Three chances this week to get the facts on Issue 3 - mailchi.mp/conduitforaction/…

Rep. Wayne Long: Legislative Audit reports reveal widespread corruption in two small towns. Issue 3 could make it far worse. Serious findings like these are routine. They come before our Legislative Audit Committee every month, and these two recent cases are typical. Mineral Springs In the City of Mineral Springs, auditors reviewed $190,855 in credit card transactions made by the city’s Recorder/Treasurer and flagged $174,309 as improper. That included $92,040 spent on online gambling and $36,946 on personal purchases such as groceries, clothing, and streaming services. Auditors also found $55,931 in improper payments consisting of; undocumented travel reimbursements, duplicate reimbursements, and $33,479 in improper payroll disbursements. The Recorder/Treasurer resigned on November 5, 2025, and was later charged with felony theft of property and tampering with a public record. Chicot Drainage District and Water System Auditors found that $206,616 was paid to the bookkeeper or the bookkeeper’s privately owned business beyond authorized amounts and without adequate documentation. Additionally, $10,405 in customer payments were never deposited into the department’s bank account. Another business owned by a Water System board member, received $167,698 without a contract or formal board action; $153,035 of those payments lacked adequate documentation. The Water System neglected to obtain a required rate study, therefore was placed in fiscal distress in July 2025. The bookkeeper was charged with theft of property on June 23, 2026. In both cases, the charges are allegations, not findings of guilt. What does this have to do with Issue 3? On November 3, voters will decide Issue 3, a constitutional amendment that would let the cities, counties and cooperatives create economic development districts. Those districts could issue bonds, levy certain taxes, and receive public funds for projects without being subject to the state’s existing constitutional debt limits. My greatest fear is that if Issue 3 becomes part of our constitution, it will open the door to corruption on a massive scale and require many more auditors to uncover the kinds of problemsseen in these two examples. A constitutional amendment should never be approved on promises alone. Before November 3, voters deserve clear answers about who will oversee these economic development districts, how public funds will be protected, and who will be held accountable when things go wrong. If existing oversight has failed to prevent serious financial abuses in smaller public entities, why should taxpayers assume that larger, more complex projects will be any different? Once these powers are written into our constitution, the consequences could last for generations. Before giving government new ways to borrow, spend, and put public money at risk, we should demand stronger safeguards—not simply hope for the best. #arpx #arleg #arnews #issue3

NEW OP-ED: Arkansans do not have to guess what “economic development” can cost. They can look at their electric bills. During debate over then-Senator Jonathan Dismang’s utility legislation last year, Senator Mark Johnson called its economic-development rationale “effectively a Trojan horse,” warning that it would weaken protections for utility customers. Now Issue 3 asks voters to approve another expansion of governmental power under the economic-development banner. VOTE NO. Read more now. conduitnews.com/2026/10/23/v… #arpx #arleg #arnews #issue3

ISSUE 3: Supporters keep saying Issue 3 isn’t about taxes. Hear it for yourself. Again, from the bill’s co-sponsor, this time Sen. Dismang. Lines 10–12 of Issue 3 say property inside an economic development district would be exempt from regular property taxes, including those that fund counties, cities, and schools. Except for taxes, assessments or other charges levied by the district itself. At a legislative committee hearing on SJR15, Dismang was asked if that means the district can levy its own taxes. The answer was yes. How those districts would actually work hasn’t been written yet. If Issue 3 passes, the Legislature writes the rules afterward. Vote against Issue 3. The polls are open now for early voting, and election day is Nov. 3. #arpx #arleg #arnews #Issue3 #arkansas

Need to learn more about Issue 3 before you vote? Conduit For Action has three speaking events this upcoming week where YOU can learn more about Issue 3.

It took the Issue 3 co-sponsor a long time to say yes, but Rep. Ray had it right: under Issue 3, appointed, unelected boards could levy taxes on the people who live and shop inside an economic development district. EDD bonds are explicity exempt from Amendments 62 and 65, which require voter approval before governments take on major debt. EDDs can borrow without limit —backed by your tax dollars — and the debt does not count against local debt ceilings. If an EDD can't repay its bonds, taxpayers are on the hook. It's YOUR money backing the debt. Vote AGAINST Issue 3 on Nov. 3. #arnews #arpx #arleg #issue3 #arkansas

NEW: “Government needs to get out of the business of ‘economic development’ and leave that to those who know how to do business in Arkansas,” Taylor said in an email. “Economic development should be encouraged by supporting the businesses already in our state, not by taking their tax dollars to subsidize their competition.” Read the latest on Issue 3 from the @ArkAdvocate. ow.ly/L0PJ5100BMT #arpx #arleg #arnews #Issue3 #CorporateWelfare

Very fair critique.