Nearly $2M Spent on Arkansas ‘Tort Reform’ Measure, But Court Blocks It

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Arkansas’ high court has ordered election officials to not count votes for a proposal to limit damages awarded in civil lawsuits that, together, proponents and opponents have spent nearly $2 million on campaigns for and against the measure.

The court also rejected an effort to block an initiative to raise the state’s minimum wage.

The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled on the two ballot measures Thursday, days before early voting begins for the Nov. 6 midterm election.

Justices upheld a state judge’s ruling that the ballot measure limiting civil lawsuit damages unconstitutionally combined separate proposals. The measure also would have given the Legislature control over court rules in the state.

Justices rejected a separate lawsuit trying to disqualify the proposal to gradually raise Arkansas’ minimum wage from $8.50 an hour to $11 by 2021. Opponents of the proposal had challenged some of the signatures submitted for the initiative.

Supporters and opponents of the proposal to limit the damages awarded in civil lawsuits in Arkansas reported spending nearly $2 million combined last month in the campaign fight over the measure.

Arkansans for Jobs and Justice, the primary group campaigning for the proposed constitutional amendment, reported raising more than $387,000 last month and spending more than $1 million. The group reported having more than $388,000 in the bank.

Protect Arkansas Families, which is campaigning against the measure, raised more than $205,000 last month and spent more than $941,000. The group reported having nearly $171,000 in the bank.