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

Abortion, , , ,
Sen. Gilmore presents S.B. 527 to the Arkansas Senate.

On Monday the Arkansas Senate passed S.B. 527 by a vote of 28 to five.

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 Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

Below is a breakdown of the vote on S.B. 527.

The Following Senators Voted FOR S.B. 527

  • B. Ballinger
  • Beckham
  • Bledsoe
  • Caldwell
  • A. Clark
  • B. Davis
  • J. Dismang
  • L. Eads
  • Flippo
  • T. Garner
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • J. Hendren
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • M. Johnson
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Pitsch
  • Rapert
  • Rice
  • B. Sample
  • G. Stubblefield
  • J. Sturch
  • D. Sullivan
  • Teague
  • D. Wallace

The Following Senators Voted AGAINST S.B. 527

  • L. Chesterfield
  • Elliott
  • K. Ingram
  • G. Leding
  • C. Tucker

The Following Senator Did Not Vote

  • J. English

The Following Senator Was Excused From the Chamber

  • S. Flowers

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Arkansas Governor Vetoes Good Bill That Would Protect Children From Gender-Reassignment Procedures

LGBT,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 5, 2021

Little Rock, Ark. – On Monday Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed H.B. 1570, the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act.

Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement saying, “The Arkansas Legislature needs to step up and override the governor’s veto to make sure this good bill becomes law. Gender-reassignment surgeries can leave children sterilized and scarred for life. Medical researchers do not know the long term effects these procedures can have on kids. That is why many people equate them with experimenting on children. Arkansas must protect its children from these sex-reassignment procedures.”

Cox pointed out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not authorized puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to be used for gender-reassignment. “The FDA has never approved puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for the purpose of gender transition. Doctors are giving children these drugs off-label. They are having children use these drugs in a way that the FDA never intended. That’s unethical, and it endangers the children of Arkansas. H.B. 1570 would stop this dangerous practice in Arkansas.”

Cox called on Arkansas’ lawmakers to override the governor’s veto and enact the SAFE Act. “Arkansas has good lawmakers who strongly support this good bill. We hope Arkansas’ legislators will do the right thing and override the governor’s veto on H.B. 1570. This is a good bill that will protect children. It needs to become law.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock.

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A Few Statistics on Abortion in Arkansas

Abortion

The Arkansas Legislature has passed several really good, pro-life laws this year.

In particular, legislation has passed that will protect women from dangerous chemical abortion practices in Arkansas.

Chemical abortions use the RU-486 regimen to kill the unborn child.

Since 2010, surgical abortion in Arkansas has decreased 55%, but the number of chemical abortions performed in Arkansas has risen 69%.

Since 2015, abortionists have performed 4,274 chemical abortions in Arkansas.

And in 2019, roughly two out of five abortions in Arkansas were chemical abortions.

Even though Arkansas’ overall abortion numbers sit at historic lows, chemical abortion is more common in Arkansas than ever before.

H.B. 1402 by Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) and Sen. Blake Johnson (R – Corning) updates Arkansas’ restrictions on abortion drugs like RU-486, and H.B. 1572 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Springdale) and Sen. Scott Flippo (R – Mountain Home) will help ensure women get all the facts about chemical abortion — including its risks, its consequences, and its alternatives.

Both of these bills will help address chemical abortion in Arkansas, and they will protect women and unborn children from dangerous abortion drugs.

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