As the dust begins to settle on the 2025 Arkansas legislative session, we salute all people and organizations who called, wrote, testified and supported good proposals while opposing the bad. There was the predicted slew of draconian proposals aimed at Arkansans’ civil rights and civil liberties and very dignities; but together, Arkansans put up a good fight.
As we rise, mobilize, and counter these oppressive acts with all the vigor we have, we share a snapshot of some of the session’s most egregious new laws poised to threaten our freedoms — and some of the bright spots from the session.
Note: Bills noted in this section that do not include an Act number have been delivered to the governor’s desk and are awaiting a signature. Contact Gov. Sanders and ask her to veto these bills: (501) 682-2345
Access to the Courts
- HB1832: Grants the Arkansas Court of Appeals original jurisdiction of facial constitutional challenges to state law. Sponsors and supporters were clear that they want to bypass the Pulaski County Circuit Courts.
Free Speech and Information Access
- SB640: This law terminates all current members of the State Library Board and allows the Governor to appoint new members. Given recent attacks on free speech and attempts at censorship, it is likely the Governor's new Board will work to punish libraries that refuse to suppress Arkansans’ access to information.
- HB1646: Requires librarians in K-5 public schools to segregate and lock away books that advocate “sexual ideology” under threat of suspension and loss of teaching licensure.
Religious Liberty
- Act 400: Mandates the display of a state-selected version of the Ten Commandments in all taxpayer-funded public buildings, including public school classrooms. This law not only blurs the line between state and church but violates Arkansans’ religious liberty.
- HB1615: Designed to allow and encourage discrimination under the guise of protecting religious beliefs. Many provisions of this bill conflict with federal law and would not hold up in court, creating confusion and potential liability for employers and individuals who rely on its misleading language.
Voting Rights
- Act 602: Establishes a new readability standard for ballot measure titles, potentially blocking citizen-led initiatives from reaching the ballot.
- HB1925: Imposes harsh absentee voting requirements, disenfranchising Arkansas’s Black, brown, elderly, disabled, and rural voters.
- Act 218, Act 274 and Act 241: Erect barriers to direct democracy by complicating the process of petitioning and placing initiatives on the ballot. A record thirteen bills passed restricting the constitutional power of the people to propose and repeal laws.
Immigration
- SB426: Creates harsher punishments for people who are undocumented than for U.S. citizens convicted of the same crimes. Requires sheriffs to report people in their jails to ICE.
- Act 605: Prohibits local governments from using public funds to issue municipal identification cards, limiting cities’ ability to meet the needs of Arkansans.
Criminal Justice
- SB354: Although this bill did not pass during the regular session, it’s highly likely to resurface in a special session. SB354 would have green-lighted the construction of a massive new prison, further entrenching the prison-industrial complex. This fight is far from over in Arkansas.
- Act 302: Added a new execution method — suffocation by nitrogen gas — which is fraught with ethical and human rights concerns.
Racial Justice
- Act 116 and SB520: Eliminate affirmative action programs in state and local government.
Reproductive Rights
- SB450: Requires public schools to include a discussion about human fetal development, to show students a “high-definition ultrasound,” and for classes to hold a discussion about the “process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus.”
LGBTQ Rights
- HB1916, SB486, Act 500, and Act 509: These laws collectively undermine LGBTQ rights, from targeting healthcare providers of gender-affirming care to enforcing discriminatory policies in public spaces and adoption services.
Victories
While these developments are disheartening, the line was held in defeating some bills that would have further stripped away our rights:
- HB1668: This bill would have enabled civil lawsuits against anyone who supports or assists transgender youth in accessing gender-affirming care. Its defeat represents a significant victory for the rights and protection of transgender people in Arkansas.
- HB1180: This proposed legislation aimed to mandate the inclusion of anti-abortion propaganda in educational curriculums throughout the state. Its failure prevents the forced introduction of biased and medically inaccurate information into schools.
- SB164: This bill would have allowed the appointment of volunteer chaplains in public schools, potentially leading to religious coercion. Its defeat helps protect the principle of separation of church and state in educational environments.
- HB1655: This bill aimed to criminalize any individual who would live or transport an undocumented individual by creating felony convictions for doing so. This attack would hurt individuals, families and communities alike as immigrants are the foundation of our state.
- HB1422: Another attack on Arkansas’s immigrant community, this bill would have required all non-citizens’ drivers licenses and state IDs to look different from everyone else’s. This bill was brought by the totally unfounded and harmful notion that people are illegally voting in our elections.
- HB1908: The proposed legislation would create a proof of residency barrier when accessing public assistance, impacting Arkansans’ who can not provide sufficient documentation regardless of status, ultimately leaving many without the assistance needed.
- HB1909: This bill would have ended access for all non-citizens to any form of public assistance. Many Arkansans would have lost necessary healthcare coverage, and Arkansas children would have gone hungry.
These victories demonstrate the effectiveness of advocacy and the importance of community engagement in protecting and advancing civil liberties. However, the fight is far from over.
As these new laws begin to take effect, the ACLU of Arkansas is ready to employ all available resources — including legal action, advocacy, and community engagement — to continue our fight for the rights of every Arkansan. We are committed to using every tool in our toolbelt to counteract bad measures and advance civil liberties and justice.
We need you — fired up and ready to fight back — now more than ever. With your support and that of our fellow Arkansans, we can and will confront these injustices head-on.