Arkansas Legislature Passes Bill Restricting Abortion Facilities

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On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed S.B. 388.

This good bill by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Joe Cloud (R – Russellville) requires any facility that performs abortions to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 also prohibits abortions in hospitals except in cases of medical emergency.

The bill previously passed the Arkansas Senate with strong support.

Under current law, clinics are not required to be licensed or inspected as abortion facilities unless they perform more than ten abortions in a month.

That means that a clinic potentially could perform upwards of 100 or more abortions per year without being licensed or inspected by the State of Arkansas as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 addresses this loophole in Arkansas law.

This bill will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to enforce the good, pro-life laws that lawmakers have implemented over the years. It will ensure that every clinic that performs abortions is licensed and inspected, and that Arkansas’ laws against abortion are properly followed.

S.B. 388 will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to identify and shutdown facilities performing occasional abortions if the facilities aren’t complying with Arkansas’ other pro-life laws.

This is a really good bill. It now goes to the governor to become law.

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Arkansas Legislature Passes Measure to Help Keep Planned Parenthood Out of Public Schools

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Sen. Ballinger presents H.B. 1592 on the floor of the Senate.

On Monday the Arkansas Senate passed H.B. 1592.

This good bill by Rep. Mark Lowery (R – Maumelle) prohibits public schools in Arkansas from engaging in transactions with abortion providers. It previously passed the Arkansas House of Representatives.

In March, Family Council obtained nearly 1,400 pages of documents that revealed how Planned Parenthood has worked in public schools in Pulaski County for several years.

H.B. 1592 will help make sure Planned Parenthood and other abortionists don’t access Arkansas’ public schools.

The bill now goes to the governor to become law. Below is a breakdown of the vote on H.B. 1592.

Voted FOR H.B. 1592

  • B. Ballinger
  • Beckham
  • Bledsoe
  • Caldwell
  • B. Davis
  • J. Dismang
  • L. Eads
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • T. Garner
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • M. Johnson
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Pitsch
  • Rapert
  • Rice
  • B. Sample
  • G. Stubblefield
  • J. Sturch
  • D. Sullivan
  • Teague
  • D. Wallace

Voted AGAINST H.B. 1592

  • L. Chesterfield
  • Elliott
  • K. Ingram
  • G. Leding
  • C. Tucker

Excused From Voting

  • S. Flowers
  • J. Hendren

Did Not Vote

  • A. Clark

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Arkansas Congressmen Sign Pro-Life Petition

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Last week all four congressmen from Arkansas signed a petition to force a vote on pro-life H.R. 619, the federal Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

H.R. 619 is a federal measure currently in Congress. If passed, it would protect infants who survive a botched abortion.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would ensure that a baby born alive after an abortion receives the same medical care as any other newborn.

The measure also would punish doctors who let an infant die or intentionally kill a newborn following an abortion.

Several states have enacted similar legislation — including Arkansas. H.R. 619 would protecting babies nationwide.

All four of Arkansas’ congressmen are co-sponsors on the measure.

H.R. 619 is tied up in committee, but last week some 202 members of Congress signed a petition asking for a floor vote on the bill in the full U.S. House of Representatives.

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