Arkansas Legislature – Page 19

Committee Passes Good Bill Prohibiting Delta-8 THC in Arkansas

Mar 30, 2023Jerry CoxLegislation, MarijuanaArkansas Legislature, Delta-8, Marijuana

On Thursday the House Rules Committee passed a good bill prohibiting Delta-8 THC in Arkansas.

S.B. 358 is a good bill by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) that prevents Delta-8 THC from being manufactured via industrial hemp in Arkansas.

The bill would place Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10 THC, and other psychoactive drugs made from industrial hemp on the list of controlled substances in state law.

S.B. 358 also contains language enacting drug restrictions that would take effect if a state or federal court someday blocked Arkansas from prohibiting Delta-8 altogether.

Delta-8 THC is a mind-altering substance made from cannabis, and Arkansas law does not adequately prohibit it.

S.B. 358 is a good bill that will clarify Arkansas’ drug laws and helps provide protections against dangerous marijuana products.

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

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Arkansas Legislature Passes Bill Protecting Children From Pornographic Websites

Mar 30, 2023Jerry CoxLegislationArkansas Legislature, Child Welfare, Obscenity, Pornography

On Wednesday the Arkansas Legislature officially passed a bill that will help protect children from Internet pornography.

S.B. 66 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) requires pornographic websites to use a government-issued ID or a commercially available age verification method to ensure their users are age 18 or older.

The bill previously passed in the Arkansas Senate, and was slightly amended before passing in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

On Wednesday, the Arkansas Senate voted to concur in the changes the House made.

S.B. 66 now goes to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to be signed into law.

Going forward, this good law will require porn sites to take important steps to prevent minors from accessing pornographic material online.

Websites that violate S.B. 66 could be held liable under the law.

Other states have considered legislation very similar to S.B. 66.

Technology has given children unprecedented access to pornography. Among other things, pornography is believed to contribute to mental health problems.

S.B. 66 will help address this problem in Arkansas.

Family Council is deeply grateful to Sen. Tyler Dees and Rep. Mindy McAlindon for sponsoring S.B. 66 and to the members of the Arkansas General Assembly for overwhelmingly supporting the passage of this good law.

This may be one of the best laws that the Arkansas Legislature enacts this year, because it’s going to help protect children in the state from harmful content online. That’s something to celebrate.

Arkansas Senate Narrowly Passes Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Social Media Platforms

Mar 30, 2023Jerry CoxLegislationArkansas Legislature, Child Welfare, Social Media, TikTok

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate narrowly passed a bill that would help protect minors in Arkansas from accessing social media sites without parental consent.

S.B. 396, the Social Media Safety Act, by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R – Paris) says that social media companies must use age verification to ensure minors do not access social media platforms without parental consent.

The bill contains protections for user privacy. A social media company that violated the law could be held liable.

More and more, the evidence shows that modern social media platforms simply are not a place for children — at least, not without parental supervision.

In February the American Psychological Association’s Chief Science Officer told the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee that social media use heightens the risk for negative influences among adolescents, and that young people are accessing social media sites that promote eating disorders and other harmful behavior.

In December, news outlets reported how social media giant TikTok’s algorithm was suggesting videos that promoted self-harm and eating disorders to teenagers.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has published an analysis determining that social media is a major cause of mental illness in girls.

And a recent CDC report found 16% of high school students were electronically bullied in 2021 through texting, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media platforms.

Legislation like S.B. 396 would help parents and social media companies protect children from harmful content online.

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