Arkansas Governor Introduces Legislative Package to Make the State Safer
On Wednesday, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders built upon the state’s previous successes in passing protections against Chinese Communist Party (CCP)threats and introduced the “Communist China Defense” legislative package in the state capitol. In unveiling the package, Governor Sanders highlighted the parallel roles that the federal government and states play in protecting the United States from the CCP, saying that “President Trump is the first president in my lifetime to take a hard line against Communist China and we are proud to support that work in Arkansas by getting Communist China off our land and out of our state.”
Consisting of six bills, the legislative package will run the gamut from protecting sensitive land to divestment of state resources from China to setting new standards for public colleges and universities. While not every bill from the package has been filed, here’s a closer look at what Governor Sanders and state legislators have proposed so far.
Protecting Land Around Critical Infrastructure
In 2023, Arkansas enacted protections for agricultural land from foreign ownership with SB 383, which bars any “prohibited foreign party” from owning farmland or forestland. That same year, the new law allowed state officials to force the divestment of 160 acres of land from a business whose parent company is a Chinese military company. According to Governor Sanders, the new legislative package will include further protections for sensitive land by prohibiting those deemed as foreign adversaries from leasing or owning land around critical infrastructure such as military bases and shorten the amount of time that banned companies have to divest such land.
Setting Standards for Higher Education and Municipalities, Divestment of State Resources
Sponsored by Representative Howard Beaty, Jr., HB 1352 seeks to guide both public colleges and universities as well as municipalities. For public higher education, the bill would withhold state funding for any institutions that host a Confucius Institute or any similar program; the bill would also bar public higher education institutions from investing in Chinese funds. Municipalities would be prohibited from having a sister city with a “prohibited foreign party.”
HB 1352 further bars any “public investment entity” from investing state or local funds in a Chinese company or investment product and from depositing any state or local funds in a Chinese bank or financial institution. Any existing investments would be subject to mandatory divestment.
Prohibiting the Use of Public Funds to Purchase Promotional Items Made in China
HB 1604, sponsored by Representative Mindy McAlindon, would prohibit state agencies from using public funds to buy “promotional items” made in China. According to McAlindon, the bill would help “take another step toward safeguarding taxpayer dollars” and ensure “that public funds are not spent on supporting China.”
Prohibiting the Procurement of Electric Vehicles Linked to Forced Labor
Representative McAlindon is also sponsoring legislation to ensure that government agencies cannot procure electric vehicles that are linked to forced labor. According to McAlindon, “by putting transparency, accountability, and economic safety first, we are standing firm against foreign influence.”
Banning Lobbying on Behalf of Foreign Adversaries
According to Governor Sanders, included in the legislative package is a ban on lobbying on behalf of foreign adversaries: “Once I sign this legislation into law … lobbying on behalf of Communist China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries will no longer be allowed in the state of Arkansas. My administration is putting America and Arkansas first.”
Arkansas Offers a Blueprint for Effective Change
Arkansas policymakers have made great strides in enacting protections for Arkansans and continue to lead by prioritizing common sense solutions to counter the influence of foreign adversaries. The Protecting America Initiative applauds the hard work being done in the state – much of which has also been proposed as part of our model legislative proposals. States everywhere should make productive use of the limited legislative calendar to ensure that they do everything they can to protect their residents.