Senate Passes Bill Requiring Porn Sites to Verify Users are 18+

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed a measure requiring pornographic websites to verify that users are 18 or older.

S.B. 66 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) requires pornographic websites to use a digital ID, government-issued ID, or another commercially available age verification process to protect children from pornography.

The measure — which is similar to a law Louisiana recently enacted — passed without any opposition in the Arkansas Senate.

Under this bill, pornographic websites would rely on an ID like an Arkansas driver’s licenses or a third-party ID-verification system to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.

Websites that violate S.B. 66 would be held liable under the law.

Pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems, and in the past 30 years it has become available at unprecedented levels as a result of technology.

S.B. 66 helps address this problem in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives.

The Following Senators Voted FOR S.B. 66

  • J. Boyd
  • J. Bryant
  • Caldwell
  • L. Chesterfield
  • A. Clark
  • Crowell
  • B. Davis
  • Dees
  • J. Dotson
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Johnson
  • B. King
  • G. Leding
  • F. Love
  • M. McKee
  • R. Murdock
  • J. Payton
  • C. Penzo
  • J. Petty
  • Rice
  • G. Stubblefield
  • D. Sullivan
  • C. Tucker
  • D. Wallace

The Following Senators Were Excused From Voting

  • J. Dismang
  • S. Flowers
  • Stone

Arkansas House Passes Bill Protecting Physical Privacy at Public School

On Wednesday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure that would protect the physical privacy and safety of students at public school

H.B. 1156 by Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R – Jonesboro) addresses privacy in public school locker rooms, showers, restrooms, changing areas, and similar facilities by requiring public schools to designate these facilities for “male” or “female” use.

This is a good bill that will protect public school students in Arkansas.

The bill passed with 80 votes in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Wednesday.

It now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

The Following Representatives Voted FOR H.B. 1156

  • Achor
  • Andrews
  • Barker
  • Beaty Jr.
  • Beck
  • Bentley
  • M. Berry
  • S. Berry
  • Breaux
  • Brooks
  • K. Brown
  • M. Brown
  • Burkes
  • Joey Carr
  • John Carr
  • Cavenaugh
  • C. Cooper
  • Cozart
  • Crawford
  • Dalby
  • Duffield
  • Duke
  • Eaves
  • Eubanks
  • Evans
  • C. Fite
  • L. Fite
  • Fortner
  • Furman
  • Gazaway
  • Gonzales
  • Gramlich
  • Haak
  • Hawk
  • D. Hodges
  • G. Hodges
  • Holcomb
  • Hollowell
  • Jean
  • L. Johnson
  • Ladyman
  • Long
  • Lundstrum
  • Lynch
  • Maddox
  • J. Mayberry
  • McAlindon
  • McClure
  • McCollum
  • M. McElroy
  • McGrew
  • B. McKenzie
  • McNair
  • S. Meeks
  • Milligan
  • J. Moore
  • K. Moore
  • Painter
  • Pearce
  • Pilkington
  • Puryear
  • Ray
  • Richmond
  • Rose
  • Rye
  • Schulz
  • R. Scott Richardson
  • Steimel
  • Tosh
  • Underwood
  • Unger
  • Vaught
  • Walker
  • Wardlaw
  • Warren
  • Watson
  • Wing
  • Womack
  • Wooldridge
  • Wooten

The Following Representatives Voted AGAINST H.B. 1156

  • F. Allen
  • Clowney
  • A. Collins
  • Ennett
  • D. Garner
  • Hudson
  • Magie
  • McCullough
  • Scott
  • Springer

The Following Representatives Voted “Present”

  • K. Ferguson
  • V. Flowers
  • Perry
  • J. Richardson
  • T. Shephard

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

  • D. Ferguson
  • Miller
  • Nicks
  • D. Whitaker
  • Mr. Speaker

Bill Would Weaken Arkansas’ Pro-Life Laws

A bill filed last week would weaken Arkansas’ good, pro-life laws.

Thanks to legislation passed in 2019 and 2021, Arkansas law generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother.

H.B. 1301 by Rep. Nicole Clowney (D – Fayetteville) adds exceptions allowing abortion in cases of “fetal abnormality incompatible with life.”

The bill does not define what is or is not a “fetal abnormality.” It is not clear how a federal judge might interpret this language.

Unborn children should not be aborted simply because a doctor thinks they may be at risk for a fetal abnormality.

Family Council strongly opposes this bill — and any other bill that would weaken our state’s pro-life laws.