Arkansas Legislature Will Convene Budget Session On Valentine’s Day

Legislature

The Arkansas Legislature will convene its 2022 fiscal session on Valentine’s Day — in less than two weeks.

In 2008 voters approved Amendment 86 to the Arkansas Constitution authorizing the General Assembly to convene in even-numbered years to approve the state’s annual budget.

During odd-numbered years, lawmakers approve the state’s annual budget, but they also propose legislation amending Arkansas’ laws.

During a budget session like the one coming up on February 14, 2022, Amendment 86 lets lawmakers take up regular legislation if 2/3 of the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate first approve a resolution authorizing introduction of a non-budget measure.

That means introducing pro-life legislation or other non-appropriation measures during a budget session first requires 67 out of 100 votes in the Arkansas House of Representatives and 24 out of 35 votes in the Arkansas Senate.

Our team is not aware of any successful effort to introduce a non-appropriation measure during a budget session since the Arkansas Legislature convened its first budget session in 2010.

Lawmakers can introduce and pass budget proposals spending taxpayer funds with a simple majority vote.

This year we really want to see lawmakers approve a state budget that will provide taxpayer funding to pregnancy resource centers.

This is something that our team has worked toward since 2018.

Many states earmark money in their budgets to provide alternatives to abortion. Oftentimes this funding comes directly from the federal government. The money can go to pregnancy resource centers that provide resources to women with unplanned pregnancies.

Pregnancy resource centers are on the front lines in the fight to provide women with options besides abortion. Many offer everything from adoption referrals to maternity clothes and diapers to ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, and counseling services—all free of charge.

Funding from the state can help them provide even more services to women and families in their communities.

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

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Legislature Passes Measures Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates

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On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed H.B. 1977 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger, and the Arkansas House passed S.B. 739 by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Joshua Bryant.

The two bills are virtually identical.

Both of them require employers to provide certain exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Under these measures, if an employer mandates COVID-19 vaccines, employees who decline to receive the vaccine could instead provide a negative COVID test to their employer on a regular basis or provide proof of natural immunity from a healthcare provider.

You can read H.B. 1977 here.

You can read S.B. 739 here.

Both bills have passed in the entire Arkansas Legislature. The next step is for one or both of them to go to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

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Arkansas House Considers Bills Addressing Vaccine Mandates

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Sen. Johnson presents S.B. 732 in committee.

On Tuesday the House Public Health Committee and the Arkansas House of Representatives considered different pieces of legislation addressing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

On Tuesday morning, the House Public Health Committee failed to pass S.B. 732 by Sen. Blake Johnson.

S.B. 732 prohibits coercing another person into receiving a COVID-19 vaccine if the person has a religious, philosophical, or medical objection to the vaccine. The bill is similar to current Arkansas law regarding immunization mandates and exemptions for students.

The bill previously passed the Arkansas Senate, but failed to pass the House Public Health Committee on Tuesday. You Can Read S.B. 732 Here.

The House Public Health Committee passed S.B. 739 by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Joshua Bryant.

S.B. 739 requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. You Can Read The Bill Here.

S.B. 739 previously passed the Arkansas Senate. It now goes to the entire House of Representatives for consideration.

On Tuesday, the Arkansas House of Representatives passed H.B. 1977 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger.

H.B. 1977 passed the House Public Health Committee last week. The bill is virtually identical to S.B. 739.

H.B. 1977 requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. You Can Read H.B. 1977 Here. You Can See How Your State Representative Voted on H.B. 1977 Here.

H.B. 1977 now goes to the Arkansas Senate, where it likely will be referred to the Senate Public Health Committee.

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