Planned Parenthood Closes Facilities in Some States Amid Federal Defunding

Abortion, , , ,
Above: Planned Parenthood’s abortion facility in Southeast Kansas has been shown to market abortion to women in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas.

Abortion giant Planned Parenthood has announced it is closing some of its facilities in California, Texas, and other states, citing the federal government’s recent decision to defund the organization.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortionist and a major seller of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones used in gender transitions.

Its regional affiliates operate facilities around the country — including one in Little Rock and another in Rogers. Fortunately, neither of its Arkansas locations perform abortions, because state law generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states are not required to fund abortionists, and the Arkansas Legislature and the governor have both blocked Planned Parenthood and its affiliates from receiving public tax dollars.

However, while Planned Parenthood appears to be closing some of its facilities around the country due to a drop in funding, the organization is hiring at its Little Rock location. Reports also show Planned Parenthood may be spending millions of dollars to help women cross state lines for abortion. And news outlets have highlighted how pro-abortion states are protecting abortionists who ship abortion drugs across the country. These are serious concerns.

With all of that said, it’s important to note that public opinion polling shows Arkansans oppose abortion, and there is evidence that children are alive right now because Arkansas has prohibited abortion. That is something to celebrate.

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

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Ballot Battles: Lawsuit Targets Arkansas Election Safeguards

Elections,

On Thursday, two liberal groups filed a motion in court asking U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks to block anti-fraud safeguards the Arkansas Legislature has enacted regarding the ballot initiative process.

The groups For AR Kids and Protect AR Rights filed the motion challenging the following laws:

  • Act 218 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requiring canvassers to inform people that petition fraud is a crime before obtaining their signatures on a petition. 
  • Act 240 of 2025 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) requiring canvassers to verify a person’s identity via photo ID before obtaining the person’s signature to help prevent people from fraudulently signing someone else’s name.
  • Act 602 of 2025 by Rep. Ryan Rose (R — Van Buren) and Sen. Mark Johnson (R — Little Rock) requiring ballot initiative titles to be written at or below an eighth-grade reading level. A ballot title is supposed to accurately summarize a measure so voters can decide if they support or oppose it.

The groups are also opposing an anti-fraud law that requires paid canvassers to be registered with the state and a law requiring petition signatures to be collected from two-thirds of Arkansas’ counties in order for a measure to be placed on the ballot.

The lawsuit claims these laws make it too difficult to place constitutional amendments and initiated acts on the ballot.

We have said time and again that the Arkansas Constitution is for sale — and it’s cheap.

 The ballot initiative process that lets canvassers circulate petitions to place measures on a general election ballot has become the opposite of what it was intended to be. 

Instead of giving citizens a way to function as a “legislative body,” special interests have hired people to circulate petitions to place misleading, deceptive, and poorly written measures on the ballot in Arkansas.

Earlier this year, Arkansans testified before lawmakers about petition canvassers allegedly trying to provoke altercations and encouraging people to sign petitions multiple times.

Arkansas’ lawmakers have enacted good measures to safeguard the ballot initiative process. Now those safeguards are being challenged.

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office is defending these good laws. We believe our federal courts ultimately will uphold them as constitutional.

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

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EPA Sounds the Alarm Over Illegal Pesticides, Marijuana in California

Marijuana
Above: Illegal pesticides imported from China seized at illegal marijuana operations in California. (Photo Credit: KCRTV)

News outlets report Siskiyou County in California has declared a local emergency due to toxins from illegal pesticides used at illegal marijuana grow sites.

EPA officials say the crisis is “part of an international criminal enterprise” and that some of the illegal pesticides imported from China are the same chemicals used as “nerve gas agents in warfare” that can attack a person’s respiratory and nervous systems.

Even after legalization, California still struggles with a black market dominated by international drug cartels.

The DOJ has said organized crime from Mexico and China may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in California, Maine, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.

Besides being a criminal enterprise, these illicit marijuana operations often pollute the environment and jeopardize public health.

Authorities in states like California, Maine, and Oregon routinely seize illegal pesticides at massive marijuana grow sites.

Unfortunately, marijuana products often carry serious health risks from pesticides — even when they are manufactured legally.

The marijuana plant itself easily absorbs toxins in the soil as well as chemicals or other substances sprayed on the plant. As a result, marijuana may contain pesticides, heavy metals, mold, or other contaminants.

These toxins are passed along into marijuana products — posing serious health risks for marijuana users.

Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that studies have found marijuana users have higher levels of heavy metals in their blood and are more likely to develop fungal infections. These toxins can cause serious — or even life-threatening — illnesses.

Research continues to underscore that marijuana is dangerous.

Researchers have found marijuana users are twice as likely to die from heart disease.

Heavy marijuana use has been linked to psychosis — especially among young men.

All of this underscores what we have said for years, marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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

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