges shall be uniform throughout the state.

Amdt. 45 (1956). Senate apportionment
(Amending art. 8, as amended earlier by amdt. 23.)

Amdt. 46 (1956). Hot Springs horse racing
Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering thereon shall be lawful in Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, and shall be regulated by the General Assembly.

Amdt. 47 (1958). State ad valorem tax prohibition
No ad-valorem tax shall be levied upon property by the State.

Amdt. 50, § 1. Article III, Section 3 repeal
Article III, Section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas is hereby repealed and the following section is substituted therefor.

Amdt. 50, § 2. Elections by ballot or voting machine required
All elections by the people shall be by ballot or by voting machines which insure the secrecy of individual votes.

Amdt. 50, § 4. Use of voting machines
Voting machines may be used to such extent and under such rules as may be prescribed by the General Assembly.

Amdt. 51, § 1. Policy
The purpose of this amendment is to establish a system of permanent personal registration as a means of determining that all who cast ballots in general, special and primary elections in this State are legally qualified to vote in such elections, in accordance with the Constitution of Arkansas and the Constitution of the United States.

Amdt. 51, § 2. Definitions
As used in this amendment, the terms:

Amdt. 51, § 3. Registration requirement
No person shall vote or be permitted to vote in any election unless registered in a manner provided for by this amendment.

Amdt. 51, § 4. Duration of registration
When a voter is once registered under the provisions of this amendment, it is unnecessary for such voter again to register unless such registration is cancelled or subject to cancellation in a manner provided for by this amendment.

Amdt. 51, § 5. Duties of registration officials
{{dent|4em|-2em|(1){{em}}such Rules and Regulations supplementary to this amendment and consistent with this amendment and other laws of Arkansas as are necessary to secure uniform and efficient procedures in the administration of this amendment throughout the State;

(2){{em}}a Manual of instruction for the information, guidance and direction of election officials within the state; and

(3){{em}}detailed specifications of the registration record files, the voter registration application forms and other registration forms, including voter registration list maintenance forms, all of which shall be consistent with this amendment and uniform throughout the State.

Amdt. 51, § 12. Loss or destruction of registration record files
In the event any Registration Record or File shall become lost or destroyed, the Permanent Registrar shall prepare, from the remaining Files, temporary copies of the registration records if necessary for the conduct of any election. The Permanent Registrar shall send notice of such fact by first-class mail to any voter whose registration record has been lost, destroyed or mutilated in order that such voter may register again. The previous registration shall be cancelled at the time of the new registration, and in any event within sixty (60) days after mailing of such notice.

Amdt. 51, § 16. Severability
If any provision of this amendment or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the amendment which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this amendment are declared to be severable.

Amdt. 51, § 17. Supersedure and repeal
This amendment supersedes and repeals the requirement of Amendment No. 8 that a poll tax receipt be presented prior to registration or voting, and further supersedes and repeals Act 19 of 1964 and all other laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith.

Amdt. 51, § 18. Appropriations
The General Assembly shall make such appropriations as may be required for the effectuation of this amendment.

Amdt. 51, § 19. Amendment of amendment provisions
The General Assembly may, in the same manner as required for amendment of laws initiated by the people, amend Sections 5 through 15 of this amendment, so long as such amendments are germane to this amendment, and consistent with its policy and purposes.

Amdt. 51, § 20. Short title
This amendment shall be known as the "Arkansas Amendment for Voter Registration without Poll Tax Payment."

Amdt. 52, § 1. Establishment of districts; financing of institutions
The General Assembly may by law provide for the establishment of districts for the purpose of providing community college instruction and technical training. The General Assembly shall prescribe the method of financing such communuity1 college and technical institutes, and may authorize the levy of a tax upon the taxable property in such districts for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, repair, expansion, operation, and maintenance of facilities therefor.

Amdt. 52, § 2. Approval and continuation of tax levy
No such district shall be created and no such tax shall be levied upon the property in an established district except upon approval of a majority of the qualified electors of such proposed or established district voting thereon. Provided that any millage so approved by the electors of a district shall be a continuing levy until increased, reduced or repealed in such manner as may be provided by law, providing they shall ever remain a community college and shall never be extended into four-year institutions.

Amdt. 53 (1968). Additional education
(Amending art. 14, § 1.)

Amdt. 54, § 1. Competitive bidding
The printing, stationery, and supplies purchased by the General Assembly and other departments of government shall be under contracts given to the lowest responsible bidder, below such maximum price and under such regulations as shall be prescribed by law. No member or officer of any department of government shall in any way be interested in such contracts.

Amdt. 54, § 2. [Repealer]
(Repealing art. 19, § 15.)

Amdt. 55, § 3. County judges' powers and duties
The County Judge, in addition to other powers and duties provided for by the Constitution and by law, shall preside over the Quorum Court without a vote but with the power of veto; authorize and approve disbursement of appropriated county funds; operate the system of county roads; administer ordinances enacted by the Quorum Court; have custody of county property; hire county employees, except those persons employed by other elected officials of the county.

