Legislature Passes Measures Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

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On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed H.B. 1977 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger, and the Arkansas House passed S.B. 739 by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Joshua Bryant.

The two bills are virtually identical.

Both of them require employers to provide certain exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Under these measures, if an employer mandates COVID-19 vaccines, employees who decline to receive the vaccine could instead provide a negative COVID test to their employer on a regular basis or provide proof of natural immunity from a healthcare provider.

You can read H.B. 1977 here.

You can read S.B. 739 here.

Both bills have passed in the entire Arkansas Legislature. The next step is for one or both of them to go to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

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Arkansas Leads The Nation In New Abortion Restrictions: Guttmacher Institute

Abortion

The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute reports that states across America have passed a total of 106 new restrictions on abortion so far this year.

Leading the nation is Arkansas, which according to Guttmacher, has enacted 20 anti-abortion policies since January.

As Family Council previously reported, the Arkansas Legislature approved a record number of pro-life laws last spring.

These new laws could save thousands of women and unborn children from abortion for years to come. That’s something to celebrate.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, Oklahoma, Indiana, Montana and South Dakota have passed several pro-life measures this year — and other states have as well.

Some of Arkansas’ new pro-life laws are currently being litigated in federal court. Those lawsuits could lead to landmark, pro-life victories that may pave the way for Arkansas and other states to pass future legislation protecting women and children from abortion.

Pro-abortion groups rallied in Arkansas last weekend — but so did pro-lifers who are participating in 40 Days for Life and the annual Life Chain in Arkansas.

Planned Parenthood operates an abortion facility in Little Rock, and the group wants to perform abortions at its newest center in Rogers — but pro-lifers are opening pregnancy resource centers next door to both facilities.

And let’s not forget that abortion in Arkansas has been in decline since the 1990s.

As of 2020, Arkansas’ abortion numbers remain near historic lows, and public opinion polling shows most Arkansans believe abortion ought to be completely illegal or legal only under certain circumstances.

Slowly but surely, we’re winning the fight to protect innocent human life in Arkansas.

Photo Credit: American Life League, CC BY-NC 2.0, via Flickr.com. No changes were made to the image.

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Arkansas House Considers Bills Addressing Vaccine Mandates

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Sen. Johnson presents S.B. 732 in committee.

On Tuesday the House Public Health Committee and the Arkansas House of Representatives considered different pieces of legislation addressing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

On Tuesday morning, the House Public Health Committee failed to pass S.B. 732 by Sen. Blake Johnson.

S.B. 732 prohibits coercing another person into receiving a COVID-19 vaccine if the person has a religious, philosophical, or medical objection to the vaccine. The bill is similar to current Arkansas law regarding immunization mandates and exemptions for students.

The bill previously passed the Arkansas Senate, but failed to pass the House Public Health Committee on Tuesday. You Can Read S.B. 732 Here.

The House Public Health Committee passed S.B. 739 by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Joshua Bryant.

S.B. 739 requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. You Can Read The Bill Here.

S.B. 739 previously passed the Arkansas Senate. It now goes to the entire House of Representatives for consideration.

On Tuesday, the Arkansas House of Representatives passed H.B. 1977 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger.

H.B. 1977 passed the House Public Health Committee last week. The bill is virtually identical to S.B. 739.

H.B. 1977 requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. You Can Read H.B. 1977 Here. You Can See How Your State Representative Voted on H.B. 1977 Here.

H.B. 1977 now goes to the Arkansas Senate, where it likely will be referred to the Senate Public Health Committee.

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