Arkansas Named Most Pro-Life State in America Fifth Year in a Row

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On Friday, Americans United for Life (AUL) named Arkansas the most pro-life state in the country for the fifth year in a row.

AUL analyzes state laws related to abortion, euthanasia, suicide, and bioethics, and ranks all 50 states in its annual Life List. AUL writes,

Arkansas, the Most Pro-life State in America

This past legislative session, the pro-life movement faced many challenges including pro-abortion ballot initiatives and legislation targeting pregnancy resource centers. However, several states stood firm in their courageous defense and advocacy for life. For the fifth year in a row, Arkansas is at the top of the Life List as the most pro-life state in America. Continuing in its momentum from last year, Louisiana comes in second after enacting numerous life-affirming laws, including a law that protects unsuspecting pregnant women from the fraudulent provision of chemical abortion drugs. Tennessee secured its spot as the biggest mover on the Life List, advancing from 13th to 6th. The state enacted strong protections against abortion trafficking of minors and allocated funds to pregnancy resource centers. Kentucky also jumped five spots to 9th. 

The group also praised Arkansas and other states for providing public funds to pro-life pregnancy help organizations.

Becoming the most pro-life state in America did not happen overnight. It took many years of hard work from a lot of people.

More than a decade ago Family Council joined with Arkansas Right to Life and others in setting out to make Arkansas the most pro-life state in America. By working together, we have done that. Keeping Arkansas the most pro-life state will take constant effort.

As a pro-life leader, Arkansas has done important work, but we can’t stop. There is more pro-life work to do. We look forward to continuing that work when the Arkansas Legislature convenes next week.

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

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The Arkansas Legislature Convenes Next Week. Here are a Few Bills We’re Watching.

Legislation,

The Arkansas Legislatures convenes one week from today — Monday, January 13.

Lawmakers began pre-filing bills in November. Below is a list of some of the measures that legislators will consider in the coming weeks.

Bad Bills

H.B. 1011 (Abortion): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would repeal virtually all of Arkansas’ pro-life laws, and it would legalize abortion throughout the state. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1013 (Bioethics): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D – Little Rock) governs fertility treatments in Arkansas. The bill would let fertility labs in Arkansas create, freeze, store, and kill human embryos as part of unethical in vitro fertilization—or IVF—practices. Human beings are not lab material. This bad bill fails to respect every unborn child’s right to life. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1014 (Bioethics): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would require the State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program to pay for unethical IVF practices. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1020 (School Choice): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would repeal the 2023 LEARNS Act’s education freedom account program that lets students use public funds to pay for an education at a private school or at home. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1028 (Libraries): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would repeal Arkansas’ laws that protect children from harmful sexual material. It also would let libraries lend or share obscene material, and it requires public libraries to have “a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books or other materials because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval” in order to receive public funding. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1031 (Sex Education): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would make it possible for the Arkansas Department of Education to implement Planned Parenthood-style sex education as part of larger changes to public school health curriculum. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1032 (LGBT): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would prevent healthcare professionals from helping people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion. The way the bill is written, H.B. 1032 would let counselors, doctors, and other healthcare professionals encourage people to be LGBT, but healthcare professionals would not be able to help people overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or accept their biological sex. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1033 (Red Flag Law): This bad bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would create a “red flag” law in Arkansas making it easier for authorities to confiscate firearms from citizens that the government deem a danger to themselves or others. Read The Bill Here.

Other Bills We are Watching

H.B. 1018 (Family and Medical Leave): This bill by Rep. Andrew Collins (D — Little Rock) would create an income tax credit for employers who provide paid family and medical leave, such as maternity leave, to employees. Family Council has no position on this bill. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1044 (Raffles): This bill by Rep. R. J. Hawk (R — Bryant) and Sen. Jonathan Dismang (R — Little Rock) amends Arkansas’ charitable raffles and bingo laws. The bill would let colleges and universities conduct raffles in-person or online during sporting events. Schools would be able to sell raffle tickets themselves or use a nonprofit charity affiliated with the school to conduct the raffle. The bill contains a provision preventing casinos from operating or administering a raffle on a school’s behalf. Schools could use raffle proceeds to benefit school athletic programs — including purchasing and maintaining athletic facilities or providing financial aid, scholarships, stipends, and other compensation to student-athletes. Family Council has no position on this bill. Read The Bill Here.

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Pro-Abortion Groups Fighting to Strike Down Arizona’s 15-Week Ban, Other Pro-Life Laws in Court

Abortion, , , ,

The ACLU of Arizona filed a lawsuit last month to strike down the state’s law generally protecting women and unborn children from abortion after the fifteenth week of pregnancy.

The lawsuit underscores how pro-abortion groups are changing strategies and working incrementally to pass pro-abortion legislation and overturn state pro-life laws.

In November, pro-lifers saw three big wins and two big losses on election night. Voters defeated pro-abortion measures in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Florida, but pro-lifers lost in Missouri and Arizona.

The loss in Arizona paved the way for the ACLU to challenge Arizona’s restrictions on abortion.

In 2022 lawmakers in Arizona passed a measure prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks. The law contained exceptions for medical emergencies — including to save the life of the mother.

Data from the CDC and the Arizona Department of Health Services shows that in spite of the state’s law, there were 11,530 abortions in Arizona in 2022 and 12,888 in 2023. Most of those abortions were performed electively on healthy women carrying healthy, unborn babies.

Even though Arizona’s law allowed thousands of elective abortions, the ACLU of Arizona and other pro-abortion groups called the law “dangerous,” and campaigned for Arizona voters to enshrine “the fundamental right to abortion” in the state’s constitution.

That’s what happened when Arizona voters passed an abortion amendment in November.

In December the ACLU filed a lawsuit to strike down Arizona’s 15-week abortion law under that amendment.

In the lawsuit, the ACLU went so far as to say, “Since the [15-week] Ban took effect in 2022, it has had devastating consequences across the state—forcing many Arizonans to carry pregnancies to term and give birth against their will.”

That’s a bold claim, given how many unborn children were aborted in Arizona over the past two years.

Pro-abortion groups are using similar language and strategies in other states.

In November, Planned Parenthood filed a sweeping lawsuit challenging virtually all of Missouri’s good, pro-life laws — including basic health and safety restrictions on abortion. Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit claimed, “If left in place, the [abortion] restrictions will continue to be catastrophic for Missourians. They will either prevent care [abortion] altogether or severely delay or interfere with care [abortion].”

It’s very telling that pro-abortion groups believe it’s “dangerous” to restrict abortion to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy — or that informed-consent requirements and other basic abortion restrictions are “catastrophic.”

All of this suggests their goal is to persuade voters and lawmakers to legalize unrestricted abortion.

When the Arkansas Legislature convenes in a few days, lawmakers likely will face pressure to weaken the state’s good, pro-life laws. But groups like Planned Parenthood or the ACLU likely won’t be satisfied unless Arkansas writes unrestricted abortion into its state constitution. That’s something that lawmakers and voters alike should keep in mind.

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

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