Conscience Protection Bill Has Only One Step Left to Go

Rights of Conscience,
From Left: Rep. Brandt Smith, Alliance Defending Freedom Attorney Stephanie Nichols, and Family Council staff member Luke McCoy gather following passage of S.B. 289.

On Thursday afternoon the House Public Health Committee passed S.B. 289, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, by by Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) and Rep. Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro).

The bill has only one final step — passing the entire Arkansas House of Representatives — before going to the senate for concurrence in amendments and then the governor’s desk.

S.B. 289 protects healthcare workers’ rights of conscience in Arkansas.

Current conscience protections in state law are narrowly focused and protect only a limited number of people.

S.B. 289 helps broaden these protections for healthcare workers.

The bill passed the Arkansas Senate, but it previously failed to pass in the House Public Health Committee.

Thursday’s vote clears the way for S.B. 289 to head to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

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No-Fault Divorce Legislation Filed

Marriage,

On Thursday Rep. Ashley Hudson (D – Little Rock), Rep. Andrew Collins (D – Little Rock), and Sen. Greg Leding (D – Fayetteville) filed H.B. 1697.

This is a bad bill permitting no-fault divorce in Arkansas.

Under current law, couples in Arkansas can divorces in cases such as infidelity, abuse, following a lengthy separation, and other circumstances.

H.B. 1697 would permit divorce due to irreconcilable differences, discord, or conflict of personalities regardless of if the husband or wife is at fault.

Arkansas already has a high divorce rate. We don’t need to pass laws making it even easier to get a divorce.

Instead of passing laws helping people end their marriages, what if we took steps to encourage couples to work through their differences? Wouldn’t policies like that do more to help families than no-fault divorce legislation?

Read The Bill Here.

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Committee Passes Bill to Separate Abortionists From Medicaid

Abortion, , , ,
Sen. Gary Stubblefield prepares to present H.B. 1408 in committee.

On Wednesday afternoon the Senate Public Health Committee passed H.B. 1408 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Springdale) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch).

This good bill helps prevent abortion providers and their affiliates in Arkansas from receiving Medicaid reimbursements from the state.

In 2015 Governor Hutchinson ordered the state to quit providing Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood clinics after a series of undercover videos showed Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of organs and tissue harvested from aborted babies.

Following a lengthy lawsuit, a federal panel of judges ruled in 2017 that the state has the power to cut Medicaid funds to abortion providers.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading abortion provider. Nobody should have to subsidize abortion providers with their tax dollars.

H.B. 1408 helps address that in state law

The bill already has passed the Arkansas House of Representatives. It now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for consideration. 

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