Arkansas Senate Passes Bill to Repeal Abortion Facility Licensing Requirements

Abortion, , , ,

On Thursday the Arkansas Senate passed a bill that repeals licensing requirements for abortion facilities in Arkansas law. The measure now goes to Gov. Sanders’ office.

S.B. 138 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) and Rep. Rebecca Burkes (R – Lowell) eliminates a provision in Arkansas law that says any facility that performs abortions must be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health.

The Arkansas Department of Health has said Arkansas should repeal the licensing requirement, because abortion is now prohibited except to save the life of the mother.

Arkansas’ abortion facility licensing requirement is tied to other provisions related to abortion in state code. Repealing the licensing requirement could have unintended consequences for those good laws if abortion were once again made legal by a state or federal court decision or law.

Pro-lifers have asked lawmakers to amend S.B. 138 or pass follow-up legislation that would help address unintended consequences that could arise from the bill.

You Can Read S.B. 138 Here.

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Arkansas House Committee Fails to Pass Bill to Protect Children From Internet Pornography

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On Wednesday the House Rules Committee at the Arkansas Legislature failed to passed a measure that would help protect children in Arkansas from Internet pornography.

S.B. 66 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) requires pornographic websites to implement an age verification process to protect children from pornography.

The bill passed with nearly unanimous support in the Arkansas Senate earlier this month, but it failed in the House Rules Committee on Wednesday.

S.B. 66 is a good bill that requires pornographic websites to verify users are 18 or older using a government-issued ID or another commercially available method.

In practice, this means pornographic websites would rely on IDs like a driver’s license to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.

Websites that violate S.B. 66 would be held liable under the law.

The measure is similar to a law Louisiana recently passed.

Technology has given children unprecedented access to pornography. Among other things, pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems.

S.B. 66 would help address this problem in Arkansas.

You Can Read S.B. 66 Here.

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

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Senate Committee Fails To Pass Bill Requiring Companies to Provide Maternity Leave If They Pay For Abortion

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On Wednesday the Senate Public Health Committee at the Arkansas Legislature failed to pass a measure ensuring employers that pay for employees to have abortions would also offer paid maternity leave to their employees.

H.B. 1006 by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R – Knoxville) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) would require an employer that offers coverage for abortion expenses to also offer 12 weeks of paid maternity leave.

The bill passed with 80 votes in the Arkansas House of Representatives last week, but it failed on a voice vote in the Senate Public Health Committee on Wednesday morning.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer, corporations like Walmart have announced plans to pay for employees to have abortions.

Some cover travel expenses — such as if a woman from Arkansas travels across state lines to have an abortion.

While many companies have made it clear that they support abortion and oppose the overturn of Roe v. Wade, it is possible that some are comparing the cost of abortion coverage against the cost of paid maternity leave.

In Arkansas, 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for a full time employee earning minimum wage would cost a company approximately $5,280.

An abortion procedure could cost as little as $500 – $900.

Even with coverage for travel expenses, it may be cheaper for employers to pay for abortions than for maternity leave.

The Arkansas Legislature will remain in session for the next several weeks.

That means lawmakers may have other opportunities to pass H.B. 1006 before they adjourn.

You Can Read H.B. 1006 Here.

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

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