Arkansas Legislature Votes to Override Veto of H.B. 1570

LGBT,

On Tuesday the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate voted to override Governor Hutchinson’s veto of H.B. 1570.

H.B. 1570, the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act, by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Springdale) and Sen. Alan Clark (R – Lonsdale) prohibits sex-reassignment procedures on children in Arkansas.

The bill also prevents funding of sex-reassignment procedures performed on children.

Gender-reassignment surgeries can leave children sterilized and scarred for life.

Medical researchers do not know the long term effects these procedures and therapies can have on kids. That is why many people equate them with experimenting on children.

The SAFE Act passed with overwhelming support from the Arkansas Legislature.

On Monday Governor Hutchinson vetoed the SAFE Act.

However, the legislature made the right decision to override the governor’s veto on Tuesday. This is good news, and Arkansans ought to be proud of their lawmakers for standing up and protecting the welfare of children.

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Proposal Would Legalize Internet Gambling, Keno Under State Lottery

Arkansas Lottery, Gambling,

On Monday Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R – Russellville) filed H.B. 1869 legalizing iLottery and Keno in Arkansas under the auspices of the state-run lottery.

H.B. 1869 would let Arkansans use a smart phone, tablet, computer, or other electronic device to gamble on the Arkansas Lottery via the Internet. It also would permit Keno in Arkansas — which is a controversial casino-style game.

Lottery officials lobbied unsuccessfully for Keno in 2013 and 2014, but lawmakers soundly rejected that proposal.

Keno is different from other lottery games. Drawings for Keno usually take place every few minutes rather than once a day, and the odds of winning a jackpot prize tend to be worse than other lottery games.

Its fast pace makes Keno a popular casino game, because players can pick numbers and place bets over and over again in a short amount of time.

As a result, Keno often is played in a live room full of gamblers.

One of the reasons lawmakers rejected Keno a few years ago is that they did not want the State Lottery creating miniature casinos in bars, convenience stores, and gas stations across Arkansas.

The way H.B. 1869 is written, Arkansas could end up with miniature casinos that offer Keno, and Arkansans may even be able to play Keno non-stop on their cell phones.

If the Arkansas Lottery authorizes Keno — and especially if lottery officials make it possible for people to gamble online — that’s going to increase problem gambling and gambling addiction in Arkansas. That makes H.B. 1869 a bad bill.

Read H.B. 1869 Here.

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Senate Committee Passes Measure Restricting Abortion Facilities

Abortion,

On Monday the Senate Public Health Committee passed S.B. 388.

This good bill by Sen. Charles Beckham (R – McNeil), Sen. Dan Sullivan (R – Jonesboro), Rep. Joe Cloud (R – Russellville), and Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R – Springdale) requires any facility that performs abortions to be licensed by the Arkansas Department of Health as an abortion facility.

The bill passed in committee with only one audible “No” vote against it.

S.B. 388 also prohibits abortions in hospitals except in cases of medical emergency.

Under current law, facilities are not required to be licensed or inspected as abortion facilities unless they perform more than ten abortions in a month. This means that a clinic potentially could perform more than 100 abortions per year without being licensed or inspected as an abortion facility.

S.B. 388 addresses this problem in state law.

This bill will make it easier for the Arkansas Department of Health to enforce our existing pro-life laws that restrict abortion at abortion facilities.

S.B. 388 will ensure that every clinic that performs abortions is licensed and inspected, and that Arkansas’ laws against abortion are properly followed.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate.

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