Lawmakers Kill Bill to Legalize Kratom in Arkansas

Drugs, , ,

On Thursday the House Public Health Committee gave a “Do Not Pass” to a bad bill that would legalize kratom in Arkansas.

“Do Not Pass” means the committee voted not to pass the bill. Committee Chair Rep. Jeff Wardlaw described the motion as a way to “kill a bill.”

S.B. 534 by Sen. Greg Leding (D — Fayetteville) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R — Paris) is a bad bill that would legalize kratom and dangerous extracts made from kratom in Arkansas.

The federal government has advised states to prohibit kratom, and the Arkansas Health Department has done so.

The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,

Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.

S.B. 534 would legalize kratom for sale all over Arkansas. The bill is backed by powerful interests who want to legalize dangerous drugs without any regard for the health or welfare of Arkansans.

During Thursday’s committee meeting, lawmakers heard testimony about how kratom’s dangers, and Rep. Zack Gramlich (R — Fort Smith) made a motion “Do Not Pass” against S.B. 534.

During his comments against the bill, Rep. Gramlich described a seventh-grader who was caught using kratom and trying to sell it to other students at a school in his district a few years ago.

Following discussion, the committee members voted to give S.B. 534 a motion of “Do Not Pass.”

The Arkansas House Public Health Committee did the right thing by soundly rejecting S.B. 534. Kratom is a dangerous drug, and our state has worked hard to protect people from it. We appreciate Rep. Gramlich opposing this bad bill, and we appreciate the committee choosing not to pass it.

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

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House Committee Passes Ultrasound Education Bill

Legislation, , ,

On Thursday the House Education Committee passed a good bill to help teach public school students about unborn children.

S.B. 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Kendra Moore (R — Lincoln) lets public school students see a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video as part of human fetal growth and development education courses.

The bill also lets students learn important facts about how unborn children develop in the womb.

S.B. 450 passed with overwhelming support in the Arkansas Senate last week. Now that the education committee has backed it, the bill can go before the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for a final vote.

As we have said time and again, ultrasound images help demonstrate that unborn children are human beings.

Very few medical advancements have done more to change hearts and minds on abortion than ultrasound technology. In fact, research has shown that some women are less likely to have an abortion if they see an ultrasound image of their unborn child.

S.B. 450 will help teach students that unborn children are living human beings. That is why Family Council is pleased to support this good bill.

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

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Senate Education Committee Rejects Good Bill to Teach Students About Unborn Children

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On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee rejected a good bill that would help teach public school students in Arkansas about unborn children.

H.B. 1946 by Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) requires public schools to provide human growth and development education in grades 6 – 12 every school year.

The bill requires the courses to include a three-minute high-definition ultrasound video and a high-quality, computer animated video depicting the process of fertilization and every stage of fetal development.

Under H.B. 1946, this instruction would be included in biology and sex-education courses.

H.B. 1946 passed with strong support in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Tuesday, and Rep. Bentley presented it to the Senate Education Committee the following morning.

During her remarks, Rep. Bentley noted that there is no known opposition to H.B. 1946, and she asked the committee members to support the bill. However, the bill failed to pass.

H.B. 1946 is the second fetal development education bill to be rejected by the Senate Education Committee. In February the committee failed to pass H.B. 1180, the Baby Olivia Act, by Rep. Bentley and Sen. Penzo. H.B. 1180 would ensure public schools show students a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video that is at least three minutes long as part of sex-education and human growth and development education courses, and it would let students see a video like Live Action’s computer-animated “Meet Baby Olivia” video that teaches about human development from conception to birth.

Although the Senate Education Committee has rejected H.B. 1946 and H.B. 1180, the committee did pass S.B. 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Kendra Moore (R — Lincoln) — a good bill that lets public school students see a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video as part of human fetal growth and development education courses. The bill also lets students learn important facts about how unborn children develop in the womb.

S.B. 450 received strong support in the Arkansas Senate, and it has been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

It’s good to see lawmakers taking such an interest in teaching public school students about unborn children.

Ultrasound technology provides what some people call a “window into the womb” demonstrating that unborn children are living human beings. Good bills like H.B. 1180, S.B. 450, and H.B. 1946 help Arkansas’ students understand that.

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

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