Amdt. 55, § 4. Quorum court powers
In addition to other powers conferred by the Constitution and by law, the Quorum Court shall have the power to override the veto of the County Judge by a vote of three-fifths of the total membership; fix the number and compensation of deputies and county employees; fill vacancies in elective county offices; and adopt ordinances necessary for the government of the county. The Quorum Court shall meet and exercise all such powers as provided by law.

Amdt. 55, § 5. Fixing of compensation for county officials
Compensation of each county officer shall be fixed by the Quorum Court within a minimum and maximum to be determined by law. Compensation may not be decreased during a current term; provided, however, during the interim, from the date of adoption of this Amendment until the first day of the next succeeding month following the date of approval of salaries by the Quorum Court, salaries of county officials shall be determined by law. Fees of the office shall not be the basis of compensation for officers or employees of county offices. Per diem compensation for members of the Quorum Court shall be fixed by law.

Amdt. 55, § 6. Bonding requirement for county officers
All County Officers shall be bonded as provided by law.

Amdt. 56, § 1. Executive department officers
The Executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General, and Commissioner of State Lands, all of whom shall keep their offices at the seat of government, and hold their offices for the term of two (2) years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Amdt. 56, § 4. Compensation of municipal officers and officials
Compensation of municipal officers and officials shall be fixed by the governing body of the municipality, not to exceed limits which may be established by law.

Amdt. 56, § 5. [Repealer]
[Repealing art. 19, § 23; amdt. 37; amdt. 48.]

Amdt. 57, § 1. Alternative classification and basis; exemptions
The General Assembly may classify intangible personal property for assessment at lower percentages of value than other property and may exempt one or more classes of intangible personal property from taxation, or may provide for the taxation of intangible personal property on a basis other than ad valorem.

Amdt. 57, § 2. Supersedure
The provisions of this Amendment shall be in lieu of those provisions of Article 16, Section 5 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas relating to the assessment and taxation of intangible personal property.

Amdt. 59 (1980). Property tax relief and rollback
[Repealing and replacing art. 16, §§ 5, 14-16.]

Amdt. 60 (1982). Interest rate control
(Amending art. 19, § 13.)

Amdt. 61 (1982). Three-mill county road tax
County quorum courts may annually levy a county road tax not to exceed three (3) mills on the dollar on all taxable real and personal property within their respective counties. Revenues derived from the county road tax shall be used for the sole purpose of constructing and repairing public roads and bridges within the county wherein levied. The authority granted by this amendment shall be in addition to all other taxing authority of the county quorum courts.

Amdt. 62, § 2. Issuance of bonds to secure and develop industry—Levy of tax—Suspension of collection—Limit on tax levy
{{dent|2em|-2em|(e){{em}}The General Assembly, by a three-fourths vote of each house, may amend the provisions of subsection (d) of this section so long as the amendments are germane to this section and consistent with its policy and purposes.

Amdt. 62, § 4. [Repealer]
[Repealing amdt. 13; amdt. 17; amdt. 25; amdt. 49.]

Amdt. 63 (1984). Terms of executive department officers
The Executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General and Commissioner of State Lands, all of whom shall keep their offices at the seat of government, and hold their offices for the term of four (4) years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Amdt. 65, § 1. Issuance of bonds—Terms and conditions
Subject to the provisions of Section 2 hereof, any governmental unit, pursuant to laws heretofore or hereafter adopted by the General Assembly, may issue revenue bonds for the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of capital improvements of a public nature, facilities for the securing and developing of industry or agriculture, and for such other public purposes as may be authorized by the General Assembly. Such bonds may bear such terms, be issued in such manner, and be subject to such conditions, all as may be authorized by the General Assembly; and the General Assembly may, but shall not be required to, condition the issuance of such bonds upon an election.

Amdt. 65, § 4. Bond authorization
This amendment shall be the sole authority required for the authorization, issuance, sale, execution and delivery of revenue bonds authorized hereby. Nothing herein shall be construed to impair the initiative and referendum powers reserved to the people under Amendment No. 7 to the Constitution of the State of Arkansas.

Amdt. 67 (1988). Juvenile and bastardy jurisdiction
The General Assembly shall define jurisdiction of matters relating to juveniles (persons under eighteen (18) years of age) and matters relating to bastardy and may confer such jurisdiction upon chancery, circuit or probate courts, or upon separate divisions of such courts, or may establish separate juvenile courts upon which such jurisdiction may be conferred, and shall transfer to such courts the jurisdiction over bastardy and juvenile matters now vested in county courts by Section 28 of Article 7 of this Constitution.

Amdt. 68, § 1. Public funding restriction
No public funds will be used to pay for any abortion, except to save the mother's life.

Amdt. 68, § 2. Abortion policy
The policy of Arkansas is to protect the life of every unborn child from conception until birth, to the extent permitted by the Federal Constitution.

Amdt. 68, § 3. Effect on contraceptives; appropriations
This amendment will not affect contraceptives or require an appropriation of public funds.

