Arkansas Legislature – Page 65

Arkansas Lawmakers File Resolution Opposing Abortion Amendment

Jun 18, 2024Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Abortion Amendment, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Monday Arkansas legislators filed a resolution opposing the Arkansas Abortion Amendment vying for the ballot.

Lawmakers convened in Little Rock on Monday for a special legislative session.

Arkansans for Limited Government has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters to place the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the November ballot.

H.R. 1003, filed by Rep. Ryan Rose (R — Van Buren) and more than 40 other state representatives opposes the abortion amendment, says:

WHEREAS, prior to the United States Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, Arkansas had enacted laws protecting women and unborn children from abortion; and

WHEREAS, from January 22, 1973, to June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade prevented Arkansas from protecting women and unborn children from abortion; and

WHEREAS, on June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision; and

WHEREAS, that same day the State of Arkansas certified that Act 180 of 2019, the Arkansas Human Life Protection Act, prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother in a medical emergency is in effect; and

WHEREAS, an effort is now underway to enact the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024; and

WHEREAS, the ballot title of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 states that the amendment prevents the State of Arkansas from prohibiting, penalizing, delaying, or restricting abortion during the first twenty (20) weeks since the first day of the pregnant female’s last menstrual period; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 would legalize abortion on demand during approximately the first five (5) months of pregnancy in Arkansas, thereby depriving unborn children of their fundamental right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 proposes various exceptions that would permit an abortion up until birth in many instances; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 nullifies all laws and amendments that conflict with it, thereby jeopardizing measures such as parental-consent laws that historically have enjoyed bipartisan support; and

WHEREAS, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 also would jeopardize the constitutionality of public health and safety requirements the State of Arkansas might deem appropriate and necessary for abortion procedures and for those who perform abortions,

NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

THAT the House of Representatives oppose the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024, and encourage all registered voters to vote against it.

If passed, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment would write abortion into the state constitution, allowing thousands of elective abortions in Arkansas every year.

The amendment does not contain any medical licensing or health and safety standards for abortion, and it automatically nullifies all state laws that conflict with the amendment. That jeopardizes even the most basic restrictions on abortion.

The measure contains sweeping health exceptions that would permit abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in many cases.

The amendment also would pave the way for publicly funded abortion in Arkansas by changing Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution that currently prohibits taxpayer funded abortion in the state.

To date, multiple organizations have come out against the amendment, including:

Arkansas Right to Life
Family Council Action Committee
Choose Life Arkansas
NWA Coalition for Life
The Arkansas Committee For Ethics Policy
The Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
Saline Decline to Sign
Stronger Arkansas
Stop Abortion On Demand
Students for Life of America

You can download a copy of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment here.

You can read H.R. 1003 here.

Arkansas Legislature Convenes in Special Session Today

Jun 17, 2024Jerry CoxNewsArkansas Legislature

The Arkansas Legislature is scheduled to convene in a special session today.

Governor Sanders called the special session last week. Lawmakers plan to consider tax cuts as well as approval of a budget for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

On Friday lawmakers began pre-filing resolutions and legislative measures ahead of the special session.

Family Council plans to actively monitor and report on the special session.

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

Capitol Grounds Commission Recommends Space for Arkansas’ Monument to the Unborn

Jun 12, 2024Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Arkansas Legislature, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

On Tuesday the Arkansas Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission agreed to recommend a location on the state capitol grounds for a monument honoring the unborn.

Act 310 of 2023 by Sen. Kim Hammer (R – Benton) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) authorizes a privately funded pro-life monument on the Arkansas Capitol Grounds. The Arts and Grounds Commission, which is responsible for the property around the capitol building, has debated where the monument ought to be located. Tuesday’s decision brings the monument another step closer to completion.

The monument will commemorate the 236,243 unborn children whose lives were lost to abortion from 1973 – 2022.

Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and abortion is prohibited in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother, it’s important to remember the dignity and humanity of all unborn children.

Act 310 does that by establishing this monument as “a constant reminder of our duty to protect the life of every innocent human person, no matter how young or old, or how helpless and vulnerable that person may be.”

This monument to the unborn is more than just a structure. It is a powerful testament to Arkansas’ resolve to honor and protect innocent human life at all stages of development, from conception until natural death.

Arkansas Right to Life was the lead pro-life proponent of Act 310. Family Council was proud to support their efforts.

While Arkansas is making progress to build a monument to the unborn, an effort is also underway to write abortion into the state constitution.

Arkansans for Limited Government has until July 5 to collect 90,704 valid signatures from registered voters to place the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the November ballot. According to public records, the group currently employs more than 100 paid petition canvassers gathering signatures for the ballot measure.

If passed, the Arkansas Abortion Amendment would write abortion into the state constitution, allowing thousands of elective abortions in Arkansas every year.

The amendment does not contain any medical licensing or health and safety standards for abortion.

The measure prevents the Arkansas Legislature from restricting abortion during the first five months of pregnancy, and it automatically nullifies all state laws that conflict with the amendment. That jeopardizes even the most basic health and safety restrictions on abortion.

The amendment’s health exceptions would permit abortion through all nine months of pregnancy in many cases.

It also would pave the way for publicly funded abortion in Arkansas by changing Amendment 68 to the Arkansas Constitution that currently prohibits taxpayer funded abortion in the state.

To date, multiple organizations have come out against the amendment, including: