2014 Arkansas Code
Title 14 - Local Government
Subtitle 2 - County Government
Chapter 14 - County Government Code
Subchapter 8 - Legislative Powers
§ 14-14-805 - Powers denied.

Each county quorum court in the State of Arkansas exercising local legislative authority is prohibited the exercise of the following:

(1) Any legislative act that applies to or affects any private or civil relationship, except as an incident to the exercise of local legislative authority;

(2) Any legislative act that applies to or affects the provision of collective bargaining, retirement, workers' compensation, or unemployment compensation. However, subject to the limitations imposed by the Arkansas Constitution and state law regarding these subject areas, a quorum court may exercise any legislative authority with regard to employee policy and practices of a general nature, including, but not limited to, establishment of general vacation and sick leave policies, general office hour policies, general policies with reference to nepotism, or general policies to be applicable in the hiring of county employees. Legislation promulgated by a quorum court dealing with matters of employee policy and practices shall be applicable only to employees of the county and shall not apply to the elected county officers of the county. Legislation applying to employee policy practices shall be only of a general nature and shall be uniform in application to all employees of the county. The day-to-day administrative responsibility of each county office shall continue to rest within the discretion of the elected county officials;

(3) Any legislative act that applies to or affects the public school system, except that a county government may impose an assessment, where established by the General Assembly, reasonably related to the cost of any service or specific benefit provided by county government and shall exercise any legislative authority which it is required by law to exercise regarding the public school system;

(4) Any legislative act which prohibits the grant or denial of a certificate of public convenience and necessity;

(5) Any legislative act that establishes a rate or price otherwise determined by a state agency;

(6) Any legislative act that defines as an offense conduct made criminal by state law, that defines an offense as a felony, or that fixes the penalty or sentence for a misdemeanor in excess of a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for any one (1) specified offense or violation, or double that sum for repetition of the offense or violation. If an act prohibited or rendered unlawful is, in its nature, continuous in respect to time, the fine or penalty for allowing the continuance of the prohibited or unlawful act, in violation of the ordinance, shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each day that it is unlawfully continued;

(7) Any legislative act that applies to or affects the standards of professional or occupational competence as prerequisites to the carrying on of a profession or occupation;

(8) Any legislative act of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligations of contract shall not be enacted, and no conviction shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture of estate;

(9) Any legislative act which grants to any citizen or class of citizens privileges or immunities which upon the terms shall not equally belong to all citizens;

(10) Any legislative act which denies the individual right of property without just compensation;

(11) Any legislative act which lends the credit of the county for any purpose whatsoever or upon any interest-bearing evidence of indebtedness, except bonds as may be provided for by the Arkansas Constitution. This subdivision (11) does not apply to revenue bonds which are deemed not to be a general obligation of the county;

(12) Any legislative act that conflicts with the exercise by municipalities of any expressed, implied, or essential powers of municipal government; and

(13) Any legislative act contrary to the general laws of the state.