Amdt. 69 (1990). [Repeal of amdt. 44]
[Repealing Amendment 44.]

Amdt. 70, § 2. Amendments to change salaries of executive department officials and General Assembly members
In addition to the three amendments to the Constitution allowed pursuant to Article 19, § 22, either branch of the General Assembly at a regular session thereof may propose an amendment to the Constitution to change the salaries for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Commissioner of State Lands, and Auditor of State and for members of the General Assembly. If the same be agreed to by a majority of all members elected to each house, such proposed amendment shall be entered on the journals with the yeas and nays, and published in at least one newspaper in each county, where a newspaper is published, for six months immediately preceding the next general election for Senators and Representatives, at which time the same shall be submitted to the electors of the State for approval or rejection. If a majority of the electors voting at such election adopt the amendment the same shall become a part of this Constitution. Only one amendment to the Constitution may be referred pursuant to this section.

Amdt. 70, § 3 (2014). XXX [Repealed]
The salaries of the Executive Department officials and members of the General Assembly provided for in Section 1 or 2 of this amendment or adjusted pursuant to this section may be increased annually through subsequent appropriations by the General Assembly by an amount not to exceed the average percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers or its successor, as published by the United States Department of Labor, for the two years immediately preceding the year of the salary appropriation.

§ 4. Effective date
The provisions of this amendment shall be effective on January 1, 1993.

§ 5. Repealer
Section 2 and Section 3 of Amendment 56 to the Arkansas Constitution are hereby repealed.

Amdt. 71, § 1. Tax exemption for household personal property
Items of household furniture and furnishings, clothing, appliances, and other personal property used within the home, if not held for sale, rental, or other commercial or professional use, shall be exempt from all ad valorem taxes levied by any city, county, school district, or other taxing unit in this state.

Amdt. 71, § 2. Special procedures for motor vehicle personal property tax assessment and collection
In addition to the method established by law for assessing and collecting real and personal property taxes, the General Assembly may establish special procedures, in lieu thereof, for the assessment and collection of annual personal property taxes on motor vehicles, owned by individuals, at the time of issuance or renewal of the registration and the license thereof. Personal property taxes collected on motor vehicles under such procedures shall be based on the assessed value of the vehicles determined at the time the tax is paid, computed at the rate of personal property taxes levied during the preceding November, in the manner provided by law, in the taxing units in which the owner of the motor vehicle resides, or in which the motor vehicle is regularly located and assessed, and the taxpayer shall not be required to pay ad valorem taxes upon such motor vehicle based on the assessment for the previous year. In no event may more than one year's personal property taxes be collected on the same vehicle in the same year. Personal property taxes collected on motor vehicles under such procedures shall be remitted to the counties in which due, for distribution, as revenues of the year in which collected, to the respective taxing units in the manner provided by law.

Amdt. 71, § 3. Supersedure
The provisions of this amendment shall be in lieu of those provisions of Article 16, Section 5 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas relating to the assessment and taxation of tangible personal property.

Amdt. 71, § 4. Effective date
This amendment shall be in effect from and after January 1, 1993.

Amdt. 72 (1992). City and county libraries
[Amending amdt. 30, §§ 1, 3; amdt. 38, §§ 1, 3. Adding amdt. 30, § 5; amdt. 38, § 5.]

Preamble
The people of Arkansas find and declare that elected officials who remain in office too long become preoccupied with reelection and ignore their duties as representatives of the people. Entrenched incumbency has reduced voter participation and has led to an electoral system that is less free, less competitive, and less representative than the system established by the Founding Fathers. Therefore, the people of Arkansas, exercising their reserved powers, herein limit the terms of elected officials.

Amdt. 76 (1996). The Congressional Term Limits Amendment of 1996
Measure.

Whereas career politicians dominating Congress have a conflict of interest that prevents them from enacting meaningful term limits and making Congress what the founders intended, the branch of government most responsive to the electorate; and

Whereas career politicians, while refusing to heed the desire of the people for meaningful term limits, amassed a nearly five trillion dollar national debt by not only voting year after year to spend far more than they have taken in, but also by voting to increase dramatically their own pay, and also providing lavish pensions from themselves and granting themselves numerous other privileges at the expense of the people; and

Whereas such irresponsible actions on the part of career politicians have mortgaged the future of not only every American citizen, but also their children and grandchildren; and

Whereas the abuse of power, the corruption, and the appearance of corruption brought about by political careerism is ultimately destructive to representative government by making Congress increasingly distant from the people; and

Whereas the President of the United States is limited to two terms in office by the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, and governors in forty (40) states are limited by those states' laws to two terms or less; and

Whereas voters have established term limits for more than 2,000 state legislators, as well as more than 17,000 local officials across the nation, including state legislators and statewide elective officeholders in Arkansas; and

Whereas in 1992, the people of the State of Arkansas enacted, by an overwhelming majority, an amendment to the State Constitution limiting service in the United States House of Representatives to three terms and in the United States Senate to two terms, and which state-imposed Congressional Term Limits were ruled unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court; and

