Arkansas Legislature Passes Measure to Help Keep Planned Parenthood Out of Public Schools

Sen. Ballinger presents H.B. 1592 on the floor of the Senate.

On Monday the Arkansas Senate passed H.B. 1592.

This good bill by Rep. Mark Lowery (R – Maumelle) prohibits public schools in Arkansas from engaging in transactions with abortion providers. It previously passed the Arkansas House of Representatives.

In March, Family Council obtained nearly 1,400 pages of documents that revealed how Planned Parenthood has worked in public schools in Pulaski County for several years.

H.B. 1592 will help make sure Planned Parenthood and other abortionists don’t access Arkansas’ public schools.

The bill now goes to the governor to become law. Below is a breakdown of the vote on H.B. 1592.

Voted FOR H.B. 1592

  • B. Ballinger
  • Beckham
  • Bledsoe
  • Caldwell
  • B. Davis
  • J. Dismang
  • L. Eads
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • T. Garner
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • M. Johnson
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Pitsch
  • Rapert
  • Rice
  • B. Sample
  • G. Stubblefield
  • J. Sturch
  • D. Sullivan
  • Teague
  • D. Wallace

Voted AGAINST H.B. 1592

  • L. Chesterfield
  • Elliott
  • K. Ingram
  • G. Leding
  • C. Tucker

Excused From Voting

  • S. Flowers
  • J. Hendren

Did Not Vote

  • A. Clark

Arkansas Congressmen Sign Pro-Life Petition

Last week all four congressmen from Arkansas signed a petition to force a vote on pro-life H.R. 619, the federal Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.

H.R. 619 is a federal measure currently in Congress. If passed, it would protect infants who survive a botched abortion.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would ensure that a baby born alive after an abortion receives the same medical care as any other newborn.

The measure also would punish doctors who let an infant die or intentionally kill a newborn following an abortion.

Several states have enacted similar legislation — including Arkansas. H.R. 619 would protecting babies nationwide.

All four of Arkansas’ congressmen are co-sponsors on the measure.

H.R. 619 is tied up in committee, but last week some 202 members of Congress signed a petition asking for a floor vote on the bill in the full U.S. House of Representatives.

Planned Parenthood’s Arkansas PAC Shows No Activity, $15K+ in Funds

Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes Arkansas — the abortion giant’s political action committee for Arkansas — recently filed its report for the first quarter of 2021.

The report indicates the PAC had virtually no activity from January through March of this year.

The report also shows that Planned Parenthood currently has $15,188 at its disposal to spend on electioneering in Arkansas.

State documents also indicate that Planned Parenthood has a lobbyist registered at the address for its abortion facility in Little Rock, but the lobbyist has reported no activity this year.

In 2020 Planned Parenthood endorsed and gave financial support to several candidates in Arkansas.

Four of the candidates Planned Parenthood endorsed — Rep. Denise Ennet (D – Little Rock), Rep. Tippi McCullough (D – Little Rock), Sen. Clarke Tucker (D – Little Rock), and Rep. David Whitaker (D – Fayetteville) — were elected to office.

Planned Parenthood also has been very active tracking and speaking out against pro-life legislation in Arkansas this year.

In spite of that opposition, the Arkansas Legislature has passed virtually every pro-life measure that has come before lawmakers. Arkansas is the most pro-life state in America. And public opinion polling shows Arkansans are overwhelmingly pro-life.