Arkansans Believe Abortion Should Be Illegal: Survey

Abortion, , , ,

A recent survey by Pew Research Center shows most Arkansans believe abortion should be illegal.

Over the years, public opinion polling has shown time and again that most Arkansans are pro-life and strongly oppose abortion on demand.

Pew’s latest survey reveals how people’s views on abortion vary from state to state — and how many states are divided on the issue.

“In states like Nebraska and Utah,” Pew writes, “attitudes are split almost down the middle. In Wyoming, Kentucky and Louisiana, 54% say abortion should be legal while 45% say it should be illegal. But these differences are not statistically significant.”

According to Pew’s article, the survey found 57% of Arkansans believe abortion should be prohibited in all or most cases.

Pew notes, “Meanwhile, people in Arkansas are more likely to say abortion should generally be illegal (57%) rather than legal (41%). Arkansas is the only state where the balance of public opinion is against abortion by a statistically significant margin.“

It’s been nearly three years since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. Today, abortion in Arkansas is generally prohibited except to save the life of the mother. The state legislature has passed good measures this year that further clarify those pro-life laws. And Arkansas has given millions of dollars to help support women with unplanned pregnancies and promote maternal wellness.

All of this goes to show that Arkansas is a deeply pro-life state when it comes to public policy as well as public opinion.

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

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State of Arkansas Reports 0 Abortions in 2024

Abortion, , , ,

Official reports from the Arkansas Department of Health’s Vital Statistics show no abortions occurred in the state during 2024.

Arkansas law generally prohibits abortion, but it contains exceptions for situations in which the mother’s life is at risk.

The state publishes annual reports every June documenting the number of abortions performed during the previous year.

The Health Department recently released three different reports showing the number of abortions performed last year, the number of women who experienced complications from abortion, and the number of abortions necessary to save the life of the mother. All three reports show 0 abortions during 2024.

In the past, Arkansas has averaged around 3,200 abortions per year. All in all, our team estimates Arkansas’ pro-life laws are protecting thousands of women and unborn children from abortion each year.

These reports are great news. Arkansas has successfully prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother. Arkansas’ pro-life laws are protecting women, and they are saving unborn children.

Last year a flawed measure that would have repealed Arkansas’ pro-life laws and written abortion into the state constitution nearly made the ballot.

If passed, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment would have allowed thousands of elective abortions in Arkansas every year.

The amendment did not contain any medical licensing or health and safety standards for abortion.

It contained sweeping health exceptions that would permit abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy in many cases.

The amendment also would have paved the way for publicly funded abortion in Arkansas by changing Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution that currently prohibits taxpayer funded abortion in the state.

Fortunately, the Arkansas Supreme Court disqualified the measure from the ballot after recognizing its sponsors failed to comply with state laws governing the initiative process.

This year Arkansas’ legislators also rejected measures that would have weakened the state’s pro-life laws.

The State of Arkansas has invested millions of dollars to help support women with unplanned pregnancies.

That is something to celebrate.

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

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Arkansas Schools Can Offer Released Time—Here’s How

Religious Freedom, , ,

Recently we have written about released time programs at Arkansas’ public schools.

Legally, public schools may set aside released time during the school week for students to voluntarily attend religious classes off-campus.

Released time makes it possible for students to be excused from school so they can attend Bible studies or other religious classes during normal school hours.

Thanks to federal court rulings, released time programs have been in operation for over 100 years across the U.S. — although some states have chosen to enact laws officially recognizing released time and outlining school policies authorizing it.

Unfortunately, Arkansas has no law concerning released time at public schools. So how can public school students in Arkansas utilize released time?

In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson affirmed released time programs in America. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that released time did not violate the First Amendment. As long as these programs are voluntary — with written parental consent — privately funded, and operate off school grounds, they are constitutional.

Generally speaking, released time in Arkansas requires three components:

  1. A church or other organization that wants to fund and conduct a released time program off-campus.
  2. School board approval for a policy authorizing students to leave campus for released time during school hours.
  3. Parental consent for the student to participate in the program.

Once a church or other group properly plans and prepares to operate a released time program, they can go to the local school board to seek approval and then collaborate with the school district to set the best time in the day for a released time program.

As long as the program meets off-campus, obtains parental consent, and is privately funded, then the school board may authorize the program. 

The private entity that oversees the released time program is encouraged to work with the local school district and school board to set up a mutually agreeable schedule that benefits students.  If planned correctly, released time programs generally do not conflict with a student’s core courses like math or English.

Students can already participate in multiple programs during the school week that are extracurricular, including activities that are not on school grounds. These can include pursuing career and technical programs, participating in academic clubs, student governments, the arts, and volunteering in community work. In that regard, released time is no different from many other extracurricular activities.

Family Council hopes to work with state and local policymakers in the future to promote released time programs and help pass a law formally recognizing released time in Arkansas. If you are interested in starting a released time program in your community, you are welcome to contact our office at 501-375-7000 for more information.

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

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