Arkansas Legislature – Page 15

House Education Committee Passes Bill to Keep Pro-Abortion Groups Out of Public Schools

Apr 5, 2023Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Tuesday the House Education Committee passed a measure that will help keep pro-abortion groups out of Arkansas’ public schools.

S.B. 466 by Sen. Jim Dotson (R – Bentonville) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover) says that a public school or open-enrollment public charter school shall not knowingly enter into any type of transaction with an individual or entity that offers or provides abortion referrals.

Arkansas law already prevents schools from contracting with organizations that perform abortions.

Now that Arkansas generally prohibits abortion except to save the life of the mother, state law needs to clarify that public schools won’t contract with pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood that refer women to abortion facilities out of state.

S.B. 466 is a good bill that will help keep public schools from working with pro-abortion organizations in Arkansas.

The Arkansas Senate already has passed this good bill.

S.B. 466 now goes to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for a vote.

Arkansas House Passes Pro-Life Measure

Apr 5, 2023Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a good bill that would help protect women’s health and clarify Arkansas’ abortion restrictions.

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.

This bill will help clarify Arkansas’ restrictions on abortion, and it will 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.

H.B. 1786 now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.

The Following Representatives Voted For H.B. 1786

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

The Following Representatives Voted Against H.B. 1786

Clowney
A. Collins
Ennett
D. Ferguson
V. Flowers
D. Garner
McCullough
J. Richardson
Scott
T. Shephard
Springer
D. Whitaker

The Following Representatives Did Not Vote

C. Fite
Hudson
Nicks
Wardlaw
Speaker Shepherd

Arkansas Legislature Passes Measure Authorizing $1 Million in Grants for Pro-Life Pregnancy Resource Organizations

Apr 5, 2023Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Tuesday the Arkansas Legislature passed a measure authorizing a million dollars in funding for grants to pregnancy help organizations in the state.

S.B. 286 by Sen. Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals) and Rep. Lane Jean (R – Magnolia) authorizes $1 million in state-funded grants for crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and social services agencies that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

The bill also contains language clarifying that grant funding cannot go to abortion providers or their affiliates.

S.B. 286 passed at the Arkansas Legislature without a single lawmaker voting against it!

This measure is virtually identical to a good appropriation measure the Arkansas Legislature passed last year.

It ensures that the grant program that lawmakers authorized in 2022 will continue to provide funding for pregnancy help organizations in the coming year.

We are grateful to the General Assembly for supporting this good measure. Now that abortion is prohibited except to save the life of the mother, legislation like S.B. 286 will help support women with unplanned pregnancies and build a culture of life in Arkansas. That’s something to celebrate.