Arkansas Named Most Pro-Life State in America for the Sixth Year in a Row
Little Rock, Ark. – On Monday Americans United for Life announced Arkansas is the most pro-life state in America for the sixth year in a row. The pro-life organization ranks all fifty states based on state laws protecting the unborn, the elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill.
Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “Today Americans United for Life recognized the many pro-life laws and policies our state has enacted over the years. Arkansans should be proud of their state legislators for passing the best laws in the nation when it comes to protecting unborn children, the elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill. That’s something to celebrate.”
Cox pointed out that most Arkansans are pro-life and do not support abortion on demand. “Long before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Arkansas’ abortion rate had plummeted to historic lows. Public opinion polling has shown for years that Arkansans do not support abortion on demand, and more than forty pregnancy resource centers around the state help women and girls with unexpected pregnancies. Arkansas is the nation’s most pro-life state, because Arkansans themselves are deeply pro-life.”
Cox noted that making Arkansas a pro-life state has taken a lot of work by many different people. “Arkansas Right to Life has been defending human life for fifty years, and Family Council has been at it for nearly thirty-seven. Arkansas’ General Assembly has passed at least sixty-five good, pro-life measures since 2011. Ministers, churches, elected officials, pregnancy resource centers, and everyday Arkansans all have worked tirelessly to make Arkansas the pro-life state that it is today. Being pro-life is about much more than opposing abortion. Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned and abortion in Arkansas is prohibited except to save the life of the mother, the pro-life movement in Arkansas has entered a new phase. We are focused on helping women and families with unexpected pregnancies, and we are making sure our laws respect and protect innocent human life at every stage from conception until natural death. We look forward to continuing that pro-life mission in 2026.”
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141 Arkansas Students Enrolled to Study Bible Academically at School this Semester
Data from the Arkansas Department of Education shows 141 public school students have enrolled in courses to study the Bible academically this semester.
Act 1440 of 2013 and Act 1016 of 2019 let public schools offer elective, academic courses on “the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, culture, and politics.”
The law says the course must be objective and nonsectarian, and it must meet the same academic standards as other elective courses offered in public schools. Anyone wishing to teach the course must be licensed to teach in the State of Arkansas.
According to the Arkansas Department of Education’s academic framework for the classes, the course is offered as a one-semester elective in which students learn about the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, and culture.
Over the past 12 years, different school districts in the state have chosen to offer academic courses on the Bible under state law. New data from the Arkansas Department of Education shows at least 141 public school students have enrolled in elective, academic courses on the Bible at 13 schools so far for the 2025-2026 school year.
It’s good that Arkansas lets students learn about the Bible at school. After all, no single book has been more influential on our civilization. Of course, Christians believe the Bible is meant to be learned and lived out in daily life. Still, studying the Bible academically is a great opportunity.
Below is a list of school districts offering courses on the Bible this semester.
| SCHOOL DISTRICT | COURSE | NUMBER OF STUDENTS |
| SEARCY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 27 |
| VAN BUREN SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 24 |
| SOUTH SIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Van Buren) | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 17 |
| NETTLETON SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 16 |
| MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 13 |
| MARMADUKE SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 11 |
| FORDYCE SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 7 |
| LONOKE SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 7 |
| DEWITT SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 5 |
| SOUTH CONWAY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 4 |
| DES ARC SCHOOL DISTRICT | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 4 |
| ACADEMICS PLUS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 4 |
| PREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS OF ARKANSAS | Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit) | 2 |
| Total | 141 |
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.