Whereas the United States Congress has ignored the desire of the people for meaningful term limits by refusing to submit to the states for ratification and amendment instituting Congressional Term Limits, and by proposing exceedingly long limits for its own members; and

Whereas it is the people themselves, not the United States Congress, who have in the past by majority vote, and should in the future set limits for the terms of Congressional offices; and

Whereas the people have a sovereign right and a compelling interest in the creation and preservation of a citizen Congress that will more effectively protect the freedom and prosperity of the people, which interest and right may not be as effectively served in any way other than that proposed by this amendment to the Arkansas State Constitution; and

Whereas with foresight and wisdom our founders, under Article V of the United States Constitution, did provide the people with a procedure by which to overcome Congressional self-interest, by which procedure the people of the several states may call a convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution when two-thirds or thirty-four (34) states expressly call for a convention; and

Whereas amendments proposed by such a convention would become a part of the United States Constitution upon the ratification of three-fourths of the states (38); and

Whereas the people of the State of Arkansas desire to amend the United States Constitution to establish term limits on Congress to ensure representation in Congress by true citizen lawmakers;

THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

Amdt. 76, § 1. Congressional delegation [Declared unconstitutional]
Section 3 of Amendment 73 to the Arkansas Constitution is hereby amended to add to the current language the following subsections:

Amdt. 77, § 2. Temporary exchange of circuits
Circuit, chancery, and probate judges may temporarily exchange circuits by joint order. Any circuit, chancery, or probate judge who consents may be assigned to another circuit for temporary service under rules prescribed by the Supreme Court.

Amdt. 77, § 3. Repeals
Article 7, Section 9, 21, and 22 are hereby repealed.

Amdt. 77, § 4. Effective date
This amendment becomes effective January 1, 1999.

Amdt. 78, § 2. Short-term financing
{{dent|2em|-2em|(c){{em}}The provisions of this section shall be self-executing.

<!-- Text before 2010 amendment {{dent|2em|-2em|(a){{em}}For the purpose of acquiring, constructing, installing or renting real property or tangible personal property having an expected useful life of more than one (1) year, municipalities and counties may incur short-term financing obligations maturing over a period of, or having a term, not to exceed five (5) years. Such obligations may bear interest at either:}}

{{dent|4em|-2em|(1){{em}}a fixed rate throughout the term thereof, including a fixed interest rate which is to be determined by reference to an index or other formula, but not to exceed the maximum lawful rate of interest for fixed rate obligations, or

(2){{em}}a rate which may vary at such times and under such circumstances as the parties may agree, whether or not the interest rate in fact varies, but not to exceed the maximum lawful rate of interest for variable rate obligations. The maximum lawful rate of interest for fixed rate obligations is the formula rate in effect on the date the obligation is incurred, regardless of when such interest is to begin to accrue. The maximum lawful rate of interest for variable rate obligations is the formula rate in effect on the date such interest accrues. The aggregate principal amount of short-term financing obligations incurred by a municipality or a county pursuant to this section shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the assessed value of taxable property located within the municipality or two and one half percent (2.5%) of the assessed value of taxable property located within the county, as determined by the last tax assessment completed before the last obligation was incurred by the city or county. The total annual principal and interest payments in each fiscal year on all outstanding obligations of a municipality or a county pursuant to this section shall be charged against and paid from the general revenues for such fiscal year, which may include road fund revenues. Tax revenues earmarked for solid waste disposal purposes may be used to pay printing and other costs associated with bonds issued under this amendment for solid waste disposal purposes.}}

{{dent|2em|-2em|(b){{em}}As used here:}}

{{dent|4em|-2em|(1){{em}}"Short-term financing obligation" means a debt, a note, an installment purchase agreement, a lease, a lease-purchase contract, or any other similar agreement, whether secured or unsecured; provided, that the obligation shall mature over a period of, or have a term, not to exceed five (5) years;

(2){{em}}"Formula rate" means that rate of interest which is five percentage points (5%) above the equivalent bond yield of one year United States Treasury Bills offered by the United States Treasury at the last auction during the immediately preceding calendar quarter, calculated by rounding up to the nearest one-fourth of one percentage point (0.25%) (unless the equivalent bond yield is already by a multiple of one-fourth of one percentage point), and announced by the State Bank Commissioner (or such successor official who may be performing substantially the same duties) from information available from the Federal Reserve System of the United States. The calculation of the formula rate shall be made on or before the tenth (10th) day of each calendar quarter. The formula rate so calculated shall be effective on the eleventh (11th) day of the calendar quarter and shall continue in effect until the formula rate for the succeeding calendar quarter shall have been calculated and becomes effective. If, for any reason, the United States ceases to issue one year Treasury Bills, such calculation shall be made using a debt instrument of the United States having substantially the same general character and maturity. The calculation and announcement of the formula rate by the State Bank Commissioner shall be final.}}

{{dent|2em|-2em|(c){{em}}The provisions of this section shall be self-executing.}} -->

Amdt. 78, § 3. Authority
The authority conferred by this amendment shall be in addition to the authority of municipalities and counties to issue bonds and other debt obligations pursuant to Amendments 62, 65, and 72, and other provisions of the Constitution and laws of the state.

