Governor Invites Churches, Faith Leaders to Participate in Pilot Program to Address Poverty in Arkansas

Religion, ,

On Monday, Governor Sanders announced a pilot program that will partner with Arkansas’ faith and business communities to address poverty and other challenges in Arkansas.

The 10:33 Initiative by Governor Sanders’ Office of Faith-Based Initiatives is designed to “lift Arkansans out of poverty and improve their long-term self-sufficiency by connecting them with faith and community partners who can meet their immediate needs and help guide them toward a prosperous future.”

The name is taken from Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:33.

The 10:33 Initiative will start with a 12-month pilot program in Pulaski, Union, and Pope counties.

The initiative will utilize Restore Hope’s HopeHub, which is a data-sharing platform that connects people in need of assistance with faith and community partners who can help meet those needs. The program will also help meet long-term goals like connecting people with job opportunities, training, and career guidance.

In a statement, Governor Sanders called the 10:33 Initiative “a groundbreaking project carefully curated to give Arkansans a hand up, not a handout.”

We have written many times how Americans often do not fully appreciate how much churches do for their communities. Nationwide, researchers estimate that churches, ministries, and religious charities provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of services every year. We are glad Governor Sanders recognizes that churches and faith leaders are a resource that can help address many of the problems our communities face.

Arkansans interested in knowing more about the 10:33 Initiative can contact Morgan Warbington at the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives by emailing morgan.warbington@governor.arkansas.gov.

A one-page informational flyer about the 10:33 Initiative is also available here.

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

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Marijuana May Harm Fertility, Cause Chromosome Errors: New Study

Marijuana

New research shows that marijuana use may harm female fertility and increase chromosome errors.

The study published last month in Nature Communications looked at health data from women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Researchers found that THC — the main active substance in marijuana — can disrupt egg cell growth, alter important genes, and cause problems with chromosomes.

Women with THC in their system had fewer healthy embryos during IVF compared to women without THC, and eggs exposed to THC were more likely to develop chromosome errors.

This study adds to a growing body of research that shows marijuana is harmful to women and unborn children.

Unfortunately, marijuana use during pregnancy has been shown time and time again to hurt unborn children and newborns.

More generally, marijuana has been tied to a number of deadly heart problems — including heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. In fact, researchers now say marijuana use doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease. Experts also have found heavy marijuana use is strongly linked to a 325% increased risk of oral cancer.

All of this should be significant to Arkansans, because marijuana industry insiders worked unsuccessfully to expand marijuana in Arkansas via the state’s ballot initiative process in 2022 and 2024. Fortunately, neither of those measures passed.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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


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Arkansas Students Are Protected Against Compelled Pronoun Use by Good State Laws

Religious Freedom, , ,

A student in northwest Arkansas recently faced pressure at school to use “they/them” pronouns for classmates who claimed not to be male or female. When she declined, she was pressured to do so by other students.  She was concerned that the school administration might punish her for refusing to comply.  

Stephanie Nichols, director of our Arkansas Justice Institute, was able to help. Stephanie explained that three laws safeguard the student’s right to stand firm in her faith and refuse to use pronouns that recognize any gender that is different from the person’s sex at birth.  These laws are:  

  • The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 
  • The Arkansas Religious Freedom Restoration Act 
  • The Arkansas Given Name Act (Act 542 of 2023)

The Given Name Act, sponsored by Rep. Wayne Long and Sen. Mark Johnson, directly addresses this issue. It states: “A student shall not be subject to any disciplinary action for declining to address a person using a name other than the name listed on the person’s birth certificate; or pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the person’s biological sex.”

Thanks to these laws, this student was on solid legal ground. This case is a clear example of why the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Arkansas Given Name Act—laws that Family Council worked hard to pass—are producing such good results today. And now, through the Arkansas Justice Institute, our attorney Stephanie Nichols is able to show families exactly how to use these protections to defend their rights and freedoms. 

Thankfully, through the good work of the Arkansas legislature and the generous gifts of our supporters, students in Arkansas are on solid footing with regard to their free speech rights and freedom of religion rights in our public schools.

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