Court Arguments Over Arkansas’ SAFE Act Scheduled for Next Week

LGBT, Transgender,

A three-judge panel for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments next week over whether or not the State of Arkansas should be free to enforce the SAFE Act while a lawsuit over the act’s constitutionally progresses in court.

The Arkansas Legislature overwhelmingly passed the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act last year.

The SAFE Act is an excellent law that protects children from sex-reassignment procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones.

Researchers do not know the long term effects that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can have on kids.

That is part of the reason many experts agree that giving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children is experimental, at best.

That is also why a major hospital in Sweden announced last year that it would no longer administer puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children.

Unfortunately, the ACLU and others filed a lawsuit against the SAFE Act last summer, before the law officially took effect.

Several business interests and the Biden-Harris Administration also have joined the fight against Arkansas’ SAFE Act.

Last July, U.S. District Judge James Moody temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the law while the lawsuit progresses. 

Arkansas’ Attorney General asked the Eighth Circuit to lift his order so that the state can start enforcing the law right away.

On Wednesday, June 15, a three-judge panel will hear arguments in that case.

According the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judges James B. Loken, Jane Kelly, and Katherine M. Menendez will hear the arguments.

President George H. W. Bush appointed Judge Loken to the Eighth Circuit, and he has served there since 1990.

Judge Kelly is one of President Obama’s appointees, and has been on the court since 2013.

Judge Menendez was appointed to the federal district court by President Biden last year.

Regardless of whether or not this panel lets Arkansas enforce the SAFE Act, the lawsuit over the SAFE Act’s constitutionality is progressing and will go to trial this October.

Arkansas’ SAFE Act protects children. We believe federal courts ultimately will recognize that fact and uphold this good law as constitutional.

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Family Council Distributed Enough Voter’s Guides to Reach One in Ten Voters in May Primaries

Arkansas Voter's Guide
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Family Council distributed enough copies of the Arkansas Voter’s Guide in print and online to reach approximately one in ten voters who participated in the May primary elections.

The Arkansas Voter’s Guide is one of the most important services we provide.

We survey the candidates on issues like abortion, education, marriage, critical theory, and so on, and we publish their survey responses in print and online at ArkansasVotersGuide.com.

Our guide is nonpartisan. It doesn’t favor one candidate over another, and we don’t use it to make endorsements. It’s strictly a tool that voters can use to learn a little more about where their candidates stand on the issues that matter to them. It’s a service Family Council has been pleased to provide to Arkansans since 1990.

This spring Family Council distributed approximately 37,400 printed copies of the Arkansas Voter’s Guide statewide.

These guides went to families and churches all across the state.

In addition to that, more than 8,100 people visited the voter’s guide online at ArkansasVotersGuide.com in May.

Altogether, our team estimates that Family Council’s voter’s guide may have reached approximately one out of every ten voters who participated in the May 24 primaries.

Even if some of the people who looked at our guide decided not to vote, many copies of the printed guide went to couples or groups of people — such as Sunday school classes — which means they were shared and used by more than one person. It’s possible the actual number of voters reached is higher than one in ten.

The Arkansas Voter’s Guide was a major success during the May 2022 primaries. We want to thank everyone who helped make that possible. We look forward to distributing thousands more voter’s guides ahead of the General Election this fall.

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LRPD Stations Mobile Surveillance Tower Near Little Rock Abortion Facility, Pregnancy Center

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Above: LRPD recently stationed a mobile surveillance tower near an abortion facility and a pro-life pregnancy resource center in west Little Rock.

Recently, Family Council learned that the Little Rock Police Department stationed one of its mobile surveillance towers at a location near Little Rock Family Planning Services and Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center in west Little Rock.

Little Rock Family Planning Services is Arkansas’ only surgical abortion facility.

Arkansas Pregnancy Resource Center, located next door, is a pro-life center that helps women with unplanned pregnancies choose options besides abortion.

The LRPD uses mobile surveillance towers to increase the visibility of police presence and deter crime in the community.

In a statement provided to Family Council, Lt. John Michael Trent of the Little Rock Police Department said,

With national events involving abortion and in particular this topic being propelled to the spotlight regarding the leaked document from the United State Supreme Court it was my opinion this tower was placed in this area with hopes to deter any criminal behavior or problems from anyone. We have used this tower in the past for other events, businesses and places and overall it does seem to be a strong deterrent regarding criminal behavior.

Lt. Trent also said the goal “is to be as proactive as possible,” and indicated that the tower’s location would be reevaluated after 30 days.

In the wake of the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, pro-life organizations have been targeted by vandals and arsonists, and pro-abortion activists have promised a “summer of rage” is Roe is reversed.

Additionally, Little Rock Police have documented multiple incidents outside the surgical abortion facility in recent years.

We deeply appreciate the Little Rock Police Department taking steps to be proactive in protecting Arkansans and keeping our community safe. We hope and pray that our country remains peaceful if and when the U.S. Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade.

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

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