Arkansas Supreme Court denies state’s request to lift LEARNS stay, leaves act on hold

1 year ago 10

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The lawsuit against Arkansas LEARNS remains in place after a state Supreme Court decision Friday afternoon.

The decision, made a week ago by a circuit court judge, freezes the state’s efforts to allow a charter school company to take over the Marvell-Elaine school district and other LEARNS Act provisions.

Arkansas judge grants temporary block of charter takeover of Marvell-Elaine School District, citing uncertainty of LEARNS start date

At issue is the legislative emergency clause during the passage of the LEARNS Act, which would put the new law into effect immediately. The opponents of the act who filed the suit argued that the legislature did not make its separate vote required by the state constitution to add an emergency clause, which would have put the law into effect immediately.

The state argued that the legislature routinely votes on an act and an emergency clause in the same vote.

Without the emergency clause, the LEARNS Act would not go into effect until Aug. 1, like other laws passed in the last legislative session without an emergency clause.