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House committee advances measure expanding secretary of state authority over petition canvassers amid due-process concerns
Summary
Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 209 after hours of public testimony and committee questioning about whether the measure gives the secretary of state extrajudicial power to invalidate canvassers' signatures and whether adequate due process protections exist.
Little Rock — The House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs voted to pass Senate Bill 209 after extended testimony and questioning about enforcement and due process. Supporters said the measure is intended to strengthen integrity in the signature-gathering process; opponents said it hands too much investigatory and remedial power to the secretary of state without court-like safeguards.
The bill directs the secretary of state’s office to investigate alleged violations of canvassing law and permits the office, upon finding a violation by a canvasser by a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, to refuse to count signatures collected by that canvasser. Representative Ken Underwood (R-16), who closed debate for the sponsor, told the committee the bill “provides notice, opportunity to cure, and presenting evidence, to the secretary of state's office” and that existing appeal routes to the courts remain available.
Opponents argued…
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