House Health Committee Passes Good Pro-Life Bill

Abortion, , , ,

On Thursday the House Public Health Committee passed a good bill that would help protect women’s health and clarify Arkansas’ abortion restrictions.

H.B. 1786 by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R – Knoxville) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R – Springdale) is a good, pro-life bill that specifies that abortions performed to save the life of the mother must take place in a hospital or emergency room.

This bill will help clarify Arkansas’ restrictions on abortion, and it will protect women’s health by ensuring that any abortion performed to save the mother’s life takes place in a facility that is properly equipped to handle medical emergencies.

On Thursday afternoon Reps. Jeff Wardlaw and Ryan Rose assisted Rep. Pilkington in presenting H.B. 1786 in the House Public Health Committee. The bill passed quickly on a voice vote.

It now goes to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

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Arkansas Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Bill to Keep Pro-Abortion Groups Out of Public Schools

Abortion, , , ,

On Thursday the Arkansas Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill to help keep pro-abortion groups out of public schools.

S.B. 466 by Sen. Jim Dotson (R – Bentonville) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) says that a public school or open-enrollment public charter school shall not knowingly enter into any type of transaction with an individual or entity that offers or provides abortion referrals.

Arkansas law already prevents schools from contracting with organizations that perform abortions.

Now that Arkansas generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother, state law needs to clarify that public schools won’t contract with pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood that refer women to abortion facilities out of state.

S.B. 466 is a good bill that will help keep public schools from working with pro-abortion organizations in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

The Following Senators Voted For S.B. 466

  • Boyd
  • Bryant
  • Clark
  • Crowell
  • B. Davis
  • Dees
  • J. Dismang
  • J. Dotson
  • English
  • Flippo
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • Johnson, B.
  • Johnson, M.
  • McKee
  • Payton
  • Penzo
  • Petty
  • Rice
  • Stone
  • Stubblefield
  • Sullivan
  • Wallace

The Following Senators Voted Against S.B. 466

  • Chesterfield
  • Flowers
  • Leding
  • Love
  • Murdock
  • Tucker

The Following Senators Did Not Vote

  • Caldwell
  • King

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Committee Advances Religious Freedom Legislation at Arkansas Capitol

Religious Freedom,
From left: Family Council President Jerry Cox discusses the Conscience Protection Act with two of its supporters, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Greg Chafuen and attorney Bob Ballinger of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, outside the House Judiciary Committee.

On Thursday the House Judiciary Committee passed a good bill enhancing protections for religious freedom in Arkansas.

H.B. 1615, the Conscience Protection Act by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch), makes important clarifications to the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

In 2015 Gov. Hutchinson signed Arkansas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law. H.B. 1615 builds upon that good state law to clarify its language wording and help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion.

H.B. 1615 also helps prohibit religious discrimination against individuals, business owners, and organizations that want to follow their deeply held religious convictions.

Christian-owned wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, and florist shops have come under fire in state and federal court in recent years. That is why it is so important for our laws to protect religious liberty.

If enacted, H.B. 1615 would provide Arkansans with some of the best religious freedom protections in the nation.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives for a vote.

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