Columbia County Passes Pro-Life Resolution

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On August 14 the Columbia County Quorum Court passed a resolution declaring itself a Pro-Life County.

In 2021 the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 392 affirming that cities and counties can designate themselves as Pro-Life.

This year lawmakers passed Act 699 by Sen. Joshua Bryant (R – Rogers) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R – Cave Springs) expanding the law and letting other political subdivisions of the state pass Pro-Life resolutions as well. 

To date, nearly half of all Arkansans live in a Pro-Life City or Pro-Life County.

Columbia County’s Pro-Life Resolution says,

WHEREAS, Ark. Code Ann. §14-1-108 (Act 699 of 2023, enacted April 11, 2023, effective August 1, 2023) provides, in part, that a county by resolution may state the policy of the county to be Pro-Life; and

WHEREAS, the Declaration of Independence declares that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including the right to life; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 68, states that the policy of the state is to protect the life of every unborn child from conception until birth; and

WHEREAS, it is the duty of state and local government to protect the unalienable right to life of every person within their respective jurisdictions; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court found in Poelker v. Doe, 432 U.S. 519 (1977), that the United States Constitution does not prohibit a municipality using democratic processes from expressing a preference for normal childbirth rather than abortion.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE QUORUM COURT OF THE COUNTY OF COLUMBIA, STATE OF ARKANSAS:

SECTION 1. That the policy of Columbia County is to promote and protect the dignity and humanity of all persons at all stages of life from conception until natural death.

SECTION 2. That Columbia County is to be known as a “Pro-Life County”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade means state and local governments are now completely free to affirm that they support life.

More than ever, citizens and their elected officials need to establish exactly where they stand on the issue of abortion.

It’s good to see citizens in Columbia County taking a firm stand for the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life.

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State of Arkansas Finishes Awarding $1M to Pregnancy Centers for FY 2023

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The State of Arkansas finished Fiscal Year 2023 earlier this summer. Data reported on the state’s official government transparency website show Arkansas successfully awarded $1 million in publicly funded grants to pro-life pregnancy help organizations across the state over the past 12 months.

Since the 2022 Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade, state legislatures around the country have bolstered state funding for pregnancy help organizations that provide women with alternatives to abortion.

In Ohio, lawmakers raised the state’s biannual budget for pregnancy resource centers this year from $6 million to $14 million.

In Tennessee this year, legislators appropriated $20 million for pro-life organizations that provide alternatives to abortion. Florida’s state budget allocates $30 million pregnancy help organizations.

Texas offers $100 million per biennium for its abortion alternatives program.

Kansas — where some 405 women from Arkansas had abortions in 2022 — will provide $2 million in funding for pregnancy centers during the coming budget cycle.

Last year the Arkansas Legislature passed an appropriation measure budgeting $1 million for publicly-funded grants to pro-life pregnancy-help organizations — such as crisis pregnancy centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies, and social services agencies — that provide material support to women with unplanned pregnancies.

Many of these organizations provide everything from ultrasounds and pregnancy tests to maternity clothes and adoption referrals — typically free of charge. They often operate on very tight budgets and rely heavily on volunteers and donations.

This year the Arkansas Legislature voted to provide $1 million in grant funding for pregnancy help organizations that offer women and families alternatives to abortion.

Below is a breakdown of pro-life organizations and the amount of grant funding each received during Fiscal Year 2023.

VendorVendor DBAExpenditure
INFORMED CHOICES WOMENS CENTER OF THE OZ$79,550.31
PLUM FOUNDATIONPEACE LOVE UNDERSTANDING MERCY$60,189.47
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST$60,143.68
SOUTH ARKANSAS CARING PREGNANCY CENTERHANNAH PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER$59,698.97
OPEN ARMS PREGNANCY CENTER INC$59,134.74
HOPEPLACE NEWPORT$51,936.00
ST JOSEPHS HELPERS OF PULASKI COUNTYARKANSAS PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER$51,718.00
CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER OF CENTRAL ARKANCARING HEARTS PREGNANCY CENTER$51,708.12
HEART TO HEART PREGNANCY SUPPORT CENTER$51,480.56
HOPEPLACE MONTICELLO$47,271.34
CENTRAL BAPTIST ASSOCIATIONNEW BEGINNINGS PREGNANCY CENTER$46,812.36
COMPASSION MINISTRIES LTD$46,221.47
HOPE OF THE DELTA CENTER$44,161.00
HOPEPLACE – FORDYCE$43,936.00
PREGNANCY HELP CENTERPREGNANCY HELP CLINIC$41,210.00
ARKANSAS BAPTIST CHILDRENS HOME & FAMILYCONNECTED FOSTER CARE & ADOPTIONS$39,962.50
PATHWAY RESOURCE CENTER$37,962.08
ALPHA PREGNANCY PROBLEM CENTER OF BATESVTHE ALPHA CENTER INC$32,768.00
CHANGEPOINT PREGNANCY CARE AND PARENTING$31,789.47
ACTS OF HOPE INC$26,230.96
CRADLE THE MATERNITY SUPPORT CENTER OF CKATHLEEN BLOSSOM$25,613.97
RIGHT TO LIFE OF TEXARKANA INCFIRST CHOICE PREGNANCY RESOURCE$10,501.00
Total$1,000,000.00

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