State Legislators Pass Resolution Against Abortion Amendment

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On Wednesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a resolution opposing the abortion amendment currently vying for the ballot.

Lawmakers convened in Little Rock on Monday for a special legislative session.

Arkansans for Limited Government has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters to place the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the November ballot.

H.R. 1003 by Rep. Ryan Rose (R — Van Buren) says:

WHEREAS, prior to the United States Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Arkansas had enacted laws protecting women and unborn children from abortion; and

WHEREAS, from January 22, 1973, to June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade prevented Arkansas from protecting women and unborn children from abortion; and

WHEREAS, on June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision; and

WHEREAS, that same day the State of Arkansas certified that Act 180 of 2019, the Arkansas Human Life Protection Act, prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency is in effect; and

WHEREAS, an effort is now underway to enact the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024; and

WHEREAS, the ballot title of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 states that the amendment prevents the State of Arkansas from prohibiting, penalizing, delaying, or restricting abortion during the first twenty (20) weeks since the first day of the pregnant female’s last menstrual period; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 would legalize abortion on demand during approximately the first five (5) months of pregnancy in Arkansas, thereby depriving unborn children of their fundamental right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 proposes various exceptions that would permit an abortion up until birth in many instances; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 nullifies all laws and amendments that conflict with it, thereby jeopardizing measures such as parental-consent laws that historically have enjoyed bipartisan support; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 also would jeopardize the constitutionality of public health and safety requirements the State of Arkansas might deem appropriate and necessary for abortion procedures and for those who perform abortions,

NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

THAT the House of Representatives oppose the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024, and encourage all registered voters to vote against it.

Below is a list of co-sponsors who supported the resolution.

  • Rep. Achor
  • Rep. Andrews
  • Rep. Beaty Jr.
  • Rep. Bentley
  • Rep. Breaux
  • Rep. K. Brown
  • Rep. M. Brown
  • Rep. Burkes
  • Rep. Cavenaugh
  • Rep. Cooper
  • Rep. Crawford
  • Rep. Duke
  • Rep. Eaves
  • Rep. Evans
  • Rep. C. Fite
  • Rep. Furman
  • Rep. Gonzales
  • Rep. Gramlich
  • Rep. Haak
  • Rep. Hawk
  • Rep. G. Hodges
  • Rep. Hollowell
  • Rep. Long
  • Rep. Lundstrum
  • Rep. J. Mayberry
  • Rep. McClure
  • Rep. McCollum
  • Rep. McGrew
  • Rep. B. McKenzie
  • Rep. McNair
  • Rep. S. Meeks
  • Rep. Milligan
  • Rep. J. Moore
  • Rep. K. Moore
  • Rep. Painter
  • Rep. Pilkington
  • Rep. Puryear
  • Rep. Ray
  • Rep. R. Scott Richardson
  • Rep. Steimel
  • Rep. Tosh
  • Rep. Underwood
  • Rep. Unger
  • Rep. Vaught
  • Rep. Watson
  • Rep. Wing
  • Rep. Wooten

The Arkansas Abortion Amendment would write abortion into the state constitution, allowing thousands of elective abortions in Arkansas every year.

The amendment does not contain any medical licensing or health and safety standards for abortion, and it automatically nullifies all state laws that conflict with the amendment. That jeopardizes even the most basic restrictions on abortion.

The measure contains sweeping health exceptions that would permit abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in many cases.

The amendment also would pave the way for publicly funded abortion in Arkansas by changing Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution that currently prohibits taxpayer funded abortion in the state.

To date, multiple organizations have come out against the amendment, including:

  • Arkansas Right to Life
  • Family Council Action Committee
  • Choose Life Arkansas
  • NWA Coalition for Life
  • The Arkansas Committee For Ethics Policy
  • The Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
  • Saline Decline to Sign
  • Stronger Arkansas
  • Stop Abortion On Demand
  • Students for Life of America

You can download a copy of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment here.

You can read H.R. 1003 here.

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Experts Concerned About Increased Marijuana Use Among Teens

Marijuana,

Researchers report marijuana use among teenagers is up nearly 250% since the year 2000, and teens are turning to marijuana over alcohol — neither of which is good for developing brains.

Below is a recent report from WGGB News out of Massachusetts.

A growing body of scientific evidence reveals that marijuana is harmful.

Researchers have found teens who use marijuana are 11 times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder.

Marijuana use is closely linked with depression and bipolar disorder and higher rates of schizophrenia in young men.

A recent study by the American Heart Association found that marijuana users face increased risk of heart attack and stroke compared to non-users.

Women who often smoke marijuana are at significantly higher risk of death from heart disease compared to women who do not use marijuana.

Marijuana smoke contains toxins and carcinogens similar to tobacco smoke.

Right now the group Arkansans for Patient Access is actively working to drastically expand marijuana in Arkansas.

The group has until July 5 to collect 90,704 petition signatures from registered voters to place the marijuana amendment on the ballot.

If passed, the amendment would give free marijuana cards to immigrants and out-of-state residents who come to Arkansas to use marijuana.

The amendment would guarantee marijuana growers and sellers a monopoly over the state’s marijuana industry.

Marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier to use marijuana recreationally.

The measure also fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana products can contain, and it repeals restrictions on marijuana advertising.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in the state.

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

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Marijuana Campaign Employs Hundreds of Paid Canvassers

Marijuana,

The campaign to expand marijuana in Arkansas continues to employ hundreds of paid petition canvassers, according to public documents Family Council Action Committee obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

On Tuesday, Family Council Action Committee published the list of paid petition canvasser on its website. Under Arkansas law, paid petition canvassers must be residents of Arkansas. They must pass a criminal background check, and their information must be properly recorded with the Secretary of State.

Arkansans for Patient Access has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters. The group has raised and spent more than $1.1 million their amendment campaign this year, according to reports filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

Among other things, the marijuana amendment fails to limit the amount of THC that marijuana and marijuana products can contain.

Marijuana users would no longer need to show they suffer from a specific medical condition listed in state law — making it easier for people to use marijuana recreationally.

The amendment lets people grow and use marijuana at home, and it would openly legalize marijuana in Arkansas if federal laws against marijuana are repealed.

The measure also repeals significant restrictions on marijuana advertising in Arkansas.

All of this would lead to more marijuana in Arkansas.

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

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