Banking on Freedom: Bill Blocks State Investments Linked to China
Legislation filed at the Arkansas Capitol last week would prevent some state funds from being invested in organizations associated with China.
The state legislature has worked repeatedly to protect Arkansans from the Chinese Communist Party and entities closely tied to it.
For example, in 2023 lawmakers passed Act 636 to prohibit a “foreign-party controlled business” from acquiring public or private land in Arkansas. The law helps prevent companies owned or controlled by the CCP from buying property in Arkansas — such as Arkansas’ farmland.
In July of 2020 FBI Director Christopher Wray gave a report on the threat China poses, saying, “If you are an American adult, it is more likely than not that China has stolen your personal data.”
In 2021 the U.S. Senate passed a measure intended to clamp down on Chinese propaganda on America’s college campuses.
And in 2022 U.S. Sen. Cotton sent a letter to state and county officials warning them, “I have good reason to believe that the Chinese Communist Party may seek to enlist state and local officials to influence my actions in Congress.”
From forced abortion and organ harvesting to “reeducation camps” and subverting free speech, China’s track record has been abysmal — and many Americans are concerned.
H.B. 1323 by Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R — Centerton) prohibits Arkansas’ public pension and retirement system from investing in entities closely connected with the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party.
The measure does not affect private investments.
The bill could help Arkansas avoid financial ties with companies affiliated with the Chinese government and China’s communist party. You Can Read H.B. 1323 Here.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
Louisiana Grand Jury Indicts New York Doctor for Prescribing Abortion Pills
On Friday the Associated Press reported a Louisiana grand jury indicted a doctor from New York for illegally prescribing abortion drugs in Louisiana.
Louisiana law prohibits abortion, and it generally is illegal to deliver abortion drugs into Louisiana from out of state.
The AP says the case appears to be the first time criminal charges have been filed against a doctor for illegally sending abortion drugs across state lines since Roe‘s reversal in 2022.
Abortion-inducing drugs take the life of an unborn child. They also carry significant health risks for women — including risks of sepsis and death. In some cases, abortion drugs actually can be more dangerous for women than surgical abortion procedures. That is why states like Arkansas have prohibited the delivery of abortion drugs from out of state.
Last year Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued cease-and-desist letters to New York companies advertising abortion pills in Arkansas. The letters alleged the companies were violating Arkansas law. The A.G.’s office reported that the advertisements for abortion pills stopped as a result of their cease-and-desist.
However, NPR reported last year that lawmakers in some pro-abortion states have enacted “shield laws” to protect abortionists who ship abortion drugs across state lines. The shield laws give abortionists immunity from civil or criminal liability and prevent them from being extradited to the state where the abortion drugs were sent.
The AP reports that New York has a shield law protecting abortionists. Louisiana’s grand jury indictment could directly test the law’s constitutionality. That could shape how states like Arkansas enforce pro-life laws in the future.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.