← Election Series · Down-ballot coverage · Arkansas
Our call — vote NO
The measure
Issue 3 is a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. It would allow the legislature to create programs, including Economic Development Districts, and make loans and grants of public money to develop the state economy.
What YES does
A YES vote authorizes public-money loans and grants for economic development, through districts and programs the legislature designs — taxpayer funds directed to chosen development projects.
What NO does
A NO vote keeps the constitutional barrier against lending and granting public money for private economic development, forcing projects to stand on private capital.
The math
No fiscal cap, program cost, or district budget was published in the measure summary consulted. The authorization is open-ended: the amounts would be whatever future legislatures appropriate, which is precisely the risk.
OUR CALL
Our call: NO.
Loans and grants of public money to favored projects are corporate welfare by another name — the state picking winners with other people's money. The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste's 2026 guide makes the same point: this opens the door to crony deals at taxpayers' expense. Government should keep the field level and the treasury closed.
For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, every measure — see the LiberalMind election site.
Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Sources: Ballotpedia, 2026 ballot measures (ballotpedia.org/2026_ballot_measures); Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, 2026 State and Local Ballot Measure Guide.
Result pending. No verified call (Associated Press or official) as of November 4, 2026. This page will be updated when the race is called or certified. The original article above is unchanged.
AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.