Another State Legalizes Commercial Surrogacy

Bioethics

Last Month New York lawmakers reportedly legalized the controversial practice of commercial surrogacy.

The legislation was tacked onto a budget measure that passed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commercial surrogacy is a practice where companies and wealthy couples pay women thousands of dollars to carry children.

There are several ethical problems with commercial surrogacy and egg harvesting. Here are a few:

  • Selling Children. Commercial surrogacy treats babies like products and ultimately amounts to buying and selling children for profit.
  • Unethical Treatment of Women. Commercial surrogacy and egg harvesting programs treat women like commodities.
  • Exploitation of Women and Children. Commercial surrogacy makes it possible to exploit women and children, which is one reason why the practice is banned in many countries and why the European Union has condemned it as a human rights violation.

Commercial surrogacy and egg harvesting also carry a number of health risks for women.

Unfortunately, Arkansas law currently allows commercial surrogacy and commercial egg harvesting.

That’s why Family Council has supported legislation in the past that would have addressed these issues.

H.B. 1761 of 2019 would have regulated the buying and selling of human eggs. It would have prohibited companies from paying women for their eggs, but it contained exceptions for free egg donations and for fertility treatments.

The bill passed in the Arkansas House, but unfortunately failed to make it through the senate before the session adjourned.

In 2017 then-Rep. Greg Leding sponsored a bill prohibiting commercial surrogacy in Arkansas; unfortunately the bill never came up for a vote before the legislature adjourned.

Being pro-life means believing that human life is sacred from conception until natural death.

It means treating human life with respect at every stage of development.

It also means recognizing that human beings are not products that can be bought or sold.

In this way, commercial surrogacy violates the sanctity and dignity of human life.

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Lottery Ticket Sales Jump As Stimulus Checks Arrive

Arkansas Lottery

Ticket sales for the Arkansas Lottery rose in the later part of April, after Arkansans began receiving economic stimulus checks, according to documents Family Council obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

Family Council recently sent the Arkansas Lottery Office a Freedom of Information Act request asking for weekly ticket sales information from March 29 to April 25.

The reports show that from March 29 to April 4, Arkansas Lottery instant ticket net sales were about $9 million.

During the week of April 5 to April 11, instant ticket net sales dropped to $8.9 million.

From April 12 to April 18, net sales for instant lottery tickets rose to more than $9.8 million.

And during the week of April 19 to April 25, net sales for instant lottery tickets surpassed $11 million.

Across the board, Arkansas lottery ticket sales jumped during the week of April 19 – April 25, compared to previous weeks.

It’s impossible to know how many lottery tickets were bought using COVID-19 stimulus money the federal government sent to Arkansans, but it seems like more than just a coincidence that lottery ticket sales would jump after these checks began arriving.

News outlets have similarly reported that in Texas state lottery ticket sales saw a boost after stimulus checks were deposited.

It’s no secret that gambling preys on the poor and desperate, and state-run lotteries like Arkansas’ are no exception.

That’s why groups like Stop Predatory Gambling have called on state officials to suspend their state-run lotteries temporarily as taxpayers receive relief checks.

Otherwise money that is meant to help taxpayers make ends meet during these challenging times could end up being wasted on losing lottery tickets.

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State Releases New COVID-19 Guidance for Churches

COVID-19,

Unlike other states, Arkansas has never shut down places of worship during the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, the state has issued guidance to help ensure church meetings do not spread the coronavirus.

On Monday the Arkansas Department of Health issued updated guidance for churches and nonprofit organizations.

According to the state’s guidelines, churches are strongly encouraged to continue meeting online rather than in-person.

However, churches who meet in-person during this time must:

  • Discourage churchgoers from attending meetings if they have fever, cough, shortness of breath, or other COVID-19 symptoms, or if they have been exposed to the virus.
  • Advise people 65 or older or who have other underlying health conditions that they may not want to attend services
  • Inform people that no one will be admitted without a face mask

Churches must provide hand sanitizer stations at all public entrances.

Congregants must maintain strict social distancing indoors and outdoors.

Meet and greet times should be outdoors, if possible; church refreshments should be outdoors only, as well.

According to the guidelines, churches also should refrain from having altar calls, passing items among churchgoers, and conducting childcare or Sunday school classes.

You can find the full guidelines for churches here.

If the Arkansas Department of Health’s website fails to properly load the guidelines, you can find a copy of the guidelines on Google’s server here.

You can find additional information for churches from the Health Department here.

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