LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — (Eds. note: The video attached is from Aug. 1 regarding the LEARNS Act going into effect.)
The Arkansas Supreme Court has dismissed a case regarding the emergency clause that was a part of the LEARNS Act, which became law on August 1.
In late June, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Herbert Wright ruled that legislators didn't hold a separate vote on the emergency clause when the legislation was passed. That ruling pushed back the implementation of the education overhaul until the first of August.
Now, the state's Supreme Court have reversed and dismissed the case, saying the emergency clause votes in the House and Senate were "adopted by separate votes." The court also said it did not need to "consider the validity of internal legislative procedures or whether such review presents a political question."
The justices said the journals in both chambers indicate a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who has made the LEARNS Act a cornerstone of her first year in office, labeled the ruling a "historic victory" for parents, teachers, and students. She also said it was a "crushing defeat for the partisan extremists who tried to undermine our kids' futures."
"My administration will continue to implement our transformational reforms which empower parents to choose the best school for their family, prohibit indoctrination, raise teacher pay from one of the lowest to one of the best in the nation, and invest in pre-k, early literacy, and career and technical education so every Arkansan can find a good job in their community," Sanders said.
Polling from Opportunity Arkansas shows that support for the LEARNS Act has waned among voters in the third quarter. Support from Republicans dropped from 60% in the first quarter to 47% in the third quarter, according to the tracking poll. Overall support has dropped from 45% to 35%.
Justice Cody Hiland did not participate in the ruling and Chief Justice John Dan Kemp dissented.