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Lawmakers Continue Filing Bills to Expand Alcohol in Arkansas

Mar 15, 2023Jerry CoxAlcohol, Legislature, Public DrinkingAlcohol, Arkansas Legislature

Alcohol expansion continues to be a major topic at the Arkansas Legislature.

This year, lawmakers have filed multiple bills amending and expanding the state’s alcohol laws.

For example, S.B. 411 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) and Rep. Matt Brown (R – Conway) more than doubles the percentage of alcohol by weight that beer can contain under Arkansas law.

Current law says beer can contain no more than 5% alcohol by weight. S.B. 411 raises that limit to 12% alcohol by weight. This could drastically increase the alcohol content of beer sold in Arkansas.

H.B. 1589 by Rep. Jay Richardson (D – Fort Smith) repeals Arkansas’ limit on the number of alcohol wholesaler permits in the state. Repealing this limit could expand the number of wholesalers selling alcohol in Arkansas.

H.B. 1498 by Rep. Matt Brown (R – Conway) and Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) would expand alcohol at microbrewery-restaurant private clubs and let municipalities authorize public drinking in entertainment districts outside microbrewery-restaurant private clubs. The bill passed the Arkansas House last week, and is in the Arkansas Senate this week.

The Arkansas Legislature has already passed Act 34 of 2023 by Rep. David Ray (R – Maumelle) and Sen. Matt McKee (R – Pearcy) letting cities and towns that do not collect advertising and promotion taxes on hotels and restaurants establish entertainment districts where public drinking is legal. This has the potential to expand public drinking in Arkansas by letting communities authorize public drinking in entertainment districts even if the community does not cater toward hospitality and tourism. Another new law — Act 169 of 2023 by Rep. David Ray (R – Maumelle) and Sen. Justin Boyd (R – Fort Smith) — would expand alcohol sales via microbreweries.

Alcohol is readily available in Arkansas. At this point, any law expanding its availability or consumption raises serious concerns about DUI offenses, crime, public health, and public safety.

That is why Family Council generally opposes the expansion of alcohol in Arkansas.

Updated: Arkansas House Passes Bill Protecting Children From Internet Pornography

Mar 14, 2023Jerry CoxLegislatureArkansas Legislature, Child Welfare, Obscenity, Pornography

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed legislation to help protect children from pornography online.

S.B. 66 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) requires pornographic websites to implement an age verification process to protect children from pornography.

This good bill passed with nearly unanimous support in the Arkansas Senate last month, and it received unanimous approval in the House Rules Committee as well.

S.B. 66 requires pornographic websites to verify users are 18 or older using a government-issued ID or another commercially available age-verification method.

In practice, this means porn sites would rely on IDs like a driver’s license to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.

Websites that violate S.B. 66 could be held liable under the law.

Similar legislation has been offered in other states.

Technology has given children unprecedented access to pornography. Among other things, pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems.

S.B. 66 would help address this problem in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for concurrence in amendments made to the bill, and then to Governor Sanders to be signed into law.

The Following Representatives Voted For S.B. 66

Achor
Andrews
Barker
Beaty Jr.
Beck
Bentley
M. Berry
S. Berry
Breaux
Brooks
K. Brown
M. Brown
Burkes
Joey Carr
John Carr
Cavenaugh
C. Cooper
Cozart
Crawford
Dalby
Duffield
Duke
Eaves
Eubanks
Evans
C. Fite
L. Fite
Fortner
Furman
Gazaway
Gonzales
Haak
Hawk
D. Hodges
G. Hodges
Holcomb
Hollowell
Jean
L. Johnson
Ladyman
Long
Lundstrum
Lynch
Maddox
J. Mayberry
McAlindon
McCollum
M. McElroy
McGrew
B. McKenzie
McNair
S. Meeks
Milligan
J. Moore
K. Moore
Painter
Pearce
Pilkington
Puryear
Ray
Richmond
Rose
Rye
Schulz
R. Scott Richardson
Steimel
Tosh
Underwood
Unger
Vaught
Walker
Wardlaw
Warren
Wing
Womack
Wooldridge
Wooten

The Following Representatives Voted Against S.B. 66

Ennett
Hudson
Perry
Springer

The Following Representatives Voted “Present” on S.B. 66

F. Allen
Clowney
A. Collins
D. Ferguson
V. Flowers
D. Garner
Magie
McCullough
Nicks
J. Richardson
Scott
T. Shephard
Watson
D. Whitaker

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

K. Ferguson
Gramlich*
McClure
Miller
Speaker Matthew Shepherd

*Rep. Gramlich was absent on Tuesday, and granted leave by Speaker Shepherd.

A previous version of this article said the bill was sent to Gov. Sanders to be signed into law. The bill must first go back to the Arkansas Senate for the senators to concur in amendments made to the bill in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Senate Committee Unanimously Passes Bill to Prohibit Delta-8 THC in Arkansas

Mar 14, 2023Jerry CoxMarijuanaArkansas Legislature, Marijuana

On Tuesday the Senate Agriculture Committee unanimously passed a bill that would prohibit Delta-8 THC under state law.

S.B. 358 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) would prevent Delta-8 THC from being manufactured via industrial hemp, and it would place Delta-8, Delta-9, and Delta-10 THC on the list of controlled substances in state law.

THC is the primary psychoactive substance found in marijuana.

State and federal laws generally prohibit Delta-9 THC, which has led some people to argue that other variants of THC — such as Delta-8 THC — are somehow legal under state or federal law.

Delta-8 THC is a mind-altering substance, and Arkansas law does not adequately prohibit it.

S.B. 358 is a good bill that will clarify Arkansas’ drug laws and help protect children from dangerous marijuana products.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for consideration.

Read S.B. 358 Here.