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Bill Summary · HJR 1007

Summary — HJR 1007 (95th Arkansas General Assembly, 2025)

Note: The file provided contains two different items labeled HJR 1007 (an Arkansas constitutional amendment regarding recall, and a North Carolina adjournment resolution). This summary focuses on the Arkansas measure introduced by Representative Cavenaugh. Where relevant, a short note about the North Carolina adjournment text and conflicting procedural entries is included at the end.

Purpose

HJR 1007 proposes a constitutional amendment to establish a formal recall procedure allowing qualified electors to petition for and vote on the removal of many state, legislative, judicial, and local elected officials in Arkansas.

If approved by a majority of voters when submitted at the next general election for Representatives and Senators, the amendment would become part of the Arkansas Constitution.

Key provisions

  • Definitions

    • "Elected official" is defined broadly to include statewide officers (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Commissioner of State Lands), members of the General Assembly, judges at multiple levels (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit and district judges), prosecuting attorneys, county and township officers (county judge, sheriff, clerk positions, assessor, coroner, treasurer, county surveyor, collector of taxes, constable, justice of the peace), and others listed in the text.
    • "Recall" is defined as a vote by electors to determine whether an official should remain in office for the remainder of the term.
    • "Recall petition" is defined as one or more sheets of signatures of qualified electors demanding recall.

  • Petition thresholds

    • Statewide office: at least 25% of the votes cast for Governor at the last gubernatorial general election. Additionally, at least 10% of those statewide signatures must come from at least 50 different counties.
    • District/circuit/county/township offices: petition must have signatures equal to at least 25% of the votes cast for Governor within that district/circuit/county/township at the last gubernatorial general election.

  • Filing and procedural steps

    • Initiation: A notice of intent to circulate a recall petition must be filed with the Secretary of State (or with the Attorney General if the Secretary of State is the subject). The notice must state the reason for recall.
    • Notification: The filer must notify the targeted official within five calendar days by certified mail, return receipt requested.
    • Petition circulation and structure: Each petition sheet may contain signatures from only one county and sheets must be organized by county to facilitate verification.
    • Filing window: The completed recall petition must be filed not less than 60 calendar days and not more than 80 calendar days after filing the notice of intent (with the Attorney General receiving filings if the Secretary of State is the subject).
    • Sufficiency review: The Secretary of State (or Attorney General, if applicable) has 30 calendar days after filing to determine sufficiency and must notify the filer. If insufficient, the letter must state reasons; an amended petition may be filed within 30 calendar days to cure defects (with some additional statewide correction constraints indicated but truncated in the provided text).

  • Other provisions

    • A single recall petition may cover multiple offices if the position requires performing duties of more than one office.
    • Further procedural specifics (e.g., scheduling of a recall election, voting mechanics, vacancy consequences) are not included in the truncated excerpt.

Who is affected

  • Most elected state, legislative, judicial, county, and township officers in Arkansas as specifically listed in the amendment text.
  • Qualified electors (voters) of the state, districts, circuits, counties, or townships who would sign petitions and vote in recall elections.

Legislative/timeline status (as provided)

  • Filed: January 22, 2025. Sponsor: Representative Cavenaugh (primary).
  • According to the provided actions, the bill was read and referred to committee on January 22, 2025. The record also shows "Withdrawn From Com" and later "Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment" (May 5, 2025).
  • The header also includes contradictory entries (April 17, 2025: "Ratified" / "Ch. Res 2025-3") that appear to belong to a North Carolina adjournment resolution of the same number—see note below.

Notes and caveats

  • The provided Arkansas constitutional amendment text is truncated in places; additional procedural details (such as precise rules for scheduling the recall election, ballot language, timelines between sufficiency determination and election, and consequences if a recall succeeds) may be in the omitted portions.
  • The package also contains a North Carolina HJR 1007 (a joint resolution adjourning the 2025 General Assembly to a date certain) which was ratified April 17, 2025. That is a separate measure in a different state and should not be conflated with the Arkansas constitutional amendment.
  • Because portions of the Arkansas text are incomplete and the legislative action log contains mixed-state entries, confirm final status and full text with the Arkansas Secretary of State or the Arkansas General Assembly records before relying on this summary for legal or administrative decisions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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