Senate Public Health Committee Advances Bill to Protect Conscience

Legislature,
From Left: Family Council’s Luke McCoy joins Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) and Alliance Defending Freedom’s Stephanie Nichols during presentation of S.B. 289 protecting healthcare workers’ rights of conscience.

On Monday the Senate Public Health Committee passed S.B. 289 by a unanimous voice vote.

This good bill by Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) and Rep. Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro) protects healthcare workers’ rights of conscience.

Arkansas’ current conscience protections are narrowly focused on abortion, abortifacients, and end of life decisions, and they protect only a limited number of people.

S.B. 289 helps broaden these protections for healthcare workers.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Stephanie Nichols traveled to Little Rock to testify in favor of the bill and outline some of the threats that rights of conscience currently face in Arkansas and across the United States.

No one should have to worry about facing retaliation or discrimination for obeying their conscientious convictions.

Rights-of-conscience is a long-established tradition that predates the U.S. Constitution. This right should not be ignored.

Arkansas’ healthcare payers currently have no specific conscience protections, and Arkansas law does not address discrimination or retaliation against medical professionals or companies who object to certain procedures. Current law also does not provide specific legal remedies for victims of discrimination or retaliation.

S.B. 289 helps address these problems. The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate.

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Arkansas House Approves Bill to Expand Public Drinking to Dry Counties

Alcohol, Public Drinking, ,

On Thursday the Arkansas House of Representatives voted to advance a bill that expands public drinking in dry counties.

Currently, cities and towns in wet counties can approve public drinking in commercial neighborhoods where bars and restaurants are located.

H.B. 1228 by Rep. Lee Johnson (R – Greenwood) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville) effectively makes it possible for many cities in dry counties to approve public drinking in these so-called “entertainment districts.”

Public drinking doesn’t attract new businesses or bolster the economy. It hurts neighborhoods and families.

This bad bill passed with 54 votes. It now goes to the Arkansas Senate.

Below is a breakdown of the vote on H.B. 1228 in the Arkansas House.

Voted For The Bill

  • Barker
  • Beatty Jr.
  • M. Berry
  • Boyd
  • Breaux
  • Brown
  • Bryant
  • Carr
  • Cavenaugh
  • Christiansen
  • Clowney
  • Coleman
  • A. Collins
  • Cozart
  • Crawford
  • Dalby
  • M. Davis
  • Ennett
  • Eubanks
  • Evans
  • K. Ferguson
  • D. Ferguson
  • Fielding
  • C. Fite
  • V. Flowers
  • D. Garner
  • Godfrey
  • M. Gray
  • Haak
  • Hillman
  • M. Hodges
  • Hollowell
  • Hudson
  • L. Johnson
  • Lowery
  • Maddox
  • Magie
  • McCollum
  • McCullough
  • McNair
  • Penzo
  • Perry
  • Pilkington
  • Ray
  • Richardson
  • Scott
  • Slape
  • Speaks
  • Springer
  • Tollett
  • Underwood
  • Warren
  • Watson
  • D. Whitaker

Voted Against the Bill

  • Berry
  • Cloud
  • C. Cooper
  • Deffenbaugh
  • Dotson
  • Fortner
  • Gazaway
  • Gonzales
  • Lynch
  • J. Mayberry
  • M. McElroy
  • McKenzie
  • Miller
  • Milligan
  • Payton
  • Rye
  • B. Smith
  • Vaught
  • Wing
  • Womack
  • Wooten

Voted “Present” on the Bill

  • Bragg
  • Brooks
  • Eaves
  • L. Fite
  • Furman
  • Hawks
  • Holcomb
  • Love
  • Lundstrum
  • McClure
  • McGrew
  • S. Meeks
  • Nicks

Did Not Vote

  • F. Allen
  • Beck
  • Bentley
  • Jean
  • Jett
  • Ladyman
  • Murdock
  • Richmond
  • Shepherd
  • S. Smith
  • Tosh
  • Wardlaw

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Bill Filed to Protect Healthcare Workers’ Rights of Conscience in Arkansas

Legislation, Legislature, Rights of Conscience,

On Thursday Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) and Rep. Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro) filed S.B. 289, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act. This good bill protects healthcare workers’ rights of conscience in Arkansas.

S.B. 289 supplements existing conscience protections in Arkansas law.

It emphasizes the right of healthcare providers, institutions, and payers to decline to participate in medical procedures that violate their moral, religious, or ethical convictions. It also prohibits retaliatory discrimination against healthcare providers, institutions, or payers for declining to participate in healthcare services that violate their consciences.

Arkansas’ current conscience protections are narrowly focused on abortion, abortifacients, and end of life decisions, and they protect only a limited number of people. S.B. 289 helps broaden and strengthen those protections for healthcare workers.

No one should have to worry about facing discrimination for obeying their conscientious convictions.

You can read S.B. 289 here.

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