Arkansas Senate Passes Bad Bill Permitting Public Drinking in Dry Counties

Alcohol, Public Drinking,

On Tuesday the Arkansas Senate narrowly passed H.B. 1228 by a vote of 18 to 14.

This bad bill by Rep. Lee Johnson (R – Greenwood) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville) lets cities in dry counties approve public drinking in “entertainment districts” adjacent to private clubs that sell alcohol.

The Senate previously rejected H.B. 1228 on March 17. However, on Tuesday the bill passed despite having been soundly rejected just a few weeks ago.

Currently, cities and towns in wet counties can approve public drinking in entertainment districts.

H.B. 1228 expands Arkansas’ alcohol laws to let people carry and consume alcohol on city streets and sidewalks in entertainment districts in dry counties.

Does anyone really think that voters imagined there would be public drinking in their communities when they voted to make their county dry?

And yet that’s what will happen in some dry counties under H.B. 1228.

Below is a breakdown of Tuesday’s senate vote on H.B. 1228, the bill expanding public drinking to dry counties in Arkansas.

Voted FOR H.B. 1228

  • B. Ballinger
  • L. Chesterfield
  • B. Davis
  • J. Dismang
  • L. Eads
  • Elliott
  • J. English
  • Flippo
  • S. Flowers
  • T. Garner
  • J. Hendren
  • Hester
  • K. Ingram
  • G. Leding
  • M. Pitsch
  • B. Sample
  • D. Sullivan
  • C. Tucker

Voted AGAINST H.B. 1228

  • Beckham
  • Bledsoe
  • A. Clark
  • Gilmore
  • K. Hammer
  • Hickey
  • Hill
  • M. Johnson
  • B. Johnson
  • Rapert
  • Rice
  • G. Stubblefield
  • J. Sturch
  • Teague

Excused From Voting

  • D. Wallace

Did Not Vote

  • Caldwell
  • Irvin

The Following Senators Voted AGAINST H.B. 1228 When It Failed On March 17, But Voted FOR H.B. 1228 When It Passed On April 20

  • B. Ballinger
  • J. Dismang
  • Flippo
  • Hester
  • D. Sullivan

READ MORE

Arkansas Legislature Passes Bill Restricting Abortion Facilities

Abortion, , ,

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed S.B. 388.

This good bill by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil) and Rep. Joe Cloud (R – Russellville) requires any facility that performs abortions to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 also prohibits abortions in hospitals except in cases of medical emergency.

The bill previously passed the Arkansas Senate with strong support.

Under current law, clinics are not required to be licensed or inspected as abortion facilities unless they perform more than ten abortions in a month.

That means that a clinic potentially could perform upwards of 100 or more abortions per year without being licensed or inspected by the State of Arkansas as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 addresses this loophole in Arkansas law.

This bill will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to enforce the good, pro-life laws that lawmakers have implemented over the years. It will ensure that every clinic that performs abortions is licensed and inspected, and that Arkansas’ laws against abortion are properly followed.

S.B. 388 will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to identify and shutdown facilities performing occasional abortions if the facilities aren’t complying with Arkansas’ other pro-life laws.

This is a really good bill. It now goes to the governor to become law.

READ MORE

Arkansas Legislature Passes Measure Establishing Day of Prayer for Arkansas’ Students

Religious Freedom,
Rep. Cooper presents S.B. 662 in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed S.B. 662.

This good bill by Sen. Ricky Hill (R – Cabot), Sen. Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View), and Rep. Cameron Cooper (R – Romance) establishes the last Wednesday of September as a Day of Prayer for Arkansas Students every year.

The bill unanimously passed the Arkansas Senate already.

S.B. 662 calls on the citizens to “pray, meditate, or otherwise reflect upon” students, teachers, school administrators, and schools across the state. It is similar to a law in Kentucky.

It’s a really simple bill, but it’s a really good measure that does a lot.

It now goes to the governor to become law.

Read S.B. 662 Here.

READ MORE