BREAKING NEWS IN LITTLE ROCK. THE ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT RULED THE LEARNS ACT WAS VALIDLY PASSED. THIS REJECTS A CHALLENGE FROM PARENTS AND THE CITIZENS FOR ARKANSAS PUBLIC EDUCATION AND STUDENTS… THE CAPES GROUP. GOVERNOR SANDERS’ EDUCATION PLAN RAISES THE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY TO 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS. IT BANS THE TEACHING OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY… GENDER IDENTITY UNTIL A CERTAIN AGE… AND THE PLAN WILL FUND PRIVATE AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS. CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS A WAY OF THINKING
Arkansas State Supreme Court rejects challenge to state’s new education law
Updated: 4:42 PM CDT Oct 12, 2023
The Supreme Court of Arkansas ruled Thursday that the LEARNS Act’s emergency clause was passed validly, rejecting a challenge by parents and a group called Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES).Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ signature education plan raises the minimum teacher salary to $50,000, bans the teaching of “critical race theory,” bans teaching about gender identity until a certain age, and has a program to fund private and religious schools. The law does not define critical race theory. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism.Follow this link to read the LEARNS Act.The lawsuit argued that the Arkansas General Assembly didn’t pass the LEARNS Act’s emergency clause correctly.Once a bill is passed, state law requires that a separate roll-call vote be taken on a bill’s emergency clause.Attorneys for CAPES presented video recordings of the House and Senate proceedings to show that separate votes weren’t taken. They also presented testimony of lawmakers that separate votes didn’t occur.Justice Barbara Webb’s majority opinion found that this evidence wasn’t applicable to the case. Only the House and Senate’s official journals should count. “The House Journal indicates a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause. Likewise, the Senate Journal indicates a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause,” Webb wrote. “Thus, according to the official record, the emergency clause was passed in compliance with article 5, section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution.”
The Supreme Court of Arkansas ruled Thursday that the LEARNS Act’s emergency clause was passed validly, rejecting a challenge by parents and a group called Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES).
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ signature education plan raises the minimum teacher salary to $50,000, bans the teaching of “critical race theory,” bans teaching about gender identity until a certain age, and has a program to fund private and religious schools. The law does not define critical race theory. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism.
Follow this link to read the LEARNS Act.
The lawsuit argued that the Arkansas General Assembly didn’t pass the LEARNS Act’s emergency clause correctly.
Once a bill is passed, state law requires that a separate roll-call vote be taken on a bill’s emergency clause.
Attorneys for CAPES presented video recordings of the House and Senate proceedings to show that separate votes weren’t taken. They also presented testimony of lawmakers that separate votes didn’t occur.
Justice Barbara Webb’s majority opinion found that this evidence wasn’t applicable to the case. Only the House and Senate’s official journals should count.
“The House Journal indicates a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause. Likewise, the Senate Journal indicates a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause,” Webb wrote. “Thus, according to the official record, the emergency clause was passed in compliance with article 5, section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution.”
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