Legislation – Page 11 – Family Council

Bill Would Protect Free Speech on Public College Campuses in Arkansas

Jan 23, 2019Jerry CoxArkansas Capitol, Legislation, LegislatureFree Speech, Lagislature, Legislation

Today Sen. Bob Ballinger (R – Berryville) and Rep. Dan Sullivan (R – Jonesboro) filed S.B. 156, the Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act.

This good bill prevents public colleges and universities from squelching free speech on campus.

In some states students and faculty have faced discipline and discrimination for sharing their faith or expressing their deeply held convictions. In Jonesboro, Arkansas State University adopted policies restricting free speech to roughly 1% of campus and requiring students to obtain approval from university officials before engaging in free speech.

The restrictions prompted a lawsuit against the university. Last fall, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos publicly criticized the university’s restrictions on free speech.

S.B. 156 helps prevent public colleges and universities from imposing these unconstitutional restrictions on students and faculty. It protects students’ rights to peacefully assemble, speak, share literature, and exchange ideas.

It requires public colleges and universities to adopt policies protecting free speech on campus.

S.B. 156 is carefully worded. It does not allow violent speech, riots, harassment, or other unlawful conduct. It equally protects everyone’s right to free speech under the First Amendment.

For several months, Family Council has been working with attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom to bring this good legislation to Arkansas.

We applaud Senator Ballinger and Representative Sullivan for introducing this well-crafted Alliance Defending Freedom model bill.

You can leave a message for your State Senator at 501-682-2902 urging him or her to vote for S.B. 156 the FORUM Act.

You can leave a message for your State Representative at 501-682-6211 urging him or her to do the same.

Please thank the lead sponsors of this bill:

Senator Bob Ballinger: bob.ballinger@senate.ar.gov (870) 350-5175

Representative Dan Sullivan: dan.sullivan@arkansashouse.org (870) 275-2929

This bill could be debated in the Senate Education Committee as early as next week. We plan to keep you posted on its progress.

Photo Credit: “Old Main from the northwest, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas (autumn)” by Brandonrush – Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported.

Updated: Resolution Filed Declaring “Religious Freedom Day”

Jan 15, 2019Jerry CoxLegislation, Legislature, Religious FreedomLegislation, Legislature, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty

UPDATE: Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) has filed a similar resolution in the Arkansas Senate: SR 1.

This morning Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) filed House Resolution 1002 declaring Wednesday, January 16, 2019, Religious Freedom Day.

The resolution also honors the anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom — a milestone for religious liberty in our country’s history — and affirms that religious freedom is a fundamental right.

H.R. 1002 contains numerous quotes from Founding Fathers and U.S. Presidents about religious liberty as well.

The free exercise of religion has come under attack in recent years. That’s why, more than ever, government needs to promote and defend religious liberty in America.

You can read H.R. 1002 here.

You can read S.R. 1 here.

Lawmakers Consider Proposals to Increase Grocery Tax, Eliminate Tax Holiday

Apr 25, 2018Jerry Cox1 CommentLegislatureArkansas Legislature, Legislation

On Wednesday morning the Arkansas Tax Reform and Relief Legislative Task Force met to review proposed changes to the state’s sales tax exemptions.

The task force cannot make any official changes, but it can make recommendations to the Arkansas Legislature ahead of the next legislative session in 2019.

Among the changes under review are an increase in the state grocery tax; repealing sales tax exemptions for nonprofit hospitals and nursing homes; eliminating the state sales tax holiday; and reducing some of the taxes collected on new or used cars.

Bad Idea: Eliminating the Sales Tax Holiday

In 2011 the Arkansas Legislature created a back-to-school sales tax holiday. During the first weekend in August, the state doesn’t collect sales taxes on school supplies, instructional material, and clothing sold for less than $100. Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana have similar tax holidays.

Family Council supported the sales tax holiday in 2011, because it benefits families — including home school families — shopping for the upcoming school year. Eliminating the state sales tax on school supplies for one weekend is like giving families a 6% – 7% discount as they do their back-to-school shopping.

The task force is considering a proposal to eliminate the tax holiday. Some lawmakers may not feel like the sales tax holiday does much, but a lot of parents would beg to differ.

Bad Idea: Taxing Sales to Nonprofit Hospitals and Nonprofit Nursing Homes

Currently, sales to nonprofit hospitals, sanitariums, and nursing homes are not taxed in Arkansas. In December consultants for the state singled-out these sales tax exemptions, saying they cost the state millions of dollars in revenue.

Many nonprofit hospitals and nursing homes are faith-based. They offer people more than just medication and healthcare, and they may operate on budgets that are so tight they would have to shut their doors if they were taxed at the same rate as corporate healthcare facilities.

The task force is considering a proposal to tax sales to nonprofit hospitals and nonprofit nursing homes. Our state needs to think twice before increasing the tax burden nonprofit hospitals and nursing homes carry.

Bad Idea: Increasing the Grocery Tax

From 2009 – 2013 Family Council supported Governor Beebe’s effort to reduce and ultimately eliminate Arkansas’ sales tax on groceries. People shouldn’t be penalized financially for buying basic necessities like bread and milk.

Currently, groceries in Arkansas are taxed at a reduced rate of 1.5%. However, the Arkansas Tax Reform and Relief Task Force is considering a proposal to impose the full sales tax on groceries — 6.5%.

That means if a family of four buys $100 worth of groceries every week, their sales tax would increase from $1.50 to $6.50.

Over the course of a year, that family will end up paying an extra $260 in taxes — just so they can put food on the table at home. The legislature may be able reduce the impact of these taxes in other ways, but any increase to the state’s grocery tax is going to add financial strain to a lot of households.

Good Idea: Cutting Taxes on New or Used Cars

Family Council supports efforts to reduce the state sales tax on new and used cars, because parents with young children often cannot afford expensive vehicles, and the used car tax makes it harder for them to purchase a safe, reliable car for their family.

From 1997 – 2011, the state did not collect sales tax on used cars sold for less than $2,500.

In 2011 Family Council successfully lobbied lawmakers to cut taxes on used cars. Under that law, taxes are not collected on new or used vehicles sold for less than $4,000.

Now this legislative task force is reviewing a proposal to stop collecting state sales tax on new or used cars sold for less than $10,000. That sounds like a good idea to us!