Updated: Satanic Temple Places Pro-Abortion Billboards in Arkansas

Above: A photograph of one of the Satanic Temple’s pro-abortion billboards near I-30 in Little Rock.

The Satanic Temple has placed pro-abortion billboards in Arkansas.

The billboards come as the group has dropped its lawsuit against Lamar Advertising Company over a set of pro-abortion billboards the company rejected in 2020.

Above: A photograph of one of the Satanic Temple’s pro-abortion billboards near Springdale, Arkansas.

In 2020 the Satanic Temple proposed four billboard designs that falsely claimed The Satanic Temple’s “religious abortion ritual averts many state restrictions” on abortion and that “abortions save lives.” The group reportedly wanted Lamar Advertising Company to place the billboards near pregnancy resource centers in Arkansas.

Lamar Advertising Company understandably rejected the billboard designs for being “misleading and offensive.” The Satanic Temple sued Lamar in federal court as a result.

On Tuesday attorneys for Lamar and the Satanic Temple filed court documents stating, “The parties have resolved all issues between them, and there remain no issues to be decided by this Court.”

On Tuesday Family Council also learned that the Satanic Temple had paid to place at least one billboard in Northwest Arkansas claiming that “Abortions Save Lives!”

The billboard advertises “Free Religious Abortion Care,” and it provides an address for a website that tells how to get abortion drugs in New Mexico.

Attorneys for Lamar Advertising Company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit and the new pro-abortion billboard.

It’s worth pointing out that the Satanic Temple is an atheist organization with a long history of stirring up controversy in Arkansas.

The group has opposed Arkansas’ monument honoring the Ten Commandments and is part of a lawsuit to have the monument removed from the capitol grounds.

In August of 2018 the Satanic Temple held a small protest in front of the State Capitol, and parked a flatbed trailer holding a 7½-foot statue of baphomet — a satanic figure — in front of the Capitol Building for a short time.

Abortion doesn’t “save lives” — it ends lives. It takes the life of an unborn baby, and it hurts women. The Satanic Temple simply has no business making these outrageous, pro-abortion claims on billboards in Arkansas.

Updated 1:00pm Thursday, August 10: Family Council has confirmed that the Satanic Temple has placed multiple pro-abortion billboards in Arkansas. This story has been updated to reflect that fact.

New Law Taking Effect Will Provide Adoption Education for Public School Students in Arkansas

A new law taking effect this week will help provide public school students with education regarding adoption.

Act 637 of 2023 by Sen. David Wallace (R — Leachville) and Rep. Joey Carr (R — Blytheville) requires public schools to provide one hour of education regarding adoption awareness to students in grades 6-12 at the beginning of each school year.

This will help educate students about adoption and foster care in Arkansas.

According to Act 637, the adoption education must cover the following topics:

  • The benefits of adoption to society
  • The types of adoption available
  • The difference between adoption through the foster care system and private adoption
  • The reasons adoption is preferable to abortion
  • Public and private resources and agencies available to assist in the adoption process
  • Statistical data on abortion, adoption, and childbirth
  • Public and private resources available for pregnant mothers and parents enrolled in a public school
  • A description of child and human development.

The law requires the State Board of Education to develop “curricula, standards, materials, and units” to teach students about adoption.

Promoting adoption and foster care is good for children and families, and it is one way that Arkansans can reduce the demand for abortion.

Act 637 of 2023 is a good law that will help do exactly that.

Arkansas Right to Life was the lead pro-life proponent of this law during the 2023 legislative session, and Family Council was proud to support their efforts.

Now that Act 637 is taking effect, we look forward to the State Board of Education and the various public schools around the state implementing this good law in the coming school year.