Ark. Privacy Bill Hits Roadblock in Senate as Too Few Vote; Not Dead Yet
An Arkansas comprehensive privacy bill nearly died Tuesday evening due to many state senators not voting for or against the measure on the floor.
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Only three lawmakers voted no on SB-258, while 11 voted yes. But the bill failed because 14 legislators voted present and seven more didn’t vote, the official vote tally read. A total of 18 senators must vote yes before a bill can pass in Arkansas' 35-member Senate.
There's hope for the measure, however, as lawmakers approved a motion expunging the failed vote. That means SB-258 sponsor Sen. Clint Penzo (R) can try again, but the bill wasn’t on Wednesday’s Senate calendar. He’ll have to move quickly because the legislative session ends on April 16 and this time the measure would need approval by a House committee and the full House.
A Senate committee amended SB-258 last week (see 2504030006). Businesses sought better harmonization with other state privacy laws at a hearing last month (see 2503070028). Penzo didn’t comment Wednesday.