July 2014 – Page 7 – Family Council

We Beat the Arkansas Lottery – For Now

Jul 2, 2014JerryArkansas LotteryArkansas Legislature, Arkansas Lottery

Early this morning the state legislature did what no one has done in the past five years: They told the Arkansas Lottery “No.”

The Lottery Commission has gotten its way on virtually every major decision since the spring of 2009. Many lawmakers have been reluctant to regulate the Lottery, because they were all assured the best way to make the Lottery successful was to give the Lottery Commission as much leeway as possible.

All that changed when Lottery Commissioners openly defied the will of the legislators by voting to roll out lottery “monitor games” this fall. These games—which operate like Keno, a popular casino game, and bingo—would be installed and played across the state.

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Arkansas Lottery Ready to Say ‘Uncle’?

Jul 1, 2014JerryArkansas LotteryArkansas Lottery

Something historic is happening at the Arkansas Legislature this week.

It isn’t just that the legislature is meeting under a special session–although that is rare.

It isn’t just that the legislature is meeting in the Old State House for the first time in more than a century–although that is historic also.

No, this special session of the Arkansas Legislature is historic for those reasons and one more: It marks the first time since 2009 that lawmakers are prepared to tell the Arkansas Lottery Commission “No.”

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Busting a Few Myths About the Hobby Lobby Ruling

Jul 1, 2014JerryReligious FreedomHHS Mandate, Religious Freedom, Religious Liberty

As a result of yesterday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling involving Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood, a lot of incorrect information has emerged across the Internet. We want to take a moment to bust a few common myths we see recurring about the ruling and its implications.

Myth #1: The ruling struck down the HHS contraceptive mandate. Believe it or not, the HHS mandate still stands; it just doesn’t apply to certain family-owned businesses. Yesterday’s ruling found that family-owned businesses whose owners have well-established, deeply-held religious convictions guiding their practices cannot be forced to pay for contraceptives, abortifacients, sterilizations, or other services they find objectionable. Other for-profit companies still have to abide by it.
Myth #2: The ruling means Hobby Lobby and other companies won’t offer health insurance to their employees. Yesterday’s ruling has nothing to do with the availability of health insurance. According to our research, Hobby Lobby offered health insurance to its employees before Obamacare went into effect. Hobby Lobby plans to continue offering health insurance to its employees today. The issue has never been whether or not Hobby Lobby would offer insurance to employees; the issue has always been whether or not the federal government can require those insurance plans include procedures and services Hobby Lobby’s owners find morally objectionable.

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