House Committee Passes Bill to Repeal Abortion Clinic Licensing in Arkansas

Abortion, , ,

On Thursday the Arkansas House Public Health Committee passed a bill that repeals licensing requirements for abortion facilities in Arkansas law.

S.B. 138 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) and Rep. Rebecca Burkes (R – Lowell) eliminates a provision in Arkansas law that says any facility that performs abortions must be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health.

At Thursday’s committee meeting, Rep. Burkes and Arkansas Department of Health liaison Matt Gilmore said the state should repeal the licensing requirement, because abortion is now prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother.

Family Council staff member Luke McCoy testified against S.B. 138 in the House Public Health Committee. McCoy pointed out that Arkansas’ abortion facility licensing requirement is tied to at least 15-19 other provisions related to abortion in state code, and that repealing the licensing requirement could have unintended consequences for those good laws if abortion were once again made legal by a state or federal court decision or law.

Family Council asked lawmakers to amend the bill to clarify that the state would require abortion facilities to be licensed if abortion were ever reinstated in Arkansas. The bill was not amended to address Family Council’s concerns.

S.B. 138 now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives for a vote.

You Can Read S.B. 138 Here.

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

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This Bad Amendment Would Create a Right to Abortion in Arkansas

Abortion, Legislation, , , ,

A proposed constitutional amendment at the Arkansas Legislature would enshrine abortion in the state constitution.

H.J.R. 1008 by Rep. Deborah Ferguson (D – West Memphis) would amend the Arkansas Constitution to recognize “a fundamental right to reproductive freedom.” According to the amendment, that right would include:

  • Abortion
  • Prenatal care
  • Childbirth
  • Postpartum care
  • Contraception
  • Sterilization
  • Miscarriage management
  • Infertility care

The amendment would prohibit the state from restricting abortion before the point of fetal viability, and it would limit the state’s ability to restrict abortion after fetal viability.

This is a very bad amendment, and Family Council strongly opposes it.

Arkansas’ lawmakers are strongly pro-life, and they have worked for years to enact good legislation that protects women and unborn children.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last June, and abortion is prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother.

We look forward to working with our pro-life friends to defeat this bad amendment.

You Can Read H.J.R. 1008 Here.

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Family Council Supports Giving Parents, Children Options in Education

Education, Legislation, , ,

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Wednesday Family Council announced the pro-family organization supports passing a school choice measure in Arkansas this year.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “Our organization has always believed families deserve options when it comes to education. Home schooling is a great example of how giving families options can help their children flourish. Family Council has supported home schooling for more than 25 years, because it empowers parents to give their son or their daughter the education that’s right for them. Home schooling in Arkansas has been incredibly successful as a result. Governor Sanders and members of the General Assembly intend to pass good school choice legislation this year. We want to work with our friends to pass legislation that will help Arkansas families without regulating nonpublic school students.”

Cox said many Arkansans are bothered by changes they see in public education. “A lot of families feel like public education has deteriorated over the years, and they don’t like the direction it’s heading. For those families, school choice legislation could give them real alternatives that will help their children succeed. This is a critical issue for families, and our organization plans to address it.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock with a mission of promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values.

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