LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Thursday, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas granted a temporary restraining order against the town of Rose Bud, which struck down an ordinance that would have placed restrictive and "unconstitutional" measures in place.
According to the ACLU of Arkansas, these restrictive measures were aimed at silencing political petitioners -- they said that Thursday's ruling upholds First Amendment rights and ensure that the voice of Arkansans can be heard without interference.
“The ordinance imposed by the Town of Rose Bud was riddled with First Amendment problems,” said John C. Williams, Legal Director of the ACLU of Arkansas. “It was not content-neutral, improperly restricted speech in a public forum, and appeared to be an intentional act of viewpoint discrimination. These actions undermine the very principles of free speech and democratic participation that are fundamental to our society.”
The aforementioned ordinance by Rose Bud "severely limited the ability of petitioners to collect signatures" according to the ACLU.
The ACLU filed the initial lawsuit on behalf of For AR Kids, who have been working to qualify the Educational Rights Amendment of 2023 ahead of Arkansas' Nov. 2024 ballot.
Now that the temporary restraining order has been granted, For AR Kids and other ballot question committees are able to exercise their constitutional rights ahead of upcoming events like Summerfest.
“Some politicians in power are fearful of voters checking their power, demanding transparency in government, and voting on critical issues such as education and reproductive healthcare. The ACLU of Arkansas is committed to defending the rights of people and groups to freely express their views and participate in the democratic process.”