U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton Introduces Measure to Expand Family Leave, Provide Tax Credit for Miscarriages and Stillbirths

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On Thursday U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R – AR) and U.S. Sen. Ashley Hinson (R – IA) filed the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act.

The proposed legislation amends the federal 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Among other things, the measure adds “spontaneous loss of an unborn child” as a qualifying medical condition for leave under FMLA, and it establishes a $3,600 tax credit for any mother or couple that suffers the loss of a child in the womb.

The bill also prevents federal Title X funds from going to abortionists or to anyone who offers abortion referrals.

This would help stem the tide of taxpayer funds currently directed to organizations like Planned Parenthood.

Family Council has joined with Arkansas Right to Life, the National Right to Life Committee, and other pro-life organizations in endorsing this good measure.

Sen. Cotton issued multiple statements explaining the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act , writing,

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows employees to take leave for serious health conditions. However, many miscarriages and still births fail to meet the definition for a ‘serious health condition’ under FMLA, meaning the mother and her spouse may not qualify for leave.

In the event of a still birth, parents are more likely to face unexpected financial costs. This is due to uninsured
expenses, costs associated with preparing for a baby, and in some cases, longer hospital stays, genetic testing
costs, and burial expenses.

No amount of financial compensation can take away a family’s pain. However, Congress can ensure that
grieving parents can take time to mourn the loss of their unborn child and ease additional costs they may face
in the event of still birth.

The HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act is similar to Arkansas’ Act 935 of 2021 — also known as Paisley’s Law — which the Arkansas Legislature enacted earlier this year.

Act 935 provides Arkansans with a $500 income tax credit for the stillbirth of a child at or after 20 weeks gestation.

Arkansas also has enacted legislation over the years to de-fund abortionists.

You can read the HEALING Mothers and Fathers Act here.

Photo Credit: Michael Vadon, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Planned Parenthood Hopes to Perform Chemical Abortions in Rogers By Early Spring

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Above: Planned Parenthood’s new facility in Rogers.

On Wednesday Planned Parenthood Great Plains, the regional affiliate for Planned Parenthood in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas, announced it intends to begin performing chemical abortions using the RU-486 abortion drugs at its new facility in Rogers, Arkansas, by sometime in the early spring of 2022.

Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement saying, “Today’s announcement isn’t surprising. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, and the group has said since 2019 that it wants to open an abortion center in Northwest Arkansas. Planned Parenthood worked through a separate LLC to secretly acquire a facility in Rogers. That center opened for business in September. Planned Parenthood officials had originally said they wanted to begin performing abortions in Rogers by the end of this year. Now it seems they have delayed until the spring of next year.”

Cox said the community in Northwest Arkansas clearly opposes Planned Parenthood’s agenda. “Since August we’ve seen hundreds of pro-lifers from Northwest Arkansas gather to peacefully oppose abortion outside Planned Parenthood’s facility in Rogers. Pro-lifers just wrapped up a series of prayer vigils outside the facility that lasted forty days. Lawmakers and leaders in the community have held public events opposing abortion in Rogers. And the University of Arkansas recently released a poll that indicates most Arkansans think abortion ought to be either completely illegal or restricted to certain situations. Arkansans do not support abortion on demand, and yet that’s what Planned Parenthood wants to bring to Northwest Arkansas.”

Cox said that pro-life groups will continue working to end abortion in Arkansas. “Arkansas has more than forty pregnancy resource centers that give women real options besides abortion. Our state is home to multiple pro-life organizations, and we arguably have the most pro-life General Assembly in the country. Arkansas was recently ranked the most pro-life state in the nation. We are fully committed to ending abortion in our state and giving women with unplanned pregnancies the resources they need to choose an option besides abortion.”

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Moro, Arkansas, Joins List of Pro-Life Cities and Counties Across The State

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Above: City officials in Moro sign a resolution affirming that Moro is a Pro-Life City.

Last week the City of Moro, Arkansas, in Lee County passed a resolution affirming that the community is Pro-Life.

The resolution received unanimous support from the city council.

Moro joins a growing list of Pro-Life cities, towns, and counties across Arkansas.

Last spring the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 392 of 2021 by Rep. Kendon Underwood (R – Cave Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch). This good law affirms that cities and counties can designate themselves as Pro-Life.

Act 392 also makes it clear that Pro-Life Communities can install signs or banners announcing that they are Pro-Life.

Since Act 392 was enacted over the summer, Arkansas has seen a rapid expansion of Pro-Life Cities and Counties across the state.

Washington, Benton, Crawford, Cleburne, Pope, Jackson, Saline, Faulkner, Perry, Sebastian, Lee, White, and Prairie counties have adopted Pro-Life resolutions — and so have Marianna, Russellville, Springdale, and LaGrange.

Public opinion polling consistently shows Arkansans are pro-life. That’s one reason we’re seeing so many communities vote to adopt resolutions affirming that they support the sanctity of human life.

If you would like to learn how you can pass a pro-life resolution in your community, give us a call at (501) 375-7000 or click here.

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