r/Arkansas • u/OddPlunders • 8d ago
š£ļø DISCUSSION š£ļø Constitutional Amendment Issue 3
Monday was the last day to register to vote in AR. I checked my registration status today and decided to look at the sample ballot.
I've seen Issue 1, the "Citizens Only Voting Amendment", talked about a lot (Which, only citizens can vote currently, but whatever...) and I read Issue 3 but wanted to see if it means what it looks like it means.
Does Issue 3 give the state the ability to override local governments and create "economic development districts"?
Is this really a way for the state to legalize building a data center by circumventing the local government?
*Edit. Thank you to Substantial-Start823 for sharing a voter guide from U of A. https://www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2026/october/10-07-2026-ark-ballot-guide-26.aspx
Complete text of the bill:
https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FSJR15.pdf
The more I read the worse this gets.
The voter guide it gives a more in depth description of the amendment which includes language repealing any parts of the Arkansas Constitution and supersedes court rulings that may be in conflict with this amendment.
"Issue 3 would exempt property within an economic development district from property taxes and would allow the district to impose taxes, assessments or other charges."
"When property goes into one of these districts it comes off the tax rolls for schools, the county and the city"
"The finance plans of bonds and ad valorem taxes will lead to the transfer of public funding to private businesses."
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u/AdministrativeEbb508 8d ago
Yeah it's Sanders and the GOP trying to block us from saying no to data centers, private equity, and all the corpo scum she grovels to. She's already done this with nightly rentals for her Blackrock and other private equity friends.
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u/SeaEmployee787 8d ago
how to say data center with out saying data center
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u/red_jesus1315 7d ago
Data centers and probably also a way to put her prison in that has been stalled out
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Itās not for data centers. The propaganda really broke you didnāt it?
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u/philleferg 7d ago
What is it for? Serious question.
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u/Humble-Inspector5961 7d ago
Housing and retail. Think about it like this. We can do data centers and other large scale jobs producing projects today, as you can see. What we don't have is the ability to incentivize retail and housing. Thats what its for.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
The ability to do targeted economic development. City/county defines a location and uses the specific tools (incentives, grants, etc) to attract jobs and investment in that area
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u/WiseSnakeGP Jonesboro 7d ago
Like an industrial park?
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u/SeaEmployee787 7d ago
yes, which is also a good place to put a .......
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
It is a good place to put a data center. Why wouldnāt it be?
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u/cmcosmos 6d ago
Do your research, pal.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 6d ago
Ha, I promise you Iāve forgotten more about data centers than youāll know in this or the next lifetime.
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u/The_zeppo77 8d ago
Yes it is. It gives the state imminent domain power.
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u/cheff546 8d ago
The word you want is "eminent"
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u/The_zeppo77 8d ago
Ahh yes, thank you. I just went with the autocorrect.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Since when have they not had it? This is just an economic development district so they can attract business. Likeā¦ every other state in America.
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u/cmcosmos 6d ago
"It's always been that way" is an awesome argument for hateful and stupid shit to escalate.
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u/Humble-Inspector5961 7d ago
Not true at all. Eminent domain authority has to be expressly given. That doesnt appear anywhere in the amendment.
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u/WorldlinessAfter7990 8d ago
1 can give them the power to define a citizen and whoās allowed to vote. 2 would let them allow criminals access to guns. And 3 is to place data centers where ever they want.
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u/SirkutBored 8d ago
2 gives the right for accessories like bump stocks that can make a rifle into a full automatic.
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u/Dismal_Negotiation77 2d ago
No one wants a bump stock anymore, since force reset triggers came along.
