Following Committee Testimony, Senator Pulls Down Hemp Bill

Marijuana, ,

On Thursday Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) pulled down a bill regarding THC made from industrial hemp following committee testimony over the measure and concerns raised by committee members.

In 2018, Congress passed the federal Agriculture Improvement Act legalizing industrial hemp — or cannabis — in America.

The goal was to make it possible for farmers to grow cannabis that is low in THC for use in textiles like rope or cloth. But manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the little bit of THC in industrial hemp. Doing this on a commercial scale means they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.

In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) prohibiting THC made from industrial hemp. The law also contains a regulatory framework for hemp products if its THC ban is struck down in court.

Unfortunately, Act 629 has been tied up in federal court for quite some time, but attorneys expect a ruling in the case very soon.

S.B. 455 by Sen. Bryant would allow the sale of THC made from hemp if Act 629 is ruled unconstitutional. Under this bill, food, drinks, and similar products containing as much as 50mg of THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids could be sold to adults in Arkansas.

On Thursday the Senate Agriculture Committee met to consider S.B. 455. During committee testimony, members of the Arkansas Attorney General’s staff and others raised questions and concerns about unintended consequences that S.B. 455 could have.

After discussing the bill, Sen. Bryant chose to pull S.B. 455 down. Pulling the bill down gives the bill’s sponsors an opportunity to consider ways to amend the bill to address questions or concerns raised about it in committee.

THC manufactured from industrial hemp poses a serious threat to public health and public safety in Arkansas, and it is important for the state to do everything it can to protect families from these drugs.

Family Council appreciates the Senate Agriculture Committee taking this issue seriously, and we deeply appreciate Sen. Bryant’s willingness to consider the questions and concerns raised during Thursday’s committee testimony.

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

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Arkansas Senate Passes Bill to Protect Women and Children from Abortion Drugs

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On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed a good bill clarifying that abortion by fraud is a crime in Arkansas.

Right now abortion in Arkansas is generally prohibited except to save the life of the mother, and it is illegal to deliver abortion-inducing drugs into the state. Arkansas also has laws prohibiting fetal homicide.

However, Arkansas has no specific law addressing situations in which a person secretly gives abortion drugs like RU-486 to a pregnant woman.

H.B. 1551 by Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R — Paragould) makes it a felony to try to kill an unborn child by secretly giving a pregnant woman abortion-inducing drugs without her knowledge or consent.

In 2022 abortion drugs were secretly placed in Catherine Herring’s water in order to cause the death of her unborn child.

Ms. Herring suffered serious health complications and had to be hospitalized as a result. Since then, states have begun proposing laws like H.B. 1551 to prevent this type of crime.

H.B. 1551 is a good bill that will help protect women and unborn children from dangerous abortion drugs. It passed the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate without a single lawmaker voting against it. The bill now goes to the governor to be signed into law.

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

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Arkansas House Passes Bill to Address Deceptive, Misleading Ballot Measures

Legislation,

On Wednesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a measure to help clarify state law concerning deceptively worded ballot measures.

The Arkansas Constitution lets canvassers circulate petitions to place measures on a general election ballot. Its original intent was to give citizens a way to function as a “legislative body.” Unfortunately, powerful special interests have used the initiative process to put flawed, misleading, and deceptive measures on the ballot in Arkansas.

H.B. 1713 by Rep. Ryan Rose (R — Van Buren) and Sen. Mark Johnson (R — Little Rock) requires ballot initiative titles to be written at or below an eighth grade reading level.

A ballot title is supposed to accurately summarize a measure so voters can decide if they support or oppose it. If a ballot title is misleading, complicated, or poorly written, voters may not understand what a measure would do.

H.B. 1713 is similar to legislation enacted in other states to help make sure ballot titles are easy for voters to read and understand. This will help address deceptive or misleading ballot initiatives in Arkansas.

Arkansas’ ballot initiative process has become the opposite of what it was intended to be, and if lawmakers do not act soon, the problem is simply going to get worse.

H.B. 1713 now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

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

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