Family Council Publishes “Pro-Life Champions 2018” List

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Little Rock, Ark. —  On Friday Family Council published its Pro-Life Champions 2018 list highlighting past and present elected officials who have championed pro-life legislation in Arkansas over the past five years.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Arkansas is the second most pro-life state in the nation thanks to several great members of the Arkansas General Assembly who have championed pro-life legislation over the past five years as well as Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.  Family Council has worked with every one of these individuals along with our friends at Arkansas Right to Life to protect the sanctity of innocent human life in Arkansas. It is important that Arkansans know who these pro-life champions are.  They deserve tremendous thanks from the people of our state.  I hope Family Council’s Pro-Life Champions 2018 list helps do that.”

Cox said the laws Arkansas has passed in recent years are saving lives. “Legislation sponsored by these lawmakers has helped reduce the number of abortions in Arkansas to a forty-year low.  Laws passed by these champions have already saved the lives of thousands of children, and they will continue to save the lives of children for many years to come.”

Current state legislators listed in Pro-Life Champions 2018 are Representative Bob Ballinger (R – Berryville); Representative Sonia Barker (R – Smackover); Representative Mary Bentley (R – Perryville); Senator Cecile Bledsoe (R – Rogers); Representative Charlie Collins (R – Fayetteville); Senator Linda Collins-Smith (R – Pocahontas); Representative Charlene Fite (R – Van Buren); Senator Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals); Representative Kim Hammer (R – Benton); Senator Jim Hendren (R – Gravette); Senator Bart Hester (R – Cave Springs);  Senator Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View); Senator Blake Johnson (R – Corning); Representative Robin Lundstrum (R – Elm Springs); Representative Andy Mayberry (R – Little Rock); Representative Aaron Pilkington (R – Clarksville); Senator Jason Rapert (R – Conway); Representative Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro); and Senator Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch)

Cox said he hopes Arkansans will thank the elected officials in the Pro-Life Champions 2018 list. “We have provided contact information for each of lawmaker as well as Governor Hutchinson and Attorney General Rutledge.  I hope Arkansans will contact all of them and express their gratitude. They are doing tremendous work to stand up for the sanctity of human life in Arkansas.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock.

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Read the Pro-Life Champions 2018 list here.

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Be Part Of The Annual “Life Chain” On Sunday, October 7

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The annual Life Chain is coming up on Sunday, October 7.

This is an event that takes place across North America every year. Pro-life families and churches line up along public sidewalks for an hour, holding signs and praying.

Last year more than 100,000 Americans participated in the Life Chain.

If you or your church would like to be part of this event, below is a list of Life Chain locations in Arkansas and coordinators who are facilitating the event.

You can learn more at Lifechain.net or NationalLifeChain.org.

BENTON – Military Road in front of Post Office, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.; Jody Jordan 501-840-3521

BERRYVILLE – Hwy 62 at the Square, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Mark & Kathleen Blossom  479-253-7895

CHEROKEE VILLAGE / HIGHLAND – Hwy 62 / 412 at Tekakwitha Dr, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; St Michael Catholic Church  870-257-2850

CONWAY – Oak St at Harkrider St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.;  signs at Village Shopping Center; Meryl Fulmer  501-339-4216

FAYETTEVILLE – N Crossover at Brandon Circle, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; David Bordovsky  479-263-7000

FLIPPIN – Hwy 62 (Main St) at 8th St, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; Ron Schweikert  817-832-3227

GRAVETTE – 606 Atlanta (Hwy 72E), 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Pastor Lonnie Witt 479-787-7312  Benton County Right to Life

GREEN FOREST – Hwy 62 (Main St) at the City Square, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Gregg & Cindy Luebbering  870-438-5340

HARRISON – Hwy 62-65N across from the mall, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; A.K. & Loretta Clements  870-420-3156

HOT SPRINGS – Central Ave at Reserve St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Karen Kirchner  501-922-4166

LITTLE ROCK – Chenal Pkwy at Bowman Rd, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Theo Wahlgreen 501-944-7069 and Marsha Boss 501-960-5051

MARSHALL / SEARCY COUNTY – N Hwy 65 at Medic Care Pharmacy, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Buck Mays  870-504-0341

MOUNTAIN HOME / BAXTER COUNTY – College St at Hwy 62, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Kathleen Priborsky  870-492-5064  Pics  2015

PARIS – Hwy 22 (Walnut St) at Hwy 309 (Elm St), 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Barbara Durkee  479-847-5535

