Bad Bill Would Prevent Healthcare Professionals From Helping Kids Overcome Unwanted Same-Sex Attraction, Gender Confusion

On Tuesday Sen. Greg Leding (D – Fayetteville) and Rep. Tippi McCullough (D – Little Rock) filed S.B. 510 prohibiting so-called “conversion therapy” for minors in Arkansas.

S.B. 510 would prevent healthcare professionals from providing children with assistance overcoming unwanted same-sex attraction or gender confusion.

However, the bill would permit pro-LGBT counseling.

In other words, S.B. 510 would let counselors, doctors, and other healthcare professionals encourage children to accept same-sex attraction or disagree with their biological sex, but healthcare professionals would not be able to help children overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or accept their biological sex.

S.B. 510 infringes free speech and the free exercise of religion among licensed healthcare professionals. It does not contain any exceptions for healthcare professionals who have deeply-held religious convictions against performing pro-LGBT counseling.

It fails to account for the fact that many medical professionals, like the American College of Pediatricians, believe that encouraging a child to disagree with his or her biological sex amounts to child abuse.

Simply put: S.B. 510 is a radical, pro-LGBT proposal that would undermine the health and safety of children in Arkansas.

Read The Bill Here.

Arkansas Passes “No Patient Left Alone Act”

On Tuesday the Arkansas Senate overwhelmingly passed H.B. 1061, the No Patient Left Alone Act, by Rep. Julie Mayberry (R – Hensley) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R – Russellville).

This is a good piece of legislation that will help ensure people in healthcare facilities can receive visitors — even during a pandemic

The bill now goes to Gov. Hutchinson to become law.

At the beginning of this year Family Council outlined a list of priorities for the first few months of 2021. One of them was to secure passage of legislation that would protect people from being left alone and denied visitors in hospitals, nursing homes, and similar facilities. That’s what H.B. 1061 does.

H.B. 1061 is a very good bill. Family Council was pleased to work with Rep. Mayberry — as well as several groups and individuals — to help support its passage.

Arkansas Governor Signs Law Prohibiting Abortion

Gov. Hutchinson signs legislation in this file photo from 2015.

The Associated Press reports that Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed into law S.B. 6 prohibiting abortion except to save the life of the mother.

This good law by Sen. Jason Rapert (R – Conway) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R – Perryville) passed with strong support from the Arkansas Senate and the Arkansas House of Representatives.

If enforced, it will save approximately 3,000 unborn children from abortion every year in Arkansas.

If groups like the ACLU or Planned Parenthood challenge it, S.B. 6 will give our federal courts an opportunity to overturn bad abortion rulings like Roe v. Wade.

Either way, Arkansas has the opportunity to be a true leader in the effort to end abortion in America.

Many people have been saying for almost fifty years that abortion should be illegal. The time has come for us to make it so.

Family Council is incredibly pleased at the passage of this excellent legislation. We want to thank our lawmakers for sponsoring and passing such a good bill. We want to thank Governor Hutchinson for signing it into law. Arkansas is the most pro-life state in America, and the legislation that our elected officials support reflects that fact.