House Committee Passes Measure Protecting Children from Adult Performances

Decency, Legislature, , ,

On Wednesday the House City, County, and Local Affairs Committee passed a measure to protect children from adult performances.

S.B. 43 by Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) prohibits adult-oriented performances on public property, with public funding, or in view of minors.

The bill defines “adult-oriented performance” as a sexual performance that includes nudity, sexual activities, or exposure of specific body parts. The bill also contains language about exposure of prosthetic private parts to protect children from explicit drag performances.

S.B. 43 previously prohibited drag performances on public property or in view of children. It was amended in the House committee on Wednesday to apply more broadly to sexual performances and to prohibit public funding of those performances.

The bill will go to the Arkansas House of Representatives for a vote next week. If passed, it will go back to the Arkansas Senate for a vote as well.

You Can Read S.B. 43 Here.

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Senate Passes Bill Requiring Porn Sites to Verify Users are 18+

Decency, Legislation, ,

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed a measure requiring pornographic websites to verify that users are 18 or older.

S.B. 66 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) requires pornographic websites to use a digital ID, government-issued ID, or another commercially available age verification process to protect children from pornography.

The measure — which is similar to a law Louisiana recently enacted — passed without any opposition in the Arkansas Senate.

Under this bill, pornographic websites would rely on an ID like an Arkansas driver’s licenses or a third-party ID-verification system to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.

Websites that violate S.B. 66 would be held liable under the law.

Pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems, and in the past 30 years it has become available at unprecedented levels as a result of technology.

S.B. 66 helps address this problem in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives.

The Following Senators Voted FOR S.B. 66

  • J. Boyd
  • J. Bryant
  • Caldwell
  • L. Chesterfield
  • A. Clark
  • Crowell
  • B. Davis
  • Dees
  • J. Dotson
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Johnson
  • B. King
  • G. Leding
  • F. Love
  • M. McKee
  • R. Murdock
  • J. Payton
  • C. Penzo
  • J. Petty
  • Rice
  • G. Stubblefield
  • D. Sullivan
  • C. Tucker
  • D. Wallace

The Following Senators Were Excused From Voting

  • J. Dismang
  • S. Flowers
  • Stone

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State Lawmakers Pass Bill That Could Expand Public Drinking in Arkansas

Alcohol, Public Drinking,

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed a measure that could expand public drinking across the state.

H.B. 1024 by Rep. David Ray (R – Maumelle) and Sen. Matt McKee (R – Pearcy) eliminates the provision in Arkansas law that restricts public drinking in “entertainment districts” to cities and towns that collect advertising and promotion taxes on hotels, restaurants, and similar businesses.

The tax provision in current law helps restrict “entertainment districts” to cities and towns where the hospitality and tourism industry is present.

Under H.B. 1024, communities could authorize public drinking in entertainment districts even if the community does not cater toward hospitality and tourism.

That has the potential to expand public drinking across the state.

The bill previously passed the Arkansas House of Representatives. It now goes to Governor Sanders’ desk.

The Following Senators Voted FOR H.B. 1024

  • J. Boyd
  • J. Bryant
  • Caldwell
  • L. Chesterfield
  • Crowell
  • B. Davis
  • Dees
  • J. Dotson
  • J. English
  • Gilmore
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • M. Johnson
  • B. King
  • G. Leding
  • F. Love
  • M. McKee
  • R. Murdock
  • C. Penzo
  • D. Sullivan
  • C. Tucker
  • D. Wallace

The Following Senators Voted AGAINST H.B. 1024

  • A. Clark
  • K. Hammer

The Following Senators Voted “Present”

  • J. Payton
  • J. Petty

The Following Senators Did Not Vote

  • Flippo
  • B. Johnson
  • Rice
  • G. Stubblefield

The Following Senators Were Excused From Voting on H.B. 1024

  • J. Dismang
  • S. Flowers
  • Stone

The Following State Representatives Voted FOR H.B. 1024

  • Achor
  • Andrews
  • Barker
  • Beaty Jr.
  • Bentley
  • M. Berry
  • S. Berry
  • Breaux
  • Brooks
  • K. Brown
  • M. Brown
  • Burkes
  • Joey Carr
  • John Carr
  • Cavenaugh
  • Clowney
  • A. Collins
  • C. Cooper
  • Cozart
  • Crawford
  • Dalby
  • Eaves
  • Ennett
  • Eubanks
  • Evans
  • D. Ferguson
  • K. Ferguson
  • C. Fite
  • L. Fite
  • V. Flowers
  • Fortner
  • Furman
  • D. Garner
  • Gazaway
  • Gonzales
  • Gramlich
  • Haak
  • Hawk
  • D. Hodges
  • G. Hodges
  • Hollowell
  • Hudson
  • L. Johnson
  • Ladyman
  • Long
  • Lundstrum
  • Lynch
  • Maddox
  • Magie
  • McAlindon
  • McCollum
  • McCullough
  • M. McElroy
  • McGrew
  • B. McKenzie
  • S. Meeks
  • Miller
  • J. Moore
  • K. Moore
  • Nicks
  • Painter
  • Pearce
  • Perry
  • Pilkington
  • Puryear
  • Ray
  • J. Richardson
  • Richmond
  • Rose
  • Rye
  • Schulz
  • Scott
  • R. Scott Richardson
  • T. Shephard
  • Springer
  • Steimel
  • Tosh
  • Underwood
  • Unger
  • Vaught
  • Wardlaw
  • Warren
  • Watson
  • D. Whitaker
  • Wing
  • Womack
  • Wooldridge

The Following State Representatives Voted AGAINST H.B. 1024

  • Duke
  • J. Mayberry
  • McNair
  • Milligan
  • Walker
  • Wooten

The Following State Representative Voted “Present” on H.B. 1024

  • McClure

The Following State Representatives Did Not Vote

  • F. Allen
  • Beck
  • Duffield
  • Holcomb
  • Jean
  • Mr. Speaker

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