Arkansas House of Representatives Passes Good Bill Clarifying State Abortion Laws

Abortion, , , ,

On Thursday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a good bill clarifying Arkansas’ laws concerning abortion.

State law currently prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency.

H.B. 1610 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R — Texarkana) would clarify the definition of “medical emergency” in state law.

The bill would strengthen legal protections for doctors who treat pregnant women, and it would close loopholes in the current abortion law — making it clear that abortion in Arkansas is prohibited except to save the mother’s life.

Arkansas has been named the most pro-life state in America, and over the years lawmakers have enacted dozens of good measures protecting women and unborn children from abortion — including laws that generally prohibit abortion except to save the life of the mother.

H.B. 1610 is a good bill that would bring better clarity to Arkansas’ abortion laws and make it easier for the state to continue protecting innocent human life.

Out of the 100 state representatives who serve in the Arkansas House, 96 voted for H.B. 1610. Nobody voted against the bill.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

Below is part of Rep. Lundstrum’s testimony in support of H.B. 1610.

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

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Ministers, Church Leaders Gather for Pastors’ Day at the Capitol

Church Ambassador Network, ,

On Thursday ministers and church leaders from across Arkansas gathered for Pastors’ Day at the Capitol.

Family Council and its Church Ambassador Network initiative sponsored this excellent event.

Pastors’ Day at the Capitol gives church leaders and opportunity to worship in the capitol rotunda, hear from elected officials, and pray over the state’s policymakers — and it’s one of the best things we do all year.

The Church Ambassador Network is a nonpartisan initiative of Family Council designed to build relationships between ministry leaders and community leaders. Our goal is for elected officials to see churches as a resource that can address many of the problems that communities face. This year the Church Ambassador Network has hosted different meetings between ministers and elected officials to help further that goal.

We are pleased to bring ministers and elected officials together for this excellent event, and we look forward to hosting other gatherings with ministers and elected officials in the near future.

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

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House Committee Backs Bills to Curb Petition Fraud in Arkansas

Legislation,

On Wednesday the House State Agencies Committee passed two bills to address petition fraud and misleading ballot measures in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Constitution lets canvassers circulate petitions to place measures on a general election ballot. But in recent years Arkansas’ ballot initiative process has become the opposite of what it was intended to be.

Instead of giving citizens a way to function as a “legislative body,” powerful special interests have used the initiative process to buy their way to the ballot by hiring aggressive petition canvassers or spending millions of dollars on deceptive advertising for misleading measures.

S.B. 209 is a good bill by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs). It clarifies that the signatures a canvasser collects will not count if the Secretary of State finds the canvasser has violated Arkansas’ laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, or fraud in the process of gathering signatures.

S.B. 210 — also by Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) — is a good bill that requires people to read the ballot title of the measure before signing a petition. The ballot title includes a summary of the ballot measure. Reading the ballot title helps ensure people understand the measure before they sign a petition to place the measure on the ballot. Read The Bill Here.

The Arkansas Senate passed both measures in February. Following lengthy testimony, the House State Agencies Committee passed S.B. 209 and S.B. 210 on Wednesday.

S.B. 209 and S.B. 210 are good bills that will help address petition fraud in Arkansas and protect voters from misleading ballot measures. Both bills now go to the entire House of Representatives for consideration.

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

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