HB1365 removes existing requirements for minority and women representation on state boards and commissions, including the Board of Education, Board of Pharmacy, and Board of Counseling Examiners. It also eliminates the requirement that state health-related boards consider appointment recommendations from minority health-related professional organizations.
The ACLU of Arkansas strongly opposes HB1365 because:
- It weakens efforts to ensure diverse leadership. Representation in decision-making bodies is essential to ensuring policies reflect the needs and experiences of all Arkansans.
- It undermines equity and inclusion in state governance. Diverse boards help bring forward perspectives from historically excluded communities, leading to more just and effective policies.
- It rolls back progress toward fair representation. Removing these requirements makes it easier for marginalized voices to be ignored and for leadership to remain unrepresentative of Arkansas’ diverse population.
Arkansas should be working to expand diversity and inclusion in state leadership — not dismantling it. The ACLU of Arkansas stands against HB1365 and any effort to weaken representation in public decision-making.