POCAHONTAS – Hwy 67 N at Broadway St, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Judy Wurtz  870-892-3598

ROGERS – 3737 W Walnut at Boozman-Hof Eye Clinic lot, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Jerry Morrow  479-366-8252  Benton County Right to Life

SALEM – Town Square, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.; Joe & Rita Cotham  870-847-0116

SILOAM SPRINGS – 2100 Hwy 412 East in front of 2B’s Auto Sales, 1:45 to 3:00 p.m.; Kristie Morgan  479-524-0272  Benton County Right to Life

SPRINGDALE – Hwy 412 at West End, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; David Bordovsky  479-750-7878

VALLEY SPRINGS – Hwy 65, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Eileen Moore  870-743-2038

YELLVILLE- 62/412 Hwy at the Square, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Chuck Decker   870-427-5546

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Court Says Pro-Life Law Will Remain Blocked During Appeal

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According to news reports, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a motion this week to unblock a state pro-life law while a court case over the law progresses.

In 2015 the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 577, the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act. The law requires abortion drugs like RU-486 to be administered according to FDA protocols, and it says abortion clinics that offer drug-induced abortions must contract with a physician who has hospital admitting privileges.

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the state to have the law struck down. In 2016 U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker in Little Rock ruled the law was an undue burden on women seeking an abortion. However, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, and vacated Judge Baker’s bad decision.

That decision ultimately prompted Planned Parenthood to stop doing abortions in Arkansas for about three weeks earlier this year.

Nevertheless, the legal tug-of-war over this pro-life law has continued. Last month Judge Baker once again blocked the state from enforcing the law.

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge appealed to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to once again let the state enforce the law. However, it could be several months before the appeals court issues a decision in the case, so the A.G. also asked the court to unblock the law while the lawsuit plays out.

This week the Eighth Circuit declined to unblock the law.

However, the lawsuit is still ongoing, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has handed down some pro-life victories in recent months.

With that in mind, we believe there is a very good possibility the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act will survive this legal challenge.

The Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act protects the public health and safety of women in Arkansas. Arkansas has about 6,000 licensed physicians, and a majority of them have admitting privileges with one or more hospitals. It is not unreasonable for the State to require abortion clinics to contract with a doctor who has hospital admitting privileges.

If you are having trouble keeping track of all the twists and turns in this lawsuit, you aren’t alone. Below is a full timeline of this lawsuit over the past three and a half years.

  • March 20, 2015: The Arkansas Legislature passed Act 577, the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act. The law was set to go into effect January 1, 2016.
  • December 30, 2015: Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, which has two clinics in Arkansas, filed a lawsuit saying it had been unable to find a doctor with admitting privileges at a local hospital to handle emergencies resulting from these chemical abortions, and that Planned Parenthood would no longer may be able to perform drug-induced abortions in Arkansas if Act 577 were enforced.
  • December 31, 2015: U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued a temporary restraining order blocking the law just hours before it was set to go into effect. A few weeks later Judge baker followed up by issuing a preliminary injunction blocking the law from being enforced.
  • August 28, 2016: Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a brief asking the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse Judge Baker’s preliminary injunction against the law.
  • September 21, 2016: A three-judge panel from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals heard Attorney General Rutledge’s arguments in court.
  • July 28, 2017: The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals panel overturned Judge Baker’s preliminary injunction and sent the issue back down to her court. The panel noted that the judge failed to estimate the number of women who would be burdened by Act 577 before blocking the law. Among other things, the panel wrote, “In the present case, the district court abused its discretion because it failed to consider whether Planned Parenthood satisfied the requirements necessary to sustain a facial challenge to an abortion regulation.”
  • September 27, 2017: The Eight Circuit Court of Appeals declined to reconsider the three-judge panel’s decision allowing the State of Arkansas to enforce the Act 577 of 2015.
  • December 21, 2017: Planned Parenthood appealed the Eighth Circuit’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • May 29, 2018: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Planned Parenthood’s appeal. As a result, the law went into effect, and Planned Parenthood stopped doing chemical abortions in Arkansas for about 3 weeks while the case went back down to U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker’s court.
  • June 18, 2018: U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker issued a temporary restraining order preventing Act 577 of 2015 from being enforced.
  • July 3, 2018: U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker enjoined the law from being enforced. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office appealed that decision to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and asked the Eighth Circuit to unblock the law while the lawsuit progresses.
  • August 22, 2018: The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to unblock the law while the lawsuit progresses through the federal court system.

Photo Credit: By jordanuhl7 [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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