Arkansas Legislature – Page 16

House Public Health Committee Narrowly Passes Pro-Life Bill

Apr 4, 2023Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

*Above: A photo of the roll call vote on pro-life bill S.B. 463 from the House Public Health Committee. Passing a bill in a House committee requires 11 or more votes.*

On Tuesday the House Public Health Committee narrowly passed a pro-life bill addressing abortion-inducing drugs in Arkansas.

S.B. 463 by Sen. Ben Gilmore (R – Crossett) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) clarifies that the State Medical Board will revoke the license of a physician that violates Arkansas’ laws against abortion-inducing drugs.

The bill will help ensure that physicians in Arkansas face professional penalties if they break the state’s pro-life laws.

The bill previously passed in the state senate. On Tuesday S.B. 463 received 11 votes in the House Public Health Committee; passing a bill in a House committee requires 11 or more votes.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

House Committee Passes Bill Allowing Self-Serve Alcohol Vending Machines in Bars

Apr 4, 2023Jerry CoxAlcoholAlcohol, Arkansas Legislature

On Monday the Rules Committee at the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing alcohol sales at bars and restaurants via self-service vending machines.

S.B. 475 by Sen. Joshua Bryant (R – Rogers) amends Arkansas’ law prohibiting alcohol sales via vending machine.

The bill authorizes self-serve machines that dispense beer, wine, mixed drinks, and distilled spirits for on-premises consumption in bars and restaurants.

S.B. 475 would authorize self-serve bars and taprooms in Arkansas as other states have done.

Under S.B. 475, patrons would be provided with an radio frequency identification device device (RFID) — such as a bracelet with an RFID in it — that they could scan to activate the self-serve machine.

A person would be able to self-serve up to 32 ounces of beer, 12 ounces of wine, ten ounces of mixed liquors, or three ounces of unmixed, distilled spirits before the RFID would require reactivation by an employee at the bar or restaurant.

Among other things, self-serve alcohol consumption at bars and restaurants raises concerns about oversight and about ensuring that patrons aren’t over-served.

That is part of why Family Council opposes S.B. 475.

S.B. 475 now goes to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

Updated: Arkansas House of Representatives Passes Religious Freedom Measure

Apr 3, 2023Jerry CoxLegislation, Religious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty, RFRA

On Monday the Arkansas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a good bill enhancing protections for religious freedom.

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.

Since then, 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. That is why it is so important for our laws to 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.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.