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Committee Advances Religious Freedom Legislation at Arkansas Capitol

Mar 30, 2023Jerry CoxReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Liberty

From left: Family Council President Jerry Cox discusses the Conscience Protection Act with two of its supporters, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Greg Chafuen and attorney Bob Ballinger of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, outside the House Judiciary Committee.

On Thursday the House Judiciary Committee passed a good bill enhancing protections for religious freedom in Arkansas.

H.B. 1615, the Conscience Protection Act by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch), makes important clarifications to the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

In 2015 Gov. Hutchinson signed Arkansas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law. H.B. 1615 builds upon that good state law to clarify its language wording and help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion.

H.B. 1615 also helps prohibit religious discrimination against individuals, business owners, and organizations that want to follow their deeply held religious convictions.

Christian-owned wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, and florist shops have come under fire in state and federal court in recent years. That is why it is so important for our laws to protect religious liberty.

If enacted, H.B. 1615 would provide Arkansans with some of the best religious freedom protections in the nation.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives for a vote.

House Committee Defeats Effort to Weaken State Abortion Laws

Mar 30, 2023Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Thursday the House Judiciary Committee defeated a bad bill that would have added exceptions to Arkansas’ abortion laws.

H.B. 1670 by Rep. Ashley Hudson (D – Little Rock) would weaken Arkansas’ pro-life laws by creating an exception for abortion in cases of incest.

As we have said many times, rape and incest are evil, and any woman who is a victim of rape or incest is a victim in every sense of the word.

However, legislation like H.B. 1670 fails to acknowledge that the unborn child is totally innocent.

An unborn boy or girl has no control over how he or she was conceived. These are living human beings. It is not right to kill an unborn baby because the baby’s father was a rapist or committed incest.

We are thankful to the House Judiciary Committee members who voted against this bad bill.

Committee Passes Good Bill Prohibiting Delta-8 THC in Arkansas

Mar 30, 2023Jerry CoxLegislation, MarijuanaArkansas Legislature, Delta-8, Marijuana

On Thursday the House Rules Committee passed a good bill prohibiting Delta-8 THC in Arkansas.

S.B. 358 is a good bill by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) that prevents Delta-8 THC from being manufactured via industrial hemp in Arkansas.

The bill would place Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10 THC, and other psychoactive drugs made from industrial hemp on the list of controlled substances in state law.

S.B. 358 also contains language enacting drug restrictions that would take effect if a state or federal court someday blocked Arkansas from prohibiting Delta-8 altogether.

Delta-8 THC is a mind-altering substance made from cannabis, and Arkansas law does not adequately prohibit it.

S.B. 358 is a good bill that will clarify Arkansas’ drug laws and helps provide protections against dangerous marijuana products.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

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