Legislation – Page 68 – Family Council

Bill Would Protect Free Speech on Public College Campuses in Arkansas

Jan 23, 2019Jerry CoxArkansas Capitol, Legislation, LegislatureFree Speech, Lagislature, Legislation

Today Sen. Bob Ballinger (R – Berryville) and Rep. Dan Sullivan (R – Jonesboro) filed S.B. 156, the Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act.

This good bill prevents public colleges and universities from squelching free speech on campus.

In some states students and faculty have faced discipline and discrimination for sharing their faith or expressing their deeply held convictions. In Jonesboro, Arkansas State University adopted policies restricting free speech to roughly 1% of campus and requiring students to obtain approval from university officials before engaging in free speech.

The restrictions prompted a lawsuit against the university. Last fall, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos publicly criticized the university’s restrictions on free speech.

S.B. 156 helps prevent public colleges and universities from imposing these unconstitutional restrictions on students and faculty. It protects students’ rights to peacefully assemble, speak, share literature, and exchange ideas.

It requires public colleges and universities to adopt policies protecting free speech on campus.

S.B. 156 is carefully worded. It does not allow violent speech, riots, harassment, or other unlawful conduct. It equally protects everyone’s right to free speech under the First Amendment.

For several months, Family Council has been working with attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom to bring this good legislation to Arkansas.

We applaud Senator Ballinger and Representative Sullivan for introducing this well-crafted Alliance Defending Freedom model bill.

You can leave a message for your State Senator at 501-682-2902 urging him or her to vote for S.B. 156 the FORUM Act.

You can leave a message for your State Representative at 501-682-6211 urging him or her to do the same.

Please thank the lead sponsors of this bill:

Senator Bob Ballinger: bob.ballinger@senate.ar.gov (870) 350-5175

Representative Dan Sullivan: dan.sullivan@arkansashouse.org (870) 275-2929

This bill could be debated in the Senate Education Committee as early as next week. We plan to keep you posted on its progress.

Photo Credit: “Old Main from the northwest, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas (autumn)” by Brandonrush – Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Updated: Resolution Filed Declaring “Religious Freedom Day”

Jan 15, 2019Jerry CoxLegislation, Legislature, Religious FreedomLegislation, Legislature, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty

UPDATE: Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) has filed a similar resolution in the Arkansas Senate: SR 1.

This morning Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) filed House Resolution 1002 declaring Wednesday, January 16, 2019, Religious Freedom Day.

The resolution also honors the anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom — a milestone for religious liberty in our country’s history — and affirms that religious freedom is a fundamental right.

H.R. 1002 contains numerous quotes from Founding Fathers and U.S. Presidents about religious liberty as well.

The free exercise of religion has come under attack in recent years. That’s why, more than ever, government needs to promote and defend religious liberty in America.

You can read H.R. 1002 here.

You can read S.R. 1 here.

State Officials, City Attorneys Spar Over Fayetteville Ordinance

Sep 26, 2017Jerry CoxLegislationArkansas Legislature, Fayetteville, Homosexuality, Legislation, LGBTQ

In 2015 the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 137, the Intrastate Commerce Act. This good law prevents local municipalities from creating protected classes not found in state law.

It ensures Arkansas does not wind up with a patchwork of conflicting civil rights ordinances and policies in different cities and counties. It also helps ensure local municipalities do not adopt ordinances that undermine religious liberties.

In the fall of 2015 the City of Fayetteville adopted an ordinance creating protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge wrote that the ordinance was unenforceable under Act 137. Last February the Arkansas Supreme Court agreed and overturned the ordinance, saying it violates state law.

The discussion should have ended there, but now attorneys from the City of Fayetteville and the State of Arkansas are back in court, arguing over whether or not Act 137 is constitutional. Fayetteville’s attorneys say the law is not constitutional. The state’s attorneys say it is.

The judge overseeing the case has even gone so far as to suggest that lawmakers who sponsored Act 137 should be questioned to determine their reasoning for the legislation.

Legislative intent is important, but it has nothing to do with whether or not Act 137 is constitutional. Laws about discrimination are best left to the state and federal governments. Act 137 simply ensures the state will make those policies rather than local municipalities.