New Polling Data Show Arkansas Voters Reject SB536

A new poll conducted by the EveryLibrary Institute shows that Arkansas voters overwhelmingly oppose Senate Bill 536 (SB536), a bill now under consideration by the Arkansas State House that would dismantle the Arkansas State Library, eliminate its oversight board, and impose burdensome new mandates on local libraries without providing any additional funding. Voters across the state made it clear that they value their libraries, trust local decision-making, and want to keep politics out of public library governance.

Insights from the Data

After learning about Senate Bill 536, two-thirds of respondents (66%) said they oppose SB536. Of those, 52% said they strongly oppose the legislation, while 14% said they somewhat oppose it. Only 16% of voters expressed any level of support.

At the heart of this opposition is a deep trust in local control. When asked who they trust more to make decisions about library hours, staffing, and programs, nearly three out of four voters (74%) said they trust local library boards or city and county governments. Only 16% preferred having those decisions made by state agencies in Little Rock.

This sentiment was even more evident when voters were asked to respond to the statement: “Decisions about what books to offer and how a library should operate should be made by local communities, not the state government.” An overwhelming 79% agreed with this principle, including 62% who strongly agreed and 17% who somewhat agreed. Just 13% disagreed with the statement.

The poll also highlighted the threat SB536 poses to small and rural libraries. When asked whether these libraries could meet the bill’s new requirements without cutting services or possibly closing, 71% of voters said no. Many libraries across Arkansas already operate on tight budgets with limited staff. New state-imposed mandates—without new resources—would tip the balance and force painful cuts in many communities.

SB536 proposes transferring oversight of the state’s libraries to the Arkansas Department of Education, a move that voters overwhelmingly rejected. When asked to choose which statement they agreed with more, 69% of respondents said the change would create “unnecessary bureaucracy and confusion” rather than improve library services.

Voters also expressed strong support for keeping politics out of the library. When asked if public libraries should be free from political interference and censorship, 83% of voters agreed—67% strongly and another 16% somewhat. Only 11% disagreed.

The survey also shows that this bill could carry political consequences. When asked how they would respond if their state representative voted in favor of SB536, 62% of voters said they would be less likely to support them in the next election. Only 12% said they would be more likely.

And if SB536 reaches the governor’s desk, voters are ready to speak out there too. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of voters said they oppose Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signing SB536 into law, with a majority (52%) saying they strongly oppose it.

Implications and Impact

The findings from this survey suggest that Arkansan voters hold strong views about the importance of local control, practical governance, and open access to information through their libraries. They voiced serious concerns about state-level mandates that could increase bureaucracy, reduce flexibility, or force changes without funding.

SB536 proposes a significant restructuring of public library oversight in Arkansas. It would eliminate the Arkansas State Library, shift regulatory responsibilities to the Department of Education, and impose new operational and content-related requirements on libraries across the state. Yet the bill offers no new funding, staffing, or training to support these transitions, particularly in rural and under-resourced areas where library services are often most essential.

The risk of unintended consequences is not hypothetical. Voters in this survey overwhelmingly believe that small and rural libraries will struggle to comply with these requirements without cutting programs or reducing hours. Others raised concerns that the Department of Education, already facing backlogs in other areas, may not be positioned to take on these new responsibilities in a timely or effective way.

There is also a legal and constitutional dimension that cannot be ignored. Recent challenges to similar legislation in Arkansas have resulted in judicial rulings affirming the fundamental rights of access to information and intellectual freedom. Laws that attempt to restrict what materials are available to minors in libraries—or that penalize librarians for their collection decisions—have been found to conflict with both state and federal constitutional protections.

Arkansas has a long-standing tradition of valuing individual liberty, local decision-making, and limited government interference. Many voters see libraries not as battlegrounds for political ideology but as trusted, community-centered institutions that help residents of all backgrounds learn, connect, and grow. As lawmakers consider the future of SB536, these results offer a picture of where the voters stand.

Download a PDF of the polling data: Arkansas Voter Poll about SB536