Arkansas Attorney General Appeals to Eighth Circuit Over Law Protecting Children From Sex-Change Procedures

Podcast, Transgender, , ,

On July 21, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s team appealed to the federal Eighth Circuit to let the state enforce the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act.

The SAFE Act is a good law the Arkansas Legislature overwhelmingly enacted in 2021. It protects children in Arkansas from sex-reassignment surgeries, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones. Unfortunately, the law has been tied up in court for more than two years, and a federal judge in Little Rock blocked the state from enforcing the law in June.

Sex-change surgeries and procedures can leave children sterilized and scarred for life.

Researchers do not know the long term effects puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can have on kids. That is why many experts agree that subjecting children to sex-change procedures is experimental, at best.

In 2021 a major hospital in Sweden announced that it would no longer give puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to kids.

Last year the U.K.’s National Health Services closed its Tavistock gender clinic that gave puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children for many years. Many families have indicated their children were subjected to sex-reassignment at that clinic despite an obvious lack of scientific evidence in favor of the procedures and inadequate mental health screenings for children with gender dysphoria.

A gender-identity clinic in Scotland has faced similar accusations from former patients who say healthcare professionals rushed them into sex-change procedures.

And last year the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added a warning label to puberty blockers in America after biological girls developed symptoms of tumor-like masses in the brain.

Interestingly, public opinion is shifting on this issue, with more Americans saying it’s morally wrong to change genders.

With all of this in mind, the SAFE Act is commonsense legislation that protects children. Family Council is confident that higher courts will recognize that fact and uphold this good law as constitutional.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Listen: The Arkansas Lottery Could Boost Education Spending By Cutting Its Prize Budget

Arkansas Lottery, Podcast,

This is Family Council in Little Rock. Today, we delve into the Arkansas Lottery and its allocation of funds for college scholarships. For over a decade, concerns have been raised about the state’s lottery failing to prioritize education funding. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers.

As percentages go, the Arkansas Lottery has one of the highest prize budgets among state lotteries in America. However, it allocates far less for education than the typical state lottery does, and less than it is capable of budgeting.

In fiscal year 2023, the Arkansas Lottery took in an astounding $608 million. It spent approximately 19% of that revenue on college scholarships and 69% of its revenue on prizes.

Now, let’s illustrate how the funding could change if the Arkansas Lottery decided to prioritize education further. Imagine the Lottery took in $600 million in a year. Currently, the budget would be approximately $114 million for college scholarships and $414 million for prizes.

However, by reducing the prize budget to 60% of its revenue, the Lottery could increase its scholarship budget to 25% of its gross revenue. This would result in approximately $150 million going towards college scholarships and $360 million towards prizes.

Lottery officials have expressed concerns that decreasing prizes and increasing scholarship funding might lead to a decline in ticket purchases. However, it’s worth noting that this has not been the case in other states.

Even if lottery ticket sales plummeted, the Arkansas Lottery could still provide millions of additional dollars for education by budgeting 25 cents out of every dollar for college scholarships instead of the current 19 cents.

The Arkansas Lottery has the potential to provide more money for college scholarships, even if lottery ticket sales were to drop. By adjusting its budget and prioritizing education, the Lottery could make a significant difference in the lives of Arkansas students.

That’s all for today. If you liked this story, be sure to check out our website at Family Council.org. You can find all kinds of news and information there. Thanks for listening.

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Listen: El Dorado Grapples With Unruly Behavior in Its Public Drinking District

Podcast, Public Drinking,

This is news from Family Council in Little Rock. Today, we turn our attention to El Dorado, where the City Council has been discussing an ongoing issue in its downtown entertainment district.

During its July meeting, El Dorado’s City Council tackled the topic of  rowdiness in the city’s public drinking district, as reported by the El Dorado News Times. This district was established under Act 812 of 2019, which allows cities to create “quote unquote “entertainment districts” where alcohol can be carried and consumed publicly on streets and sidewalks. Such districts can be either permanent or temporary under this law.

Two years later, Act 874 of 2021 expanded the legislation to permit cities in dry counties to approve public drinking if they have a private club serving alcohol within the city limits. And most recently, Act 34 was passed, granting cities and towns without advertising and promotion taxes on hotels and restaurants the ability to establish their own entertainment districts with legal public drinking.

However, these legislative changes have not been without controversy. Family Council has strongly opposed each of these laws, citing concerns over the harm that public drinking can cause to communities.

In El Dorado, the City Council had previously authorized public drinking within a nine block entertainment district downtown. But recently, Council Member Frank Hash pointed out that the district has been experiencing recurring issues with disorderly and unruly behavior, especially during weekends.

According to a recent article in the El Dorado News Times, law enforcement has faced challenges in policing the area, and litter and disruptive behavior have become associated problems.

Proponents of public drinking districts argue that they can boost local economies and tourism, but Family Council’s opposition to these laws emphasizes the serious concerns surrounding public safety and the potential for drunk driving incidents. Public drinking doesn’t attract new businesses or revitalize Main Street, but rather it negatively affects neighborhoods and families.

As the debate over public drinking continues, communities like El Dorado are grappling with the consequences of implementing entertainment districts. The impact on public safety, local businesses, and neighborhood dynamics remains at the forefront of discussions for both citizens and lawmakers.

That concludes our news report for today. Thank you for joining us. If you liked this news report, be sure to check out our website at FamilyCouncil.org. Thanks for listening!

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