Amdt. 78, § 4. Effective date
This amendment becomes effective on January 1, 2001.

Amdt. 79, § 1. Assessed value adjustment
{{dent|4em|-2em|(2){{em}}Residing in a nursing home shall not disqualify a person from the benefits of this subsection (d).

(3){{em}}In instances of joint ownership, if one of the owners qualifies under this subsection (d), all owners shall receive the benefits of this amendment.

(4){{em}}This subsection (d) does not apply to substantial improvements to real property.

(5){{em}}For real property that is subject to Section 2 of this Amendment in lieu of January 1, 2001, the applicable date for this subsection (d) shall be January 1 of the year following the completion of the adjustments to assessed value required by Section 2.

Amdt. 79, § 3. State tax credit
The General Assembly shall provide by law for an annual state credit against ad valorem property tax on a homestead in an amount of not less than three hundred dollars ($300). The credit shall not exceed the amount of ad valorem property taxes owed. The credit shall apply beginning for taxes due in calendar year 2001. This section shall be applied in a manner that would not impair a bond holder's interest in ad valorem debt service revenues.

Amdt. 79, § 5. Effective date
This amendment shall be effective on January 1, 2001.

Amdt. 80, § 1. Judicial power
The judicial power is vested in the Judicial Department of state government, consisting of a Supreme Court and other courts established by this Constitution.

Amdt. 80, § 3. Rules of pleading, practice and procedure
The Supreme Court shall prescribe the rules of pleading, practice and procedure for all courts; provided these rules shall not abridge, enlarge or modify any substantive right and shall preserve the right of trial by jury as declared in this Constitution.

Amdt. 80, § 4. Superintending Control
The Supreme Court shall exercise general superintending control over all courts of the state and may temporarily assign judges, with their consent, to courts or divisions other than that for which they were elected or appointed. These functions shall be administered by the Chief Justice.

Amdt. 80, § 5. Court of Appeals
There shall be a Court of Appeals which may have divisions thereof as established by Supreme Court rule. The Court of Appeals shall have such appellate jurisdiction as the Supreme Court shall by rule determine and shall be subject to the general superintending control of the Supreme Court. Judges of the Court of Appeals shall have the same qualifications as Justices of the Supreme Court.

Amdt. 80, § 9. Annulment or amendment of rules
Any rules promulgated by the Supreme Court pursuant to Sections 5, 6(B), 7(B), 7(D), or 8 of this Amendment may be annulled or amended, in whole or in part, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership of each house of the General Assembly.

Amdt. 80, § 10. Jurisdiction, venue, circuits, districts and number of judges
The General Assembly shall have the power to establish jurisdiction of all courts and venue of all actions therein, unless otherwise provided in this Constitution, and the power to establish judicial circuits and districts and the number of judges for Circuit Courts and District Courts, provided such circuits or districts are comprised of contiguous territories.

Amdt. 80, § 11. Right of appeal
There shall be a right of appeal to an appellate court from the Circuit Courts and other rights of appeal as may be provided by Supreme Court rule or by law.

Amdt. 80, § 12. Temporary disqualification of justices or judges
No Justice or Judge shall preside or participate in any case in which he or she might be interested in the outcome, in which any party is related to him or her by consanguinity or affinity within such degree as prescribed by law, or in which he or she may have been counsel or have presided in any inferior court.

Amdt. 80, § 14. Prohibition of practice of law
Justices and Judges, except District Judges, shall not practice law during their respective terms of office. The General Assembly may, by classification, prohibit District Judges from practicing law.

Amdt. 80, § 15. Prohibition of candidacy for non-judicial office
If a Judge or Justice files as a candidate for non-judicial governmental office, that candidate's judicial office shall immediately become vacant.

Amdt. 80, § 20. Prosecuting Attorneys
A Prosecuting Attorney shall be elected by the qualified electors of each judicial circuit. Prosecuting Attorneys shall have been licensed attorneys of this state for at least four years immediately preceding the date of assuming office. They shall be qualified electors within the judicial circuit from which they are elected and shall reside within that geographical area at the time of the election and during their period of service. They shall serve four-year terms.

Amdt. 80, § 21. Effective date
This Amendment shall become effective on July, 2001 [sic].

Amdt. 80, § 22. Repealer
{{dent|2em|-2em|(A){{em}}The following sections of Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas are hereby repealed effective July 1, 2001; 1 through 18; 20 through 22; 24; 25; 32; 34; 35; 39; 40; 42; 44; 45 and 50.

(B){{em}}Sections 34 and 35 of Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas, as amended by Sections 1 and 2 of Amendment 24, are hereby repealed effective July 1, 2001.

(C){{em}}Section 43 of Article 7 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas is hereby repealed effective January 1, 2005.

(D){{em}}Section 1 of Amendment 58 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas is hereby repealed effective July 1, 2001.

