Last week, in part two of our series, we talked about Rep. Gary Stubblefield’s bill (HB2159), which would have made clear that a pregnant woman has the right to defend her unborn child against criminal assault. This week, we’ll briefly highlight another great pro-life bill that didn’t pass last session—one by Rep. Bruce Westerman.

Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Hot Springs) introduced HB1979, a bill that would have prevented abortions in state-owned healthcare facilities. An exception was put in place should the mother’s life be endangered. Similar laws are on the books in neighboring states. Currently, the only state-owed healthcare facility in Arkansas is University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). A representative from UAMS lobbied against the bill, and it was defeated. Even though we have Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution, it’s important that we pass legislation to ensure that no taxpayer funds subsidize abortions in state-owned healthcare facilities.