A message from the ACLU: Vote NO on Problem 3

Let me repeat myself with right now’s message from the ACLU on Problem 3, the legislatively proposed constitutional modification to allow discrimination towards any and all who depart from legislative orthodoxy on spiritual and cultural issues.

Problem 3 – the Arkansas Spiritual Freedom Modification – would make a radical change to the state Structure that will topic Arkansans to dangerous types of discrimination and upend the stability of civil liberties and civil rights lengthy established in our state and nation.

Problem 3, proposed by Senator Jason Rapert and backed by the identical organizations behind each anti-LGBTQ coverage in our state for many years, could be among the many most excessive within the nation, placing Arkansas out of step with present legal guidelines that defend our spiritual liberty and all different rights. The Arkansas Structure already has a lot stronger protections for spiritual liberty than does the U.S. Structure, and extra protections are offered for by state statute.

Problem 3 is just like the 2015 try by Rep. Bob Ballinger, which was thwarted, that will make any burden underneath spiritual liberty suspect, irrespective of how minor the burden, as a substitute of the present legislation, which protects towards substantial burdens. If handed, spiritual liberty would arguably outweigh some other legislation or civil liberty in Arkansas. This can be a characteristic, not a bug.

If Problem 3 passes on November 8, Arkansans could be given a license to discriminate. Well being suppliers or spiritual organizations may use this excessive legislation to attempt to deny life-saving well being care providers to individuals in want, employers may hearth individuals due to their sexual orientation or gender id, or Arkansans may refuse to abide by legal guidelines governing youngster labor, well being and security, and protections towards discrimination.

We will cease this excessive modification from changing into legislation – if all of us vote! Early voting is open now by way of Monday, November 7, and polls will open at 7 a.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. Please be aware: This hyperlink will take you to a third-party web site, voterview.ar-nova.org.

Please ensure your family and friends find out about this essential modification by sharing data from our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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