Last week voters in Craighead County reduced tax revenue for a public library in Jonesboro that has been at the center of controversies surrounding obscene material in the library’s children’s section.
Last week Planned Parenthood congratulated the nine candidates it endorsed who won their elections in Arkansas.
The abortion giant endorsed a total of 21 candidates in Arkansas this year. Of those candidates, the following were elected:
Aside from endorsing candidates, Planned Parenthood was largely inactive in Arkansas’ political races this year.
As far as Family Council knows, the only 2022 political contribution Planned Parenthood’s PAC made in Arkansas was $2,900 to Lisa Parks (D – Springdale) on January 31 in support of her senate campaign; Parks lost her senate bid to Rep. Clint Penzo last Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Arkansas narrowly failed to pass Issue 3, the Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment.
As of Thursday morning, unofficial results from the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website indicate the measure fell approximately 7,000 votes short of passing.
It’s important to keep in mind that this vote is not a referendum on religious liberty in Arkansas. There was a lot of confusion about Issue 3, specifically.
Issue 3 would have restored protections for religious liberty under the Arkansas Constitution.
Over the years, courts have allowed the government to burden the free exercise of religion when it did not have a compelling interest at stake and when the government could be less restrictive toward religious liberty. Issue 3 would have fixed that.
Unfortunately, this is a complicated issue.
Many voters don’t realize how weak our protections for religious freedom have become. That likely is part of the reason Issue 3 narrowly failed.
Family Council remains committed to protecting religious liberty in Arkansas, and we hope to do exactly that in the coming year.