(E){{em}}Section 1 of Amendment 64 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas is hereby repealed effective January 1, 2005.

(F){{em}}Section 1 of Amendment 77 of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas is hereby repealed effective July 1, 2001.

(G){{em}}No other provision of the Constitution of the State of Arkansas shall be repealed by this Amendment unless the provision is in irreconcilable conflict with the provisions of this Amendment.

Amdt. 83, § 1. Marriage
Marriage consists only of the union of one man and one woman.

Amdt. 83, § 2. Marital status
Legal status for unmarried persons which is identical or substantially similar to marital status shall not be valid or recognized in Arkansas, except that the legislature may recognize a common law marriage from another state between a man and a woman.

Amdt. 83, § 3. Capacity, rights, obligations, privileges, and immunities
The legislature has the power to determine the capacity of persons to marry, subject to this amendment, and the legal rights, obligations, privileges, and immunities of marriage.

Amdt. 85, § 1. Qualifications of electors
[Amending art. 3, § 1.]

Amdt. 85, § 2. Right of suffrage
[Amending art. 3, § 2.]

Amdt. 85, § 3. Repealer
[Repealing art. 3, § 5.]

Amdt. 85, § 4. Time of holding elections
[Amending art. 3, § 8.]

Amdt. 85, § 5. Election officers
[Amending art. 3, § 10.]

Amdt. 86, § 1. Regular and fiscal sessions
[Amending art. 5, ss 5.]

Amdt. 86, § 2. Duration of sessions
[Amending art. 5, ss 17.]

Amdt. 86, § 3. Appropriations
[Amending art. 5, ss 29.]

Amdt. 86, § 4. Introduction of bills—Time limit
[Amending art. 5, ss 34.]

Amdt. 86, § 5. State expenses—Limitation—Exceptions
[Amending art. 5, ss 39.]

Amdt. 86, § 6. General appropriation bill—Enactment
[Amending art. 5, ss 40.]

Amdt. 86, § 7. Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission—Executive secretary and other personnel—Selection—Salaries and expenditures
[Amending amdt. 35, ss 7.]

Amdt. 87 (2008). Authorization of lotteries in Arkansas
[Amending art. 19, § 14.]

Amdt. 89, § 2. Loans by federally insured depository institutions
The maximum lawful rate of interest, discount points, finance charges, or other similar charges that may be charged, taken, received, or reserved from time to time in any loan or financing transaction by or to any federally insured depository institution having its main office in this State shall be the maximum rate of interest that was applicable to federally insured depository institutions under 12 U.S.C. § 1831u effective on March 1, 2009.

Amdt. 89, § 3. Maximum interest rate on other loans
The maximum lawful rate of interest on loans or contracts not described in Sections 1 and 2 shall not exceed seventeen percent (17%) per annum.

Amdt. 89, § 7. Ballot title
The ballot title for this amendment shall be:

An amendment providing that constitutional provisions setting the maximum lawful rate of interest on bonds issued by and loans made by or to governmental units are repealed; the maximum lawful rate of interest on loans by federally insured depository institutions shall remain at the rate resulting from the federal preemption effective on March 1, 2009; establishing that the maximum lawful rate of interest on any other loan or contract shall not exceed seventeen percent (17%) per annum; authorizing governmental units to issue bonds to finance energy efficiency projects and allowing such bonds to be repaid from any source including general revenues derived from taxes; providing that any federal laws applicable to loans or interest rates are not superseded by the amendment; and repealing Article 19, §13, and the interest rate provisions of Amendment Nos. 30, 38, 62, 65, and 78 of the Arkansas Constitution.

Amdt. 89, § 8. Power of General Assembly to fix interest rate limits
Nothing in this amendment shall limit the power of the General Assembly to fix, from time to time, one or more interest rate limits on various types of bonds issued by and loans made by or to governmental units.

Amdt. 89, § 9. Severability
If this amendment or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of the amendment and its application to persons or circumstances other than those to which it is held invalid shall not be affected.

Amdt. 89, § 10. Provisions of amendment self-executing—Exception
The provisions of this amendment, other than the provisions of Section 4 of this amendment, shall be self-executing.

Amdt. 89, § 11. General Assembly may amend provisions of amendment by three-fourths vote
The General Assembly may by a three-fourths vote of each house of the General Assembly amend the provisions of this amendment so long as the amendments are germane to this amendment and consistent with its policy and purposes.

Amdt. 89, § 12. Applicability
The provisions of this amendment shall apply to all bonds issued and loans made after the effective date of this amendment.

Amdt. 89, § 13. Effective date
The effective date of this amendment is January 1, 2011.

Amdt. 89, § 14. Repealer
This amendment shall repeal Article 19, §13, and the interest rate provisions of Amendment Nos. 30, 38, 62, 65, and 78 of the Arkansas Constitution.

Amdt. 90 (2010). Authority of General Assembly to establish criteria before authorizing issuance of bonds for prospective employers planning an economic development project
[Amending amdt. 82, § 1(d).]