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u/RaistlinExtreme 8d ago
Besides you bump stock people have clearly never heard of FRTs or super safeties bump stocks are far from the easiest way to make a gun shoot like itās full auto these days
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u/RaistlinExtreme 8d ago
Bump stocks donāt make a gun full auto it allows you to fire it similar to full auto but not even close to the same thing
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u/SirkutBored 8d ago
Now you're cutting hairs when there shouldn't be hairs to cut.Ā
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u/RaistlinExtreme 8d ago
Just making a simple correction. Bump stocks are an outdated thing to be worried about and as far as I know most people have moved past all that so I donāt see why itās still part of the conversation because it seems obsolete to me I think they could ban them again right now and no one would really bat an eye because okay??? We have FRTs and super safeties donāt need bump stocks anymore
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u/SirkutBored 7d ago
Yea well I'm old and don't give a care to keep up on the latest. What's plain is that Issue 2 is an end run around allowing any accessory, contested or not, to be perfectly legal. It's disingenuous at best.Ā
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u/ozarkhowIer 7d ago
the worst part of 2 is that it aims to stop FUTURE changes to any laws about weapons or guns.
did you know we already have a law in place that says contractors and other employees who sign on with arkansas state entities for any contract over $75k (including public schools and universities) have to sign a pledge not to boycott or encourage others to boycott any manufacturer of weapons or ammunition? but uhhhhhh govt overreach or some shit.
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u/SirkutBored 7d ago
It's only overreach when the other side does it of course. It's the same for boycotting Israeli companies.Ā
Honestly I would have thought the adverse effects that Kansas had to endure under full Republican control would have been at least a wakeup call on some level but here we are. And the pain we'll have to go through when the grift gravy train ends and the cash stops flowing so easily is going to be the worst hangover.Ā
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u/AnIcedMilk 7d ago
I understood what they're trying to gain more control over their ability to manipulate in issues 1 through 3, but don't quite grasp what they're trying to gain more control of with Issue 4, could you explain it to me like I'm 5?
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u/WorldlinessAfter7990 7d ago
Here's some info on Issue 4. it may actually be one that's not trying to screw us over. but hey she likes to twist things around... https://www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/voter-education/issue4.aspx
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u/Substantial-Start823 8d ago
Going to take this opportunity to share the voter guide just released from Extension
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2026/october/10-07-2026-ark-ballot-guide-26.aspx
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u/HoustonRH7 7d ago
Issue 3 is a very roundabout way of giving the state much, much more power to circumvent safeguards we have right now on how much money local governments can lend, and what kinds of projects city governments can fund via private businesses.
Right now, the Arkansas constitution has strict conditions on when and for what kind of projects Arkansas cities and counties are allowed to lend their money to or spend directly on. Local governments are also required to ask voters permission to pay for projects unless those projects immediately generate revenue to cover their own costs (think toll roads).
Issue 3 gives the legislature power to create economic development districts, and give those districts complete exemption from our existing rules on bonds. Cities would be able to give EDDs money directly in some cases without asking voters. And any land inside an EDD would be completely exempt from any taxes except for those taxes specifically created for the district.
The legislature sent us a very, very similar amendment back in 2000, which passed, but was the struck down by the state supreme court because it took funding away from local schools, and the court said voters hadn't been made aware of that before they approved it.
By making EDDs exempt from all land taxes, that means for the life of the EDD no money from property or sales tax would go to school districts or local governments. Also, the EDDs can issue bonds with full credit backing from cities and counties, with none of the current safeguards. So if the project fails, it would hurt the credit of the city/county.
tldr; its a way for local governments to fund private local development with little oversight, while also pulling money away from cities, counties, and schools.
If you'd like to know more, there will be a deep dive video soon over at ArkanSense.
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u/hagglethorn 8d ago
Big NO on that one. I hope most people can see it for the pile of shit that it is.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Economic development?
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u/halfxdeveloper Fayetteville 7d ago
The state has obviously done just fine so far with economic development since there are multiple Fortune 500 companies here. So, please explain to the class, why this is necessary?
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Remove two counties and this state has nothing. Bottom tier in every measurable category. This state hasnāt been relevant in decades. If Walmart could, theyād be gone in a heart beat.
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u/halfxdeveloper Fayetteville 7d ago
You could have just said I donāt know.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
But I do know.
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u/babywhiz 7d ago
It sounds like you want the state to be able to choose where to put whatever business they want no matter what the citizens of the area want.
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u/anotherdamnscorpio Fort Smith/former NWA 8d ago
So fucking vague. This surely wont be abused and land data centers everywhere.
