Medical marijuana was Arkansas' top news story in 2016

LITTLE ROCK -- A decision by Arkansas' voters to let residents with certain medical conditions obtain marijuana to ease their symptoms was an overwhelming choice as the state's top news story of 2016, according to balloting by Associated Press journalists and the news organization's members.

Arkansas became the first Bible Belt state to approve medical marijuana and a state panel is already at work developing a distribution network. The expansion of Arkansas' Medicaid system was selected second and the state's failed attempt to jump-start its execution process was third.

The entire list of the year's top stories:

1.Voters approve medical marijuana.

2.Machinations to keep Arkansas' Medicaid expansion.

3.Executions remain on hold.

4.An eastern Arkansas judge is accused of pressuring defendants for sexual favors.

5.Republicans sweep state elections again.

6.The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to reconsider Arkansas' abortion ban.

7.More than $1 million is spent on two state Supreme Court races.

8.State justices strike three proposals on the November ballot.

9.A University of Arkansas student wins the Miss America pageant.

10.Chinese investors announce a $1 billion paper mill for southern Arkansas.

Medical marijuana

After nearly doing so in 2012, Arkansas voters in 2016 approved the use of medical marijuana despite opposition from the state's political leaders and many health officials.

Arkansas will establish a registry for patients, and a panel is already establishing rules for a cultivation and distribution network. Conditions covered under the constitutional amendment include Crohn's disease, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Medicaid expansion

Using an unusual parliamentary maneuver, Gov. Asa Hutchinson approved keeping Arkansas' Medicaid expansion. With fears that not enough legislators would approve funding for a program in which the state uses federal dollars to buy health insurance for the poor, the governor and legislative leaders found another way to keep the program. Hutchinson vetoed a provision in the state budget that would have ended the program.

Executions

The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state's death penalty procedures, but the fight took so long that a batch of drugs the state intended to use on the inmates expired. The state obtained more drugs -- some of which expire in 2017 -- and the inmates filed an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge-sex allegations

Prosecutors alleged that Cross County District Judge Joe Boeckmann abused his power by pursuing improper sexual relationships with defendants. According to the government, Boeckmann gave lighter sentences in exchange for nude photos or sexual acts.

Election

Donald Trump won Arkansas' six electoral votes and Republicans picked up more seats at the Arkansas Legislature. With later defections from the Democratic Party, the GOP has a supermajority (75 percent) in the House, and is one vote shy of a supermajority in the Senate.

Abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to revive an Arkansas law that would have banned abortions after the 12th week of pregnancy if doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat. Courts said Arkansas' law, passed by its Republican-controlled Legislature, was inconsistent with previous rulings that tie abortion restrictions to a fetus' ability to live outside the womb.

Judges-campaign

More than $1.2 million was spent for advertising time in a pair of Arkansas Supreme Court races, doubling the previous record for spending in judicial campaigns. About half the money targeted Justice Courtney Goodson, criticizing her over contributions from trial lawyers.

Court-ballot issues

Arkansas' Supreme Court struck three proposals from the November ballot, taking away a chance for voters to weigh in on casinos, liability lawsuits and one of two medical marijuana issues.

There she is

Savvy Shields, an art student at the University of Arkansas, won the Miss America pageant in September. In her first day with the title, she called for compromise among the country's top political leaders.

"Our country was founded on compromise. We're in a state now where both parties just seem to be yelling at one another," she said.

Paper mill

A Chinese company unveiled plans to build a $1 billion paper mill at Arkadelphia. The plant would be Sun Paper's first facility in North America. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the mill would create 250 jobs, plus another 1,000 indirectly in the timber industry.

State Desk on 12/31/2016

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