House Committee Passes Ultrasound Education Bill

On Thursday the House Education Committee passed a good bill to help teach public school students about unborn children.

S.B. 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Kendra Moore (R — Lincoln) lets public school students see a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video as part of human fetal growth and development education courses.

The bill also lets students learn important facts about how unborn children develop in the womb.

S.B. 450 passed with overwhelming support in the Arkansas Senate last week. Now that the education committee has backed it, the bill can go before the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for a final vote.

As we have said time and again, ultrasound images help demonstrate that unborn children are human beings.

Very few medical advancements have done more to change hearts and minds on abortion than ultrasound technology. In fact, research has shown that some women are less likely to have an abortion if they see an ultrasound image of their unborn child.

S.B. 450 will help teach students that unborn children are living human beings. That is why Family Council is pleased to support this good bill.

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

Senate Education Committee Rejects Good Bill to Teach Students About Unborn Children

On Wednesday the Senate Education Committee rejected a good bill that would help teach public school students in Arkansas about unborn children.

H.B. 1946 by Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville) and Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) requires public schools to provide human growth and development education in grades 6 – 12 every school year.

The bill requires the courses to include a three-minute high-definition ultrasound video and a high-quality, computer animated video depicting the process of fertilization and every stage of fetal development.

Under H.B. 1946, this instruction would be included in biology and sex-education courses.

H.B. 1946 passed with strong support in the Arkansas House of Representatives on Tuesday, and Rep. Bentley presented it to the Senate Education Committee the following morning.

During her remarks, Rep. Bentley noted that there is no known opposition to H.B. 1946, and she asked the committee members to support the bill. However, the bill failed to pass.

H.B. 1946 is the second fetal development education bill to be rejected by the Senate Education Committee. In February the committee failed to pass H.B. 1180, the Baby Olivia Act, by Rep. Bentley and Sen. Penzo. H.B. 1180 would ensure public schools show students a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video that is at least three minutes long as part of sex-education and human growth and development education courses, and it would let students see a video like Live Action’s computer-animated “Meet Baby Olivia” video that teaches about human development from conception to birth.

Although the Senate Education Committee has rejected H.B. 1946 and H.B. 1180, the committee did pass S.B. 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Kendra Moore (R — Lincoln) — a good bill that lets public school students see a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video as part of human fetal growth and development education courses. The bill also lets students learn important facts about how unborn children develop in the womb.

S.B. 450 received strong support in the Arkansas Senate, and it has been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

It’s good to see lawmakers taking such an interest in teaching public school students about unborn children.

Ultrasound technology provides what some people call a “window into the womb” demonstrating that unborn children are living human beings. Good bills like H.B. 1180, S.B. 450, and H.B. 1946 help Arkansas’ students understand that.

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

Arkansas Senate Passes Bill to Prohibit Race-Selection Abortion if Pro-Life Laws Ever Change

On Wednesday night the Arkansas Senate passed a bill that would prohibit certain abortions if Arkansas’ pro-life laws ever change.

Since 2022, abortion in Arkansas has been prohibited except to save the life of the mother. This year the Arkansas Legislature passed a law clarifying and closing possible loopholes in the state’s pro-life laws.

Before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Arkansas passed dozens of different laws restricting and prohibiting abortion — including laws protecting unborn children from being aborted because of their sex or because they may be at risk for Down Syndrome. Technically, those good laws are still on the books, and they could be enforced if a federal court ever blocked Arkansas’ laws that generally prohibit abortion.

S.B. 591 by Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) and Rep. Karilyn Brown (R — Sherwood) would prohibit abortions performed due to the unborn baby’s race if Arkansas’ pro-life laws are ever amended or struck down.

The Arkansas Senate voted overwhelmingly for this good law on Wednesday. S.B. 591 now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

The Following Senators Voted For S.B. 591

  • J. Boyd
  • J. Bryant
  • Caldwell
  • A. Clark
  • Crowell
  • B. Davis
  • Dees
  • J. Dismang
  • J. Dotson
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Johnson
  • B. King
  • M. McKee
  • J. Payton
  • C. Penzo
  • J. Petty
  • Rice
  • Stone
  • G. Stubblefield
  • D. Sullivan
  • D. Wallace

The Following Senators Voted Against S.B. 591

  • S. Flowers
  • G. Leding
  • F. Love
  • R. Murdock
  • J. Scott
  • C. Tucker

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