Bill Filed to Protect Healthcare Workers’ Rights of Conscience in Arkansas

Legislation, Legislature, Rights of Conscience,

On Thursday Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) and Rep. Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro) filed S.B. 289, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act. This good bill protects healthcare workers’ rights of conscience in Arkansas.

S.B. 289 supplements existing conscience protections in Arkansas law.

It emphasizes the right of healthcare providers, institutions, and payers to decline to participate in medical procedures that violate their moral, religious, or ethical convictions. It also prohibits retaliatory discrimination against healthcare providers, institutions, or payers for declining to participate in healthcare services that violate their consciences.

Arkansas’ current conscience protections are narrowly focused on abortion, abortifacients, and end of life decisions, and they protect only a limited number of people. S.B. 289 helps broaden and strengthen those protections for healthcare workers.

No one should have to worry about facing discrimination for obeying their conscientious convictions.

You can read S.B. 289 here.

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Bill Declaring Religion as Essential Passes Senate, Goes to Governor

Legislation, Legislature, Religious Freedom, , ,

On Wednesday the Arkansas Senate overwhelmingly passed H.B. 1211.

This good bill by Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) and Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) recognizes that religion and religious organizations are essential in Arkansas.

In other states we’ve seen churches and religious organizations singled out during the COVID-19 pandemic. H.B. 1211 helps prevent that from ever happening in Arkansas.

Public officials have the authority to protect health and public safety, but the the free exercise of religion is never suspended.

H.B. 1211 ensures our government never closes churches during a disaster or other emergency.

It prevents the government from penalizing a church that meets during an emergency, and it requires churches to comply with the same basic health and safety standards as everyone else.

Churches and charities support their communities during an emergency. They need to be free to serve people without worrying that the government might punish them. H.B. 1211 provides that protection.

H.B. 1211 passed with overwhelming support in the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate. It now goes to Governor Hutchinson’s desk to be signed into law.

Below is a breakdown of how the Arkansas Senate voted on H.B. 1211.

Voted For The Bill

  • B. Ballinger
  • Beckham
  • Bledsoe
  • Caldwell
  • L. Chesterfield
  • A. Clark
  • B. Davis
  • J. Dismang
  • L. Eads
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • S. Flowers
  • T. Garner
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • J. Hendren
  • Hester
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • Irvin
  • M. Johnson
  • B. Johnson
  • M. Pitsch
  • Rapert
  • Rice
  • B. Sample
  • G. Stubblefield
  • J. Sturch
  • D. Sullivan
  • Teague
  • D. Wallace

Voted Against The Bill

None.

Voted “Present” On The Bill

  • Elliott
  • K. Ingram
  • G. Leding
  • C. Tucker

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Bill Would Address Problem With Marijuana Advertising

Legislation, Legislature, Marijuana,

On Monday Rep. Delia Haak (R – Gentry) filed H.B. 1353 closing a loophole in Arkansas’ law governing advertising for “medical” marijuana.

Arkansas law generally prohibits marijuana dispensaries and cultivators from using medical symbols on their property.

However, state law doesn’t clearly apply to other forms of marijuana advertising. As a result, billboards and ads for marijuana products around Arkansas sometimes use green crosses or other medical symbols.

H.B. 1353 clarifies the law to say that marijuana dispensaries and cultivators cannot use a cross of any color or other symbols commonly associated with the practice of medicine in their advertisements.

This is a good bill that closes a loophole in Arkansas’ marijuana laws.

You can read H.B. 1353 here.

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