Arkansas Senate Rejects Bill to Expand Public Drinking to Dry Counties

Alcohol, Public Drinking, ,

On Wednesday H.B. 1228 failed to pass in the Arkansas Senate.

This bad bill by Rep. Lee Johnson (R – Greenwood) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville) lets cities in dry counties approve public drinking in “entertainment districts” adjacent to private clubs that sell alcohol.

Currently, cities and towns in wet counties can approve public drinking in entertainment districts.

H.B. 1228 would expand Arkansas’ alcohol laws to let people carry and consume alcohol on city streets and sidewalks in entertainment districts in dry counties.

H.B. 1228 failed in the Arkansas Senate with 12 votes in favor of it and 19 votes against it; four senators did not vote.

Sen. Davis moved to expunged the vote by which the bill failed — which may indicate she plans to make another attempt at passing this bad bill.

Below is a breakdown of Wednesday’s senate vote on H.B. 1228, the bill expanding public drinking to dry counties in Arkansas.

Voted FOR H.B. 1228

  • L. Chesterfield
  • B. Davis
  • L. Eads
  • Elliott
  • J. English
  • T. Garner
  • J. Hendren
  • K. Ingram
  • G. Leding
  • M. Pitsch
  • C. Tucker
  • D. Wallace

Voted AGAINST H.B. 1228

  • B. Ballinger
  • Beckham
  • Bledsoe
  • A. Clark
  • J. Dismang
  • Flippo
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • M. Johnson
  • B. Johnson
  • Rapert
  • Rice
  • G. Stubblefield
  • J. Sturch
  • D. Sullivan
  • Teague

Did Not Vote

  • Caldwell
  • S. Flowers
  • Irvin
  • B. Sample

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House Committee Advances Bill Requiring Informed-Consent for RU-486

Abortion,

On Tuesday the House Public Health Committee passed H.B. 1572 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Springdale) and Sen. Scott Flippo (R – Mountain Home).

This good bill outlines the informed-consent process for chemical abortion.

In 2015 the Arkansas Legislature passed an excellent informed-consent law for abortion. It ensures women know the risks, consequences, and alternatives to abortion — and it has helped hundreds of women every year choose options besides abortion.

However, Arkansas’ current informed-consent laws for abortion are geared primarily for surgical abortion procedures. With the rise in chemical abortion drugs like RU-486, Arkansas law needs to be strengthened to address drug-induced abortion as well as surgical abortion.

H.B. 1572 will help ensure women get all the facts about chemical abortion — including its risks, consequences, and pro-life alternatives.

This will help save the lives of unborn children. Read The Bill Here.

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House Passes Bill Addressing RU-486 Abortion Drugs in Arkansas

Abortion, , , ,

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed H.B. 1402.

This good bill by Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) and Sen. Blake Johnson (R – Corning) updates Arkansas’ restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs like RU-486.

The bill outlines requirements that abortionists must follow in administering abortion-inducing drugs, and it prohibits abortion drugs from being delivered by mail in Arkansas.

It also updates current law to ensure doctors who perform chemical abortions are credentialed to handle abortion complications and can transfer the woman to a hospital if she experiences complications.

Pro-lifers at the national level expect the Biden/Harris Administration to take steps to ease government restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs like RU-486. This bill will help ensure that abortion drugs don’t become more prevalent in Arkansas — even if the federal government deregulates them.

This is a good bill that will protect unborn children from being killed in chemical abortions. It now goes to the Arkansas Senate.

Below is a breakdown of the Arkansas House of Representatives vote on H.B. 1402.

The Following Representatives Voted FOR H.B. 1402

  • 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
  • V. Flowers
  • Fortner
  • Furman
  • Gonzales
  • M. Gray
  • Haak
  • Hawks
  • Hillman
  • Holcomb
  • Hollowell
  • Jean
  • Jett
  • L. Johnson
  • Ladyman
  • 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

The Following Representatives Voted AGAINST H.B. 1402

  • Clowney
  • Ennett
  • D. Ferguson
  • D. Garner
  • Godfrey
  • Hudson
  • Love
  • McCullough
  • Richardson
  • Scott
  • Springer
  • D. Whitaker

The Following Representatives Voted “Present” on H.B. 1402

  • A. Collins
  • Nicks

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

  • F. Allen
  • K. Ferguson
  • Fielding
  • Gazaway
  • M. Hodges
  • Magie
  • Murdock
  • Perry
  • Shepherd

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