Arkansas Supreme Court
May 26, 2022 -
Republicans and corporate interests spent large sums on recent appellate court elections in Arkansas and North Carolina. Incumbents fended off the challenges, but the results set the stage for multimillion-dollar judicial elections this fall as the GOP and its business backers prepare to spend unprecedented amounts on crucial court races.
May 21, 2021 -
Republican state legislators across the South are making it harder for voters to cast a ballot. Voting rights groups and local officials are suing over the changes, which they argue will disparately impact voters of color and those with disabilities. But the judges with the final say are mostly Republicans.
September 9, 2020 -
High courts in Arkansas and Florida have blocked ballot measures that would have required nonpartisan redistricting and banned assault weapons. The courts cited new laws that raise the bar for citizens to put constitutional amendments on the ballot.
March 10, 2020 -
The Arkansas Supreme Court will have a new conservative majority following Barbara Webb's win in last week's election. Webb's campaign was backed by GOP money, and she faces an allegation of violating ethics rules by campaigning as a Republican for the nonpartisan seat.
January 16, 2020 -
Since the U.S Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United 10 years ago, corporate campaign cash has poured into supreme court races across the South. With seats up for grabs this year in Arkansas, North Carolina, and West Virginia, that trend is likely to continue.
September 25, 2019 -
Elections for high courts in five Southern states will take place over the next year, including special elections in Georgia, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Some of these courts are already facing unprecedented political pressure, and more money in high court races is coming from groups that don't disclose their donors.
July 15, 2019 -
Across the South, voting rights advocates argue that judicial elections violate the Voting Rights Act by depriving communities of color of representation on state courts. Federal courts are hearing lawsuits in Arkansas and Alabama, where the state supreme courts are all white.