Amdt. 91, § 1. Intent
The people of the State of Arkansas find that:

Amdt. 91, § 2. Definitions
As used in this amendment:

Amdt. 91, § 6. Arkansas Highway Revenue Distribution Law—Inclusion of taxes levied by amendment
The Arkansas Highway Revenue Distribution Law, which defines highway revenues, shall include taxes levied and collected by this amendment.

Amdt. 91, § 10. Procedure for issuing bonds
Before any series of bonds may be issued:

Amdt. 91, § 13. Employment of professionals
The commission may retain professionals it determines are necessary to issue and sell the bonds, including without limitation legal counsel, financial advisors, underwriters, trustees, paying agents, and remarketing agents.

Amdt. 91, § 14. Investment of proceeds
Prior to expenditure of the proceeds from the issuance of the bonds, the proceeds from the issuance of the bonds shall be held, maintained, and invested by the trustee as provided in a resolution of the commission or as provided in a trust indenture securing the bonds.

Amdt. 91, § 22. Form of submission to the electors
The proposition set forth shall be submitted for approval or rejection by the electors in substantially the following form:

"A TEMPORARY ONE-HALF PERCENT (0.5%) SALES AND USE TAX FOR STATE HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES, COUNTY ROADS, BRIDGES AND OTHER SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, AND CITY STREETS, BRIDGES AND OTHER SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, WITH THE STATE'S PORTION TO SECURE STATE OF ARKANSAS GENERAL OBLIGATION FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION AND IMPROVEMENT BONDS AND PERMANENTLY DEDICATING ONE CENT (1¢) PER GALLON OF THE PROCEEDS DERIVED FROM THE EXISTING MOTOR FUEL AND DISTILLATE FUEL TAXES TO THE STATE AID STREET FUND"

On each ballot there shall be printed the following:

"FOR a proposed constitutional amendment to levy a temporary sales and use tax of one-half percent (0.5%) for state highways and bridges, county roads, bridges and other surface transportation, and city streets, bridges and other surface transportation, with the state's portion to secure State of Arkansas General Obligation Four-Lane Highway Construction and Improvement Bonds in the total principal amount not to exceed $1,300,000,000 for the purpose of constructing and improving four-lane highways in the State of Arkansas, prescribing the terms and conditions for the issuance of such bonds which will mature and be paid in full in approximately ten (10) years, which payment in full shall terminate the temporary sales and use tax, describing the sources of repayment of the bonds and permanently dedicating one cent (1¢) per gallon of the proceeds derived from the existing motor fuel and distillate fuel taxes to the State Aid Street Fund."

"AGAINST a proposed constitutional amendment to levy a temporary sales and use tax of one-half percent (0.5%) for state highways and bridges, county roads, bridges and other surface transportation, and city streets, bridges and other surface transportation, with the state's portion to secure State of Arkansas General Obligation Four-Lane Highway Construction and Improvement Bonds in the total principal amount not to exceed $1,300,000,000 for the purpose of constructing and improving four-lane highways in the State of Arkansas, prescribing the terms and conditions for the issuance of such bonds which will mature and be paid in full in approximately ten (10) years, which payment in full shall terminate the temporary sales and use tax, describing the sources of repayment of the bonds and permanently dedicating one cent (1¢) per gallon of the proceeds derived from the existing motor fuel and distillate fuel taxes to the State Aid Street Fund."

Amdt. 92 (2014). Review and approval of administrative rules by legislative committee
[Adding art. 5, § 42.]

Amdt. 93 (2014). Initiative and referendum—Correction or amendment of insufficient statewide petitions
[Amending art. 5, § 1.]

Amdt. 94, § 1. Title
This amendment shall be known and may be cited as "The Arkansas Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency, and Financial Reform Amendment of 2014".

Amdt. 94, § 2. Contributions to candidates for state and local office—Prohibition on gifts from lobbyists to certain state officials
[Adding art. 19, §§ 28–31.]

Amdt. 94, § 3. Legislative branch—Term limits
[Amending amdt. 73, § 2.]

Amdt. 94, § 4. Repealer
[Repealing art. 5, § 16.]

Amdt. 94, § 5. Appropriations
[Amending art. 5, § 29.]

Amdt. 94, § 6. General and special appropriations
[Amending art. 5, § 30.]

Amdt. 94, § 7. Salaries and fees of state officers
[Amending art. 16, § 4.]

Amdt. 94, § 8. Disbursement of funds—Appropriation required
[Amending art. 16, § 12.]

Amdt. 94, § 9. Repealer
[Repealing art. 19, § 11.]

Amdt. 94, § 10. Repealer
[Repealing art. 6, § 6.]

Amdt. 94, § 11. Repealer
[Repealing art. 9, § 2.]

Amdt. 94, § 12. Repealer
[Repealing amdt. 15.]

Amdt. 94, § 13. Repealer
[Repealing amdt. 43.]

Amdt. 94, § 14. Executive Department and General Assembly—Restrictions on reimbursements
[Amending amdt. 70, § 1.]

