Abortion – Page 168 – Family Council

House Public Health Committee Passes Two Pro-Life Bills

Apr 8, 2021Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Thursday the House Public Health Committee passed two good, pro-life bills.

The first was S.B. 463. This good bill by Sen. Blake Johnson (R – Corning) and Rep. Tony Furman (R – Benton) requires the State of Arkansas to report abortion data to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

It also tightens Arkansas law concerning abortion facility inspections, and it requires abortionists to file certain documentation when the woman is a victim of rape or incest.

The second was S.B. 527. This good bill by Sen. Ben Gilmore (R – Crossett) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) requires abortion facilities to have transfer agreements with hospitals, and it fixes a flawed definition in a pro-life law passed in 2019.

Both bills passed with solid support from pro-life legislators.

Planned Parenthood has issued statements opposing each of these good measures.

S.B. 527 and S.B. 463 now go to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

Arkansas Senate Passes Measure Restricting Abortion Facilities

Apr 8, 2021Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate passed S.B. 388 by a vote of 28 to six.

This good bill by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Joe Cloud (R – Russellville) requires any facility that performs abortions to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 also prohibits abortions in hospitals except in cases of medical emergency.

Under current law, clinics are not required to be licensed or inspected as abortion facilities unless they perform more than ten abortions in a month.

This means that a clinic potentially could perform more than 100 abortions per year without being licensed or inspected as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 addresses this problem in state law.

This bill will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to enforce existing pro-life laws that restrict abortion at abortion facilities.

S.B. 388 will ensure that every clinic that performs abortions is licensed and inspected, and that Arkansas’ laws against abortion are properly followed.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas House for consideration.