Retired judge's report: All signatures for Arkansas lawsuits measure could be tossed

LITTLE ROCK — A retired judge appointed by the state Supreme Court to review petitions for a ballot measure limiting medical lawsuit damages says all of the signatures submitted for the proposal could be disqualified if justices find the campaign didn't follow the law regarding canvassers' criminal background checks.

Retired Judge J.W. Looney says in a report submitted to the court Wednesday that the campaign behind the proposed amendment did not provide written certification that its paid canvassers had passed the background checks. Looney wrote that the group behind the measure says it had provided "verbal" certification.

Looney also found another roughly 12,000 signatures may be disqualified, while several hundred that were tossed out may need to be counted. A group opposed to the measure filed a suit trying to disqualify the measure.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/sep/28/judges-report-all-signatures-arkansas-lawsuits-mea/?latest (short article)