Religious Freedom – Page 6

Governor Signs Religious Freedom Bill into Law

Apr 21, 2025Jerry CoxReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Freedom

*Above: Sen. Stubblefield and Rep. Lundstrum present H.B. 1615 in committee. The bill passed at the Arkansas Legislature, and Gov. Sanders signed it into law last week.*

Last week Gov. Sanders announced that she had signed a good religious freedom bill into law.

H.B. 1615 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) will help ensure that religious organizations and religious individuals are not penalized for living out their deeply held religious convictions.

This good law is especially important for people who have religious convictions about biological sex and marriage.

Nobody should be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihood, and nobody should be punished for obeying their conscience. H.B. 1615 will help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.

Family Council wants to thank Rep. Lundstrum and Sen. Stubblefield for sponsoring H.B. 1615. We appreciate the General Assembly passing this measure, and we are grateful to Gov. Sanders for signing it into law.

Arkansas has a longstanding tradition of affirming and protecting the free exercise of religion. H.B. 1615 is a good law that will help the state continue to do exactly that.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Senate Committee Passes Good Religious Freedom Measure

Apr 8, 2025Jerry CoxReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Freedom

On Monday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a good bill to protect religious freedom in Arkansas.

H.B. 1615 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) would ensure that religious organizations and religious individuals are not penalized for living out their deeply held religious convictions.

This good bill is especially important for people who have religious convictions about biological sex and marriage.

Over the years, wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, florist shops, and others have been dragged into court simply because their owners wanted to operate according to their deeply held convictions. Nobody should be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihood, and nobody should be punished for obeying their conscience.

H.B. 1615 will help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.

The bill passed in the Arkansas House of Representatives last week. It now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for a final vote.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

Arkansas House Passes Bill Protecting Religious Freedom

Apr 4, 2025Jerry CoxReligious FreedomArkansas Legislature, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty

On Thursday the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a good measure protecting religious liberty.

Time and again, wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, florist shops, and others have been targeted by public officials and dragged into court simply because their owners wanted to operate according to their deeply held convictions.

H.B. 1615 will help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.

As we have written before, Arkansas has passed some of the best religious freedom protections in the country over the years. In 2015, the state enacted its Religious Freedom Restoration Act. And lawmakers passed good bills in 2023 to strengthen that law.

H.B. 1615 helps further improve Arkansas’ laws protecting the free exercise of religion.

The bill now goes to the Arkansas Senate for consideration.