Family Council Action Committee Releases 2021 Legislative Report Card and Names Recipients of 2021 Statesman Awards

Below is a news release from Family Council Action Committee.

LITTLE ROCK, AR – On Tuesday Family Council Action Committee released its legislative report card for the 2021 Arkansas General Assembly. The report card scored 27 bills in the Arkansas House and 23 bills in the Arkansas Senate. Bills ranged from right-to-life, education, the LGBTQ agenda, religious liberty, and other issues. Lawmakers earned letter grades ranging from A-F based on how they voted on the bills. Lawmakers had to vote on at least 60% of the bills in the report card in order to receive a letter grade and to be considered for the award. 

Jerry Cox, President of Family Council Action Committee, stated, “We chose bills based on our core belief in promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values. These bills were chosen because they address issues conservative Arkansans care about, including abortion; religious liberty; the LGBTQ agenda; education; and others. We wanted to answer the common question from constituents, ‘How did my legislator vote?’” Arkansans can order the report card by calling 501-375-7000, emailing ken@familycouncilactioncommittee.com or see candidates’ votes online at www.ArkansasReport.com.  

Family Council Action Committee also announced the recipients of the 2021 Statesman Award. “This year we again awarded legislators for their hard work and good votes,” Cox stated, “we commend these legislators for promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values during the 2021 legislative session.” Fifty-eight legislators received the award based on how they voted on the bills or if they sponsored legislation in the report card. 

The 2021 Statesman Award recipients included 24 senators and 34 representatives:

Senator Bob Ballinger (R – Ozark)
Senator Charles Beckham (R – McNeil)
Senator Cecile Bledsoe (R – Rogers) 
Senator Ronald Caldwell (R – Wynne)
Senator Alan Clark (R – Lonsdale)
Senator Jane English (R – North Little Rock)
Senator Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals)
Senator Trent Garner (R – El Dorado)
Senator Ben Gilmore (R – Crossett)
Senator Kim Hammer (R – Benton)
Senator Bart Hester (R – Cave Springs)
Senator Ricky Hill (R – Cabot)
Senator Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View)
Senator Blake Johnson (R – Corning)
Senator Mark Johnson (R – Little Rock)
Senator Mathew Pitsch (R – Fort Smith)
Senator Jason Rapert (R – Conway)
Senator Terry Rice (R – Waldron)
Senator Bill Sample (R – Hot Springs)
Senator Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch)
Senator James Sturch (R – Batesville)
Senator Dan Sullivan (R – Jonesboro)
Senator Larry Teague (D – Nashville)
Senator David Wallace (R – Leachville)
Representative Sonia Barker (R – Smackover)
Representative Howard M Beaty, Jr. (R – Crossett)
Representative Rick Beck (R – Center Ridge)
Representative Mary Bentley (R – Perryville)
Representative Justin Boyd (R – Fort Smith)
Representative Ken Bragg (R – Sheridan)
Representative Harlan Breaux (R – Holiday Island)
Representative Keith Brooks (R – Little Rock)
Representative Joshua Bryant (R – Rogers)
Representative John Carr (R – Rogers)
Representative Joe Cloud (R – Russellville)
Representative Cameron Cooper (R – Romance)
Representative Cindy Crawford (R – Fort Smith)
Representative Jim Dotson (R – Bentonville)
Representative Charlene Fite (R – Van Buren)
Representative Tony Furman (R – Benton)
Representative Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould)
Representative