Several Bills Filed Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates in Arkansas

Current Events, Legislature, ,
File photo from March 2021.

The Arkansas Legislature convened in extended session on Wednesday morning.

Among other measures, lawmakers have filed several pieces of legislation addressing COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Arkansas.

Here is a snapshot of some of the legislation that is currently in play:

  • S.B. 719 by Sen. Bob Ballinger and Rep. Joshua Bryant prohibits employers from requiring employees to disclose their vaccination status. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 730 by Sen. Trent Garner authorizes unemployment benefits for any employee terminated due to a refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 731 by Sen. Bob Ballinger prohibits employers from requiring employees to disclose their vaccination status. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 732 by Sen. Blake Johnson prohibits coercing another person into receiving a COVID-19 vaccine if the person has a religious, philosophical, or medical objection to the vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 736 by Sen. Bob Ballinger and Rep. Joshua Bryant requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 737 by Sen. Alan Clark prohibits private employers and places of public accommodation from mandating COVID-19 vaccines or discriminating against those who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 738 by Sen. Alan Clark prohibits private employers and places of public accommodation from mandating COVID-19 vaccines or discriminating against those who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 739 by Sen. Kim Hammer and Rep. Joshua Bryant requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • S.B. 740 by Sen. Alan Clark prohibits private employers and places of public accommodation from mandating COVID-19 vaccines or discriminating against those who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • H.B. 1972 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.
  • H.B. 1973 by Rep. Joshua Bryant and Sen. Bob Ballinger requires employers to provide certain exemptions for employees who decline to utilize a COVID-19 vaccine. Read The Bill Here.

On Wednesday afternoon the Senate Public Health Committee voted to “batch” S.B. 719, S.B. 731, S.B. 732, S.B. 736, S.B. 737, S.B. 738, S.B. 739, and S.B. 740 — meaning that they will go directly to the Arkansas Senate for consideration on Thursday.

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Family Council Celebrates Enactment of Sixteen Good Laws

Legislature

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Little Rock, Ark. — On Wednesday Family Council celebrated the enactment of sixteen new laws that the Arkansas Legislature passed earlier this year.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Today, sixteen laws that Family Council supported will take effect. These laws do things like save unborn children from abortion, protect healthcare workers’ rights of conscience, and uphold fairness in women’s sports. These are good laws that will help make Arkansas a better state to live, work, and raise a family.”

Cox noted that Arkansas passed a record number of pro-life laws this year. “The Arkansas Legislature passed a total of fourteen pro-life bills and resolutions this year. As far as we can tell, that is the most pro-life legislation passed in any session of the General Assembly in Arkansas history. Those laws will save women and unborn children from abortion for years to come.”

Family Council provided a list of legislation taking effect Wednesday, which included:

  • Act 498 requiring an abortionist to show an ultrasound image of the unborn baby to the pregnant woman before an abortion.
  • Act 358 helping prevent abortion providers from receiving Medicaid reimbursements.
  • Act 562 updating Arkansas’ restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs.
  • Act 949 requiring any facility that performs abortions to be licensed by the state.
  • Act 787 requiring abortionists to file documentation when the woman is a victim of rape or incest.
  • Act 561 prohibiting government entities from working with abortion providers.
  • Act 820 prohibiting public schools from engaging in transactions with abortionists.
  • Act 740 requiring abortion facilities to have transfer agreements with hospitals.
  • Act 560 outlining the informed-consent process for chemical abortion in Arkansas.
  • Act 392 affirming the right of municipalities in Arkansas to declare themselves pro-life.
  • Act 609 prohibiting fraud and abuse in fertility treatments.
  • Act 461 preventing male athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics at school.
  • Act 623 making it easier for a student to withdraw from a public school to home school.
  • Act 342 closing a loophole in Arkansas’ laws regarding medical marijuana advertisements.
  • Act 462 protecting healthcare workers’ rights of conscience.
  • Act 902 establishing a Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students on the last Wednesday of every September.

Cox noted that some legislation Family Council supported had already taken effect. “Legislation protecting patients and nursing home residents from being left alone and denied visitors is already in effect. So is a new law protecting churches and religious organizations from being singled out and shut down during an emergency. These laws have been in full effect since last spring.”

Cox also noted that two laws Family Council supported are currently tied up in litigation. “Arkansas’ law prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother is on hold while a lawsuit over it progresses through our federal court system. So is Arkansas’ law that protects children from sex-reassignment procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones. These good laws would save lives and protect children, if upheld.”

Cox praised Arkansas’ elected officials for supporting good legislation. “Arkansans should be proud of their elected officials. The General Assembly passed and Governor Hutchinson signed some of the best laws in the country this year. Arkansas has become a true leader in America when it comes to passing good, conservative legislation. These new laws are proof of that.”

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ACLU Plans to Challenge Arkansas’ New Laws, Opposes Religious Freedom Amendment

Legislature, , , ,

Last week the ACLU of Arkansas issued a report calling the state’s 2021 legislative session “a catastrophe for civil and human rights in Arkansas.”

The report heavily criticized some of the good laws the Arkansas Legislature passed this year, including:

  • Act 309 / S.B. 6 (Prohibiting Abortion): This good law by Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) prohibits abortion in Arkansas, except in cases when the mother’s life is in jeopardy. This could save the lives of thousands of children and give the courts an opportunity to overturn bad, pro-abortion rulings. Read The Law Here.
  • Act 626 / H.B. 1570 (Prohibiting Sex-Reassignment on Children): This good law by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Springdale) and Sen. Alan Clark (R – Lonsdale) prohibits sex-reassignment procedures on children. The law also prevents funding of sex-reassignment procedures performed on children. This law will protect children from being subjected to surgeries and procedures that can leave them sterilized and permanently scarred. Read The Law Here.
  • Act 461 / S.B. 354 (Protecting Fairness in Women’s Sports): This good law by Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R -Smackover) would prevent male student athletes from competing against girls in women’s athletics. This would protect fairness for girls’ sports at school in Arkansas. Read The Law Here.
  • S.J.R. 14 (Religious Freedom Amendment): S.J.R. 14 by Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) amends the Arkansas Constitution. It prevents the government from burdening a person’s free exercise of religion. The measure is similar to Arkansas’ state Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Family Council strongly supports this good amendment to the Arkansas Constitution. Read The Measure Here.

The ACLU indicated it plans to file lawsuits to block the state from enforcing Act 309 and Act 626.

If the ACLU follows through with its lawsuit against Act 309 (S.B. 6), it will give the federal courts an opportunity to reverse decades of bad case law on abortion — including possibly overturning or Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and other pro-abortion decisions.

The ACLU also said “The Arkansas Religious Freedom Amendment [S.J.R. 14] would be among the most extreme of its kind in the country, giving people a basis to challenge and exempt themselves from virtually any state law.”

But that simply is not the case.

Most states in America have enacted Religious Freedom Restoration Acts similar to S.J.R. 14 already.

Alabama has had a religious freedom amendment very similar to S.J.R. 14 in its state constitution for many years.

Measures like S.J.R. 14 simply help restore protections for the free exercise of religion. It’s just a good amendment that will help ensure that our state constitution protects religious liberty in Arkansas.

That’s something that everybody ought to be able to support.

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