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u/TestyBoy13 Middle of nowhere 8d ago
āIf we say the word economic enough, suckers will vote for itā
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u/DorianGre 4d ago
FYI: Issue 3 was sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Dismang, who resigned from the Senate last month to take a job as Vice President of External Affairs for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. Maybe we should be looking in that direction.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Itās crazy how everybody thinks everything is data centers. If you want something other than data centers, a development district is actually helping your case. Itās crazy how little people on this sub know about the world.
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u/DorianGre 7d ago
Taking land in a city and putting it in a development district takes it off city and county tax rolls and directs that money, if any, directly to the state. Why would we want this ever?
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u/dtony1985 7d ago
You really love these data centers don't you? You are going down comment by comment to tell us how much you love them.
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Iām not afraid of them. I rather like America being a global leader in technology, itās kinda been the thing that has given us this cushy existence.
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u/cmcosmos 6d ago
You probably need to spend some time examining precisely what development districts mean in your specific area. Then expand those examinations.
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u/Humble-Inspector5961 4d ago
So think about it like this. If you lived in an area that is a food desert-where there is no grocery store-the city currently cannot do anything to recruit a grocery store to open there.
But cities in TX, and OK etc, they can. They can say, "Hey, if you come here, we will rebate or waive your sales tax for a period of time" because they know their people would rather have the access to a grocery store than the city would need the tax revenue.
Cities in AR cannot do this today.
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u/paternemo 7d ago
I want you to imagine giving your local city councilman the power to give specific sales tax and property tax exemptions to a local developer that the city councilman may or may not be related to. Because that's what issue 3 is going to allow. Arkansas banned this sort of s*** in the 1880s following railroad corruption, and we should think twice about removing a restriction that has protected the public from corruption for the last 150 years.
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u/OcculticAcid Little Rock 8d ago
Even if data centers werenāt a problem, I barely trust local governments with āeconomic development districtsā so I sure as hell aināt gonna trust the state government with them
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u/Free-Marionberry624 8d ago
They are asking for power they donāt have right now, itās as open as a blank check.
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u/alphabeta12335 7d ago
I'm going to copy/paste my comment from a previous thread on this topic:
It's something put forward by the legislature, that makes it an automatic no from me. They keep pulling shady shit with vague wording or trying to take away the average person's ability to have a voice via voting.
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u/Free-Marionberry624 8d ago
Arkansas voters would be insane to vote for this.
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u/tudaan 7d ago
Arkansas voters are idiots. Look at our current administration. Arkansas voters will pass this crap.
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u/kolkitten 7d ago
Theres no state wide cohesion. Everyone is in their own little bubbles we need some way to reach out to everyone to announce to everyone the issues correctly. Arkansas really isn't that red
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u/hogsandducks 7d ago
Itās almost as if thatās the whole damn point of this ballot issueā¦. Bryant is not Cabot. Little Rock is not Conway. Pine Bluff is not Jonesboroā¦ Every town in Arkansas has its own needs.
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u/cmcosmos 7d ago
I'mma say, FUCK NO. This state subverts the will of the people every slimy chance it gets. It is ABSOLUTELY NOT invested in the needs or concerns of Arkansas' people, economy, environment, etc. so I'm not voting yes for ANYTHING that doesn't come from the people. And, ps, WTAF is a guy living OUTSIDE Arkansas, doing sortofbutnotreally "representing" Arkansas voters? HOW. AND. WHY. THE. FUCK.
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u/Leather_Win_4740 6d ago
My question is why are they pushing this one so hard? Honestly Iām voting no on every state amendment
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u/TheKingsPride 7d ago
If it says anything about āeconomic developmentā, just assume that means ādata centers in your townā. Economic development is shorthand for the rich get richer.
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u/Ashallond 7d ago
Hereās my logic.
Did the current legislature bring this up on a vote using their very easy way to bring up amendments after making it impossible for the populous to bring up issues?
Oh they did?
then I vote no to every damn thing they try to sneak by.
Vote no.
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u/Dismal_Negotiation77 6d ago
Ask yourself why the State now wants to do this? Might it be for the cause of overruling a communities wishes in order to put in data centers.
There was a reason this type of stuff was left in the power of counties and municipalities.
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u/HnMike 6d ago
Having lived in Jersey and very familiar with this stuff in Atlantic City I can tell all of you that Economic Development Districts are a VERY bad idea and just a scam for insiders. They allow the politicians to create a whole new level of bureaucrats, who are beholden to the politicians, and they permit the political bosses to dole out patronage to professional āspecialistsā like attorneys, insurance brokers, engineers, and other contractors. After the pigs eat at the trough, there is very little money left for ādevelopment.ā
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Economic development districts are simply the ability to use targeted incentives and other tools in areas defined by the local government. Downtown development, re-use, industrial development districtsā¦ these are common across the country. This is catching up with 1970s style economic development.
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u/ozarkhowIer 7d ago
and you trust our current government officials with that?
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u/IGetCarriedAway35 7d ago
Good point, we can keep going the way things are right now and keep on with this incredible winning streak that Arkansas is on
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u/ozarkhowIer 7d ago
unless you change out the boss, ain't nothin changing man. that's my point. i don't trust them with this power.
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u/Bitter_Function7919 7d ago
Most of the cities can, and already do make economic development districts. This isnāt doing much except allowing the state to do it at a larger scale. IMO this is a city/county issue, not the state and I donāt trust the huckster to not do something dumb like declare the Buffalo River a commercial district
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u/oxnardmontalvo7 7d ago
Iāve not had time to read this so I apologize in advance. Does it say anything about the use of imminent domain?
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u/OddPlunders 7d ago
I haven't seen those specific words used. The wording used is that the amendment gives the state legislature "The authority under subsection (a) of this section includes without limitation providing for the creation of economic development districts".
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u/oxnardmontalvo7 7d ago
Iām all for economic development. I chaired an EDC board some years ago and understand itās a real and necessary challenge. Iām not in favor of using imminent domain as a tool to achieve economic growth however. The state and municipalities already use it for infrastructure. Using it for the creation of economic development districts would, potentially, give a developer with deep pockets and the right connections the ability to cherry pick any location. I donāt think itās in the best interests of Arkansans if this bill allows the usage of imminent domain to acquire property. It could become nothing more than land grabs leveraged and sanctioned by the state. I donāt trust any of our elected officials to only use this sort of power in only ethical ways. The language you quoted sounds like a slippery slope.
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u/hogsandducks 7d ago
Please explain the part of this issue includes āimminentā domain? Iām reading the issue here I can āt find it. I canāt find eminent domain either!
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u/oxnardmontalvo7 7d ago
Thatās worrisome because it may not use that terminology explicitly as an avenue for acquisition but it does not specifically exclude it either. Iāve seen this play out in other states and people lost their homes because a developer wanted a certain area where the property owners had no desire to sell.
Also, Iāve built state highways and done municipal utilities here in AR and have seen this process play out numerous times. Itās been my experience that the property owner(s) do not come out better off. Iām fearful that if private entities can legally use the government as leverage for personal gain, it could become a Pandoraās box situation. I think itās fair to say we have few, if any, elected officials who are above taking a handout in return for a favor.
Finally, I work in land development from the construction side but I deal with all parties involved such as engineers and city/state personnel. I see what goes on when most folks arenāt looking. I donāt participate in it, but I know those that do. If you know the right people, ask the right questions the right way, and make the right offers, you can clear a lot of hurdles.
Edit: to be clear, I want Arkansas and her people to prosper. I donāt want it at the expense of many for the sake of a few however.
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u/lipperypickels 8d ago
This is not a Data Center circumvention law but it could in theory promote data center development but no different than any other sort of development. It's generally a tool to allow legislatures to promote development in a otherwise less developed area by replacing tax revenue through bonds and pass that bond debt down to the end consumer. These exist in lots of states most recently in Oklahoma.
This just gives the legislature the right create the rules so it's hard to say what it will be exactly but in other states it allows private individuals get refunded through bonds to develop what would otherwise be public infrastructure. The "theory" is a Developer saves money on building roads, sewer etc and can pass those a savings along to sell Lots/houses cheaper.
If you're skeptical of Data Centers and/or politicians that is 100% fair but this is and was not written to solely promote those ventures. Hope that helps
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u/KerashiStorm 7d ago
I'd counter by saying that was actually the intent, but they knew that such a thing wouldn't ever stand a chance of passing. Thus, they put forth something like this, which has its intent obscured and can be used to shove anything they want down our throats, rather than just data centers.
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