Attorney General Rutledge Asks Court to Let Arkansas Enforce Pro-Life Laws

Abortion, , ,

Last week Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office filed arguments asking the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to let the state enforce three pro-life laws the legislature passed last year:

  • Act 493 of 2019, prohibiting abortion after the eighteenth week of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.
  • Act 619 of 2019, prohibiting abortion of an unborn baby solely because the child has Down Syndrome.
  • Act 700 of 2019, requiring abortion doctors to be board certified or board eligible OB/GYNs.

These laws passed with overwhelming support from state lawmakers, but abortionists filed a lawsuit last June to have the laws overturned.

As a result, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued an injunction blocking the state from enforcing the laws. Attorney General Rutledge’s office has asked the Eighth Circuit to vacate Judge Baker’s injunction.

In last week’s arguments, the A.G.’s office noted that Judge Baker’s injunction “prohibited Arkansas from pursuing three goals: reducing brutal, late-term abortions; outlawing discriminatory abortions that devalue people already living with Down Syndrome; and protecting women from incompetent abortion practitioners.”

As I’ve said many times, I don’t know of any attorney general in America who is doing more to fight for the right to life than Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.

Her team has tirelessly defended good laws like these, and I am confident that Arkansas will win some big, pro-life victories in federal court.

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Eureka Springs City Council Approves “Semi-Permanent” Public Drinking District

Alcohol, Public Drinking,

According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Eureka Springs City Council voted 4-2 last week to allow public drinking downtown at certain times of the week.

Act 812 of 2019 by Sen. Trent Garner (R – El Dorado) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) lets cities create “entertainment districts” where alcohol can be carried and consumed publicly on streets and sidewalks.

The Eureka Springs ordinance creating a public drinking district will expire in September — giving the city council an opportunity to revisit the issue.

As we have said before, public drinking is a scourge on the community.

It raises serious concerns about drunk driving and public safety.

Public drinking doesn’t attract new businesses or bolster the economy.

It hurts neighborhoods and families.

That’s why Family Council has put together a free toolkit to help citizens oppose these public drinking districts.

Our toolkit contains talking points, information about problems public drinking has caused in other states, photographs of public drinking districts elsewhere around the country, and other resources you can use to fight public drinking in your community.

Click here to download our free toolkit.

Photo by Photolitherland at English Wikipedia [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]

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