Pro-Life Bill Clears Arkansas Senate Committee

Abortion, , , ,
Above: File photo of the Arkansas Senate.

On Wednesday the Senate Public Health Committee passed a bill that would help clarify Arkansas’ abortion restrictions and protect women’s health in the state.

H.B. 1786 by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R – Knoxville) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R – Springdale) is a good, pro-life bill that specifies that abortions performed to save the life of the mother must take place in a hospital or emergency room.

Currently, abortion is prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency.

H.B. 1786 will help clarify Arkansas’ restrictions on abortion. It will also protect women’s health by ensuring that any abortion performed to save the mother’s life takes place in a facility that is properly equipped to handle medical emergencies.

The bill previously passed in the Arkansas House of Representatives, where it received overwhelming support.

H.B. 1786 now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for a vote.

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Arkansas House Passes Measure Promoting Transparency in Public Education

Education,

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a measure promoting transparency in public education.

H.B. 1738, the Parents’ Bill of Rights by Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch), lets parents review any public school teaching materials, instructional materials, required textbooks, lesson plans, and other teaching aids used in their child’s classes.

The bill also lets parents temporarily withdraw their child from an objectionable lesson or activity.

H.B. 1738 is a good bill that helps ensure parents have a say in their child’s education.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

The Following Representatives Voted For H.B. 1738

  • Achor
  • Andrews
  • Barker
  • Beaty Jr.
  • Beck
  • Bentley
  • M. Berry
  • S. Berry
  • Breaux
  • K. Brown
  • M. Brown
  • Burkes
  • Joey Carr
  • John Carr
  • Cavenaugh
  • C. Cooper
  • Cozart
  • Crawford
  • Dalby
  • Duffield
  • Duke
  • Eaves
  • Eubanks
  • Evans
  • D. Ferguson
  • C. Fite
  • L. Fite
  • Fortner
  • Furman
  • Gazaway
  • Gonzales
  • Gramlich
  • Haak
  • Hawk
  • D. Hodges
  • G. Hodges
  • Holcomb
  • Hollowell
  • Jean
  • L. Johnson
  • Ladyman
  • Long
  • Lundstrum
  • Lynch
  • Maddox
  • J. Mayberry
  • McAlindon
  • McClure
  • McCollum
  • McGrew
  • B. McKenzie
  • McNair
  • S. Meeks
  • Miller
  • Milligan
  • J. Moore
  • K. Moore
  • Painter
  • Pearce
  • Pilkington
  • Puryear
  • Ray
  • Richmond
  • Rose
  • Rye
  • Schulz
  • R. Scott Richardson
  • Steimel
  • Tosh
  • Underwood
  • Unger
  • Vaught
  • Walker
  • Wardlaw
  • Warren
  • Watson
  • Wing
  • Womack
  • Wooldridge
  • Wooten

The Following Representatives Voted Against H.B. 1738

  • lowney
  • A. Collins
  • Ennett
  • D. Garner
  • Hudson
  • McCullough
  • J. Richardson
  • Scott
  • T. Shephard
  • Springer
  • D. Whitaker

The Following Representative Voted “Present”

  • Magie

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

  • F. Allen
  • Brooks
  • K. Ferguson
  • V. Flowers
  • M. McElroy
  • Nicks
  • Perry
  • Mr. Speaker

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Senate Committee Passes Good Religious Freedom Measure

Religious Freedom, , ,

On Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill strengthening Arkansas’ religious freedom laws.

H.B. 1615, the Conscience Protection Act by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch), makes important clarifications to the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The bill also helps prohibit religious discrimination against individuals, business owners, and organizations that want to follow their deeply held religious convictions.

In 2015 Gov. Hutchinson signed Arkansas’ Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law. That good law has been on the books for the past eight years — but it needs to be improved upon.

Over the past decade, we have seen wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, and florist shops come under fire, because their owners wanted to operate according to their deeply held convictions.

Our laws must protect religious liberty as much as possible. H.B. 1615 improves on good state law to help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.

If enacted, H.B. 1615 would provide Arkansans with some of the best religious freedom protections in the nation.

H.B. 1615 has already passed in the Arkansas House of Representatives, where it received very strong support. The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for a vote.

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