The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the procedural vote that allowed Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' education overhaul to take effect immediately, rejecting a judge's ruling that threw into question the way state laws have been fast-tracked into enforcement over the years. The state Supreme Court's 6-1 decision has no effect on the education law that the Republican governor signed in March and is already in effect.
Justices ruled that this approach for the education law was constitutional, noting that the votes are recorded separately in House and Senate journals. 'The House Journal indicates a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause. Likewise, the Senate Journal indicates a separate roll call and vote for the emergency clause,' Justice Barbara Webb wrote in the ruling.
Sanders, who took office in January, hailed the ruling. 'Today’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of the LEARNS Act is a historic victory for Arkansas parents, teachers, and students,' she posted on X, formerly Twitter, calling the ruling a 'crushing defeat' for opponents of the law. Ali Noland, an attorney for the plaintiffs who challenged the law, criticized the court's decision and said the lawsuit was moot for two months since the overhaul was already in effect.
Justices in June lifted the Pulaski County judge's order that blocked enforcement of the law. Without the emergency clause, the law wouldn't have taken effect until August.