Arkansas Legislature Passes Bill That Will Help Protect Victims of Botched Abortions

Rep. Bentley presents S.B. 527 to the Arkansas House of Representatives.

On Monday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed S.B. 527. The bill previously passed the Arkansas Senate with overwhelming support.

This good bill by Sen. Ben Gilmore (R – Crossett) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) requires abortion facilities to have transfer agreements with hospitals, and it fixes a flawed definition in a pro-life law passed in 2019.

S.B. 527 is similar to a Kentucky law that survived a legal challenge.

This is a good bill that will help protect women who are victims of botched abortions. Abortion carries a number of serious risks — including risk of laceration, hemorrhaging, and death.

Legislation like S.B. 527 helps protect women in the event of complications from a dangerous abortion procedure.

The bill now goes to the governor to become law.

Voted FOR S.B. 527

  • Barker
  • Beatty Jr.
  • Beck
  • Bentley
  • S. Berry
  • M. Berry
  • Boyd
  • Bragg
  • Breaux
  • Brooks
  • Brown
  • Bryant
  • Carr
  • Cavenaugh
  • Christiansen
  • Cloud
  • Coleman
  • C. Cooper
  • Cozart
  • Crawford
  • Dalby
  • M. Davis
  • Deffenbaugh
  • Dotson
  • Eaves
  • Eubanks
  • Evans
  • C. Fite
  • L. Fite
  • Fortner
  • Gazaway
  • Gonzales
  • Haak
  • Hawks
  • Hillman
  • Holcomb
  • Hollowell
  • Jean
  • Jett
  • L. Johnson
  • Lowery
  • Lundstrum
  • Lynch
  • Maddox
  • J. Mayberry
  • McClure
  • McCollum
  • M. McElroy
  • McGrew
  • McKenzie
  • McNair
  • S. Meeks
  • Miller
  • Milligan
  • Payton
  • Penzo
  • Pilkington
  • Ray
  • Richmond
  • Rye
  • Slape
  • B. Smith
  • S. Smith
  • Speaks
  • Tollett
  • Tosh
  • Underwood
  • Vaught
  • Wardlaw
  • Warren
  • Watson
  • Wing
  • Womack
  • Wooten

Voted AGAINST S.B. 527

  • F. Allen
  • Clowney
  • A. Collins
  • Ennett
  • D. Ferguson
  • V. Flowers
  • D. Garner
  • Godfrey
  • M. Hodges
  • Hudson
  • McCullough
  • Murdock
  • Scott
  • Springer
  • D. Whitaker

Voted “Present”

  • M. Gray
  • Love

Did Not Vote

  • K. Ferguson
  • Fielding
  • Furman
  • Ladyman
  • Magie
  • Nicks
  • Perry
  • Richardson
  • Shepherd

Arkansas House Passes Bill to Reduce Used Car Tax

On Monday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed H.B. 1160 by a vote of 97 to 0.

This good bill by Rep. John Payton (R – Wilburn) and Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) eliminates the tax on used cars sold for less than $7,500.

In two years, the bill would expand to apply to used cars sold for less than $10,000.

This is a good bill. It changes state law so that people won’t have to pay sales tax if they spend less than $7,500 on a used car. That’s going to help a lot of families get a reliable vehicle without breaking the bank.

Family Council has worked on this issue for over a decade.

The used car tax hurts Arkansas’ poor and middle class families. A lot of folks can barely scrape together a few thousand dollars to buy a used car. They can’t afford to pay the state on top of that.

Single moms who need a reliable vehicle shouldn’t be penalized for buying a used car. H.B. 1160 gives families some relief.

This is commonsense legislation that’s going to help a lot of families, and it won’t cost the State very much in tax revenue.

H.B. 1160 now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

Photo Credit: Ben Schumin, CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ask Your Senator to Support Religious Freedom

Ask your state senator to support an effort to add the Religious Freedom Amendment to the Arkansas Constitution.

S.J.R. 14 by Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) amends the Arkansas Constitution.

It prevents the government from burdening a person’s free exercise of religion.

The measure is similar to Arkansas’ state Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

You can call (501) 682-2902 to leave a message asking your state senator to support S.J.R. 14, the Religious Freedom Amendment.

You can find your senator’s name and email address below. Ask your senator to support S.J.R. 14.

Contact Your Senator

Sen. Bart Hester (Republican – Dist. 1): bart.hester@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Jim Hendren (Independent- Dist. 2): jim.hendren@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (Republican – Dist. 3): cecile.bledsoe@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Greg Leding (Democrat – Dist. 4): greg.leding@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Bob Ballinger (Republican – Dist. 5): bob.ballinger@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Gary Stubblefield (Republican – Dist. 6): gary.stubblefield@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Lance Eads (Republican – Dist. 7): lance.eads@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Mathew Pitsch (Republican – Dist. 8): mathew.pitsch@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Terry Rice (Republican – Dist. 9): terry.rice@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Larry Teague (Democrat – Dist. 10): larry.teague@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Jimmy Hickey (Republican – Dist. 11): jimmy.hickey@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Charles Beckham (Republican – Dist. 12): charles.beckham@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Alan Clark (Republican – Dist. 13): alan.clark@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Bill Sample (Republican – Dist. 14): bill.sample@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Mark Johnson (Republican – Dist. 15): mark.johnson@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Breanne Davis (Republican – Dist. 16): breanne.davis@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Scott Flippo (Republican – Dist. 17): scott.flippo@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Missy Irvin (Republican – Dist. 18): missy.irvin@senate.ar.gov

Sen. James Sturch (Republican – Dist. 19): james.sturch@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Blake Johnson (Republican – Dist. 20): blake.johnson@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Dan Sullivan (Republican – Dist. 21): dan.sullivan@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Dave Wallace (Republican – Dist. 22): dave.wallace@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Ronald Caldwell (Republican – Dist. 23): ronald.caldwell@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Keith Ingram (Democrat – Dist. 24): keith.ingram@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Stephanie Flowers (Democrat – Dist. 25): stephanie.flowers@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Ben Gilmore (Republican – Dist. 26): ben.gilmore@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Trent Garner (Republican – Dist. 27): trent.garner@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Jonathan Dismang (Republican – Dist. 28): jonathan.dismang@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Ricky Hill (Republican – Dist. 29): Ricky.Hill@Senate.ar.gov

Sen. Linda Chesterfield (Democrat – Dist. 30): linda.chesterfield@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Joyce Elliott (Democrat – Dist. 31): joyce.elliott@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Clarke Tucker (Democrat – Dist. 32): clarke.tucker@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Kim Hammer (Republican – Dist. 33): kim.hammer@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Jane English (Republican – Dist. 34): jane.english@senate.ar.gov

Sen. Jason Rapert (Republican – Dist. 35): jason.rapert@senate.ar.gov