Legislation We’re Watching: Hate Crimes, Contraceptives, Abortion, and More

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A number of bills have been pre-filed ahead of the 2021 legislative session in Arkansas.

Here are a few of the bills that Family Council is watching.

Good Bills Filed

S.B. 6 (Prohibiting Abortion): This good bill by Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) prohibits abortion in Arkansas, except in cases when the mother’s life is in jeopardy. Family Council fully supports this good bill. Read The Bill Here.

Bad Bills Filed

S.B. 3 (Enacting Hate Crimes Legislation): This bad bill by Sen. Jim Hendren (R – Gravette) and Rep. Fred Love (D – Little Rock) enacts hate crimes legislation by enhancing penalties for crimes committed against certain protected classes of people listed in the bill. The bill is virtually identical to H.B. 1020. Family Council has opposed hate crimes legislation for more than 20 years, and we oppose this bill as well. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1020 (Enacting Hate Crimes Legislation): This bad bill by Rep. Fred Love (D – Little Rock) and Sen. Jim Hendren (R – Gravette) enacts hate crimes legislation by enhancing penalties for crimes committed against certain protected classes of people listed in the bill. The bill is virtually identical to S.B. 3. Family Council has opposed hate crimes legislation for more than 20 years, and we oppose this bill as well. Read The Bill Here.

H.B. 1069  (Contraceptives): This bill by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R – Clarksville) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville) lets pharmacists dispense oral contraceptives to women without a prescription from a doctor. Oral contraceptives carry a number of health risks — which is why women currently need a prescription from a doctor — and they can cause the death of an unborn child by preventing the unborn child from implanting and growing inside the mother’s womb. Family Council opposes H.B. 1069. Read The Bill Here.

Other Bills We’re Watching

H.B. 1066 (Alcohol): This bill by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R – Clarksville) would let microbrewery operators ship beer directly to private residences anywhere in the state of Arkansas or to residences in other states that allow direct shipment of alcohol. Read The Bill Here.

S.B. 32 (Alcohol): This bill by Sen. Jane English (R – North Little Rock) and Rep. Karilyn Brown (R – Sherwood) would let retail liquor permitholders — such as liquor stores — deliver alcoholic beverages to private residences in the county where the store is located. Read The Bill Here.

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Good and Bad Legislation Filed So Far

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Lawmakers began pre-filing legislation for the 2021 session in November.

Our team has reviewed every bill pre-filed so far.

Here are some good and bad pieces of legislation we are watching.

Good Bill: S.B. 6 Ending Abortion in Arkansas. S.B. 6 by Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) would prohibit abortion in Arkansas except in cases when the mother’s life is at risk. If passed, it would give our federal courts the opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade and other pro-abortion decisions. Family Council fully supports this good bill.

Bad Bills: S.B. 3 and H.B. 1020 Enacting Hate Crimes Legislation in Arkansas. S.B. 3 and H.B. 1020 by Sen. Jim Hendren (R – Gravette) and Rep. Fred Love (D – Little Rock) would write special, protected classes into Arkansas law by enacting hate crimes legislation. The bills are identical to one another. Family Council has opposed hate crimes legislation for more than 25 years, and we oppose these two bills as well.

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Second Hate Crimes Bill Filed at Arkansas Legislature

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On Wednesday Rep. Fred Love (D — Little Rock) pre-filed a second hate crimes bill at the Arkansas Legislature: H.B. 1020.

The bill is virtually identical to S.B. 3 by Sen. Jim Hendren (R — Gravette) and Rep. Fred Love enacting hate crimes legislation in Arkansas.

Family Council has opposed hate crimes legislation for more than 25 years.

These bills write special protections into state law for groups of people based on sexual-orientation, gender-identity, and other characteristics.

These laws simply do not work. Data from the FBI indicates that they don’t protect people, and violent hate crimes have continued to occur in states with laws like these on the books.

Hate crimes laws promote unequal justice, and they can carry serious, unintended consequences. Ultimately, these laws end up punishing people for their speech and their beliefs instead of simply punishing them for their actions.

That’s part of the reason groups like the Washington County Republican Committee have issued statements opposing hate crimes legislation in Arkansas.

Arkansans can sign a letter opposing hate crimes legislation. A copy of the letter and the names of those who sign it will be published and shared with state legislators and others.

Family Council will continue to oppose hate crimes measures like S.B. 3. and H.B. 1020. This legislation was a bad idea 25 years ago, and it’s still a bad idea today.

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