Arkansas Senate Narrowly Passes Bill Allowing Self-Serve Alcohol in Bars

Alcohol,

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate narrowly 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.

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

The Following Senators Voted For S.B. 475

  • J. Boyd
  • J. Bryant
  • B. Davis
  • J. Dismang
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Johnson
  • G. Leding
  • M. McKee
  • R. Murdock
  • J. Payton
  • C. Penzo
  • J. Petty
  • C. Tucker
  • D. Wallace

The Following Senators Voted Against S.B. 475

  • A. Clark
  • Crowell
  • Dees
  • J. Dotson
  • S. Flowers
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • F. Love
  • Rice
  • Stone
  • G. Stubblefield
  • D. Sullivan

The Following Senators Voted “Present”

  • L. Chesterfield
  • Gilmore

The Following Senators Did Not Vote

  • Caldwell
  • B. King

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

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Senate Committee Passes Bill Keeping Pro-Abortion Groups Out of Public Schools

Abortion, , , ,
Above: Planned Parenthood no longer performs abortions at its facility in Little Rock, but Planned Parenthood does provide abortion referrals.

On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee passed a good bill that would 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 bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for consideration.

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Education Committee Passes Bill Addressing Implicit Bias Training in Public Schools

Education, ,

On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee passed a bill addressing implicit bias training in public education.

In recent years, some educators around the country have expressed concerns about employee training programs that presume educators are unconsciously biased or prejudiced.

H.B. 1559 by Rep. Mindy McAlindon (R – Centerton) prohibits public schools in Arkansas from mandating implicit bias training for their employees.

It is a good bill that will help complement the LEARNS Act’s provisions that prohibit critical race theory in public schools.

H.B. 1559 passed with overwhelming support in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Monday, and the Senate Education Committee passed it on Wednesday.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for a vote.

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