Amdt. 94, § 15. Repealer
[Repealing amdt. 70, § 3.]

Amdt. 94, § 16. Salary and expenses of justices and judges
[Amending amdt. 80, § 16(E).]

Amdt. 94, § 17. Severability
In the event any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, subparagraph, item, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this amendment is declared or adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration or adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of this amendment, which shall remain in full force and effect as if the portion so declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional was not originally a part of this amendment.

Amdt. 94, § 18. Effective date
This amendment shall be effective on November 5, 2014.

Amdt. 95, § 1. Procedures for elections with one candidate
[Adding art. 3, § 13.]

Amdt. 95, § 2. Persons convicted ineligible
[Amending art. 5, § 9.]

Amdt. 95, § 3. Circuit clerks—Election—Term of office—Ex officio duties—County clerks elected in certain counties
[Amending art. 7, § 19.]

Amdt. 95, § 4. County judge—Election—Term—Qualifications
[Amending art. 7, § 29.]

Amdt. 95, § 5. County executive officers—Compensation of county assessor
[Amending art. 7, § 46.]

Amdt. 95, § 6. County officers ineligible to civil office
[Adding art. 7, § 53.]

Amdt. 95, § 7. Election of county clerk
[Amending amdt. 41.]

Amdt. 95, § 9. Ballot title and popular name
When this proposed amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election ballot:

Amdt. 96, § 1. Lieutenant governor acting as governor
[Amending art. 6, § 4.]

Amdt. 96, § 2. Ballot title and popular name
When this proposed amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election ballot:

Amdt. 97, § 1. Intent
The intent of this amendment to the Arkansas Constitution is to encourage job creation, job expansion, and economic development.

Amdt. 97, § 2. Political subdivisions not to become stockholders in or lend credit to private corporations—Exceptions
[Amending art. 12, § 5.]

Amdt. 97, § 3. Local capital improvement bonds
[Amending amdt. 62, § 1(b).]

Amdt. 97, § 4. Issuance of bonds to secure and develop industry—Levy of tax—Suspension of collection—Limit on tax levy
[Amending amdt. 62, § 2.]

Amdt. 97, § 5. Repealer
[Repealing amdt. 62, § 3.]

Amdt. 97, § 6. Special tax constitutes special fund—Disbursement of surplus
[Amending amdt. 62, § 5.]

Amdt. 97, § 7. Joint project of various governing bodies—Compact agreement elections
[Amending amdt. 62, § 9.]

Amdt. 97, § 8. Economic development project general obligation bonds
[Amending amdt. 82.]

Amdt. 97, § 9. Severability
The provisions of this amendment are severable, and if any should be held invalid, the remainder shall stand.

Amdt. 97, § 10. Ballot title and popular name
When this proposed amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election ballot:

Amdt. 98, § 1. Short title
This amendment shall be known and cited as the "Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016".

Amdt. 98, § 2. Definitions
As used in this amendment:

Amdt. 98, § 15. Prohibited conduct for physicians
A physician shall not:

Amdt. 98, § 16. Failure to adopt rules or issue registry identification cards or licenses
If the Department of Health, Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, or Medical Marijuana Commission fails to adopt rules to implement this amendment within the time prescribed or fails to issue the minimum number of dispensary licenses or cultivation facility licenses, any person who would be a qualifying patient under this amendment may commence a mandamus action in Pulaski County Circuit Court to compel the department, division, or commission to perform the actions mandated under the provisions of this amendment.

Amdt. 98, § 21. Limitation on growing
This amendment:

Amdt. 98, § 22. Severability
If any provision or section of this amendment or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provisions or application of the amendment that can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications, and to this end the provisions of this amendment are declared to be severable.

Amdt. 99, § 1. Arkansas Constitution, Article 3, § 1, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1. Qualifications of electors.

Amdt. 99, § 2. Ballot title and popular name
When this proposed amendment is submitted to the electors of this state on the general election ballot:

Amdt. 100, § 1. Short title
This Amendment shall be known and cited as "The Arkansas Casino Gaming Amendment of 2018."

Amdt. 100, § 2. Definitions
For purposes of this Amendment, the below terms are defined as follows:

Amdt. 100, § 8. Legal shipment of gambling devices into State
All shipments of gambling devices, including slot machines, that are duly registered, recorded, and labeled by the manufacturer and/or dealer thereof in accordance with applicable federal law into any county of this State in which casino gaming is authorized in accordance with this Amendment shall be deemed legal shipments.

Amdt. 100, § 10. Inconsistent provisions inapplicable
All provisions of the Constitution, statutes, and common law of this State, including without limitation laws forbidding the judicial enforcement of gambling debts and statutes declaring gambling to be a crime, to the extent inconsistent or in conflict with any provision of this Amendment are expressly declared null and void as to, and do not apply to, any activities allowed under this Amendment.

Amdt. 100, § 11. Severability
If any provision or section of this Amendment or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect any other provisions or application of the Amendment that can be given effect without the invalid provisions or applications, and to this end the provisions of this Amendment are declared to be severable.