Latest news with #HouseBill1837
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislation to halt foreign funding in ballot measures filed in Arkansas legislature
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Legislation supported by the Arkansas secretary of state intends to stop foreign money from funding ballot initiatives. Secretary of State Cole Jester said House Bill 1837 would correct an existing problem. 'Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from donating money to the political elections of candidates, whether it be federal or state, but exploiting the loophole, foreign billionaires have been donating tens of hundreds of billions of dollars to statewide ballot initiatives across this country, including Arkansas,' Jester said. U.S. judge aims for April in decision on Pope County casino's future The Arkansas bill was filed before President Donald Trump signed an executive order to tackle the issue, but it goes hand in hand, Jester said. 'President Trump has taken action on this. In his recent executive order on election integrity, he said that the foreign funding of ballot initiatives is a serious problem that states need to address,' he said. Jester says there was Swiss foreign influence in the initiated act increasing the minimum wage in Arkansas in 2018. 'In the future, foreign billionaires will be prohibited from donating to our ballot initiatives, so the voice of the Arkansas people can be heard,' Jester said. Additional Arkansas constitutional amendments filed in legislature Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R-Centerton) is sponsoring the legislation. She said the bill would run this week. The legislation has some restrictions in its language, such as disclosure requirements to certify groups aren't accepting money from a foreign donor of over $10,000. New laws going into effect in Arkansas from the 95th General Assembly Secretary Jester said other states have experienced foreign influence in their ballot measures and expect more to come. 'In Arkansas, if you are a wealthy foreign national, we welcome your tourism, we welcome your friendship, but our constitution is not for sale,' Jester said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arkansas officials to try to ban foreign money in ballot initiatives
Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester discusses measures to prevent foreign nationals from spending on ballot initiatives in Arkansas at the state capitol on March 31, 2025. (Ainsley Platt/Arkansas Advocate) Arkansas officials on Monday said they plan to close a loophole in federal election law that allows foreign nationals to contribute money toward ballot measures, in the latest move aimed at overhauling the state's ballot process. House Bill 1837, sponsored by Rep. Mindy McAlindon, R-Centerton, would require an 'affirmation' from the individual or organization making a donation that it 'has not knowingly or willfully accepted funds in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) in the aggregate from one (1) or more prohibited sources within the four-year period immediately preceding' the donation. The bill defines a 'prohibited source' as a political action committee that accepts at least one contribution from a foreign national, an organization funded by a PAC that receives a donation from a foreign national, contributions from a foreign national and contributions that violate state or federal law. The bill will go before the House State Agencies and Government Affairs Committee later this week, McAlindon said, where she expects the Legislature's 'full support.' Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester said in a press conference Monday morning that 'foreign billionaires have been donating tens and hundreds of billions of dollars to statewide ballot initiatives across this country, including Arkansas.' 'In fact, a single Swiss billionaire, Hansjörg Wyss, has spent over $100 million in ballot initiatives across the country in an effort to remake the American Constitution in what he called a progressive vision,' Jester said. (The Wyss Foundation is one of the supporters of States Newsroom.) While many state constitutions can be altered via direct democracy processes, the United States Constitution can only be changed via a specific process that does not include voting in an election. Jester cited President Donald Trump's recent executive order targeting election processes. 'President Trump has taken action on this in his recent executive order on election security,' Jester said. 'He said that the foreign funding [of] ballot initiatives is a serious problem that states need to address. It's unacceptable. In Arkansas, if you are a wealthy foreign national, we welcome your tourism, we welcome your friendship, but our constitution is not for sale.' ARFairWage2018-08-15-combined-combined-compressed However, when asked, Jester only cited $1.34 million in donations from the 1630 Fund in 2018, an American nonprofit that is part of a network of left-leaning so-called 'dark money' groups. He said the Swiss billionaire made donations to the 1630 Fund in 2018. He said that Arkansans should know that 'the person taking your signature was most likely funded by a Swiss billionaire who has never stepped foot in our great state.' However, Jester specifically said the issue he described with foreign funding of ballot measures wasn't an issue during the 2024 election, although he anticipated that would not remain the case in future election cycles. When requested, Jester's office provided filings made by Arkansans For A Fair Wage during the 2018 election cycle, which showed that the 1630 Fund donated just over $1.34 million on $1.5 million in total donations received by the ballot committee. There's no indication that any of Wyss' donations to the 1630 Fund were included in the money the nonprofit gave to the Arkansas ballot committee. According to the 1630 Fund's IRS Form 990, which nonprofits file each year, the fund received $143.3 million in contributions in 2018 alone, with $141.39 million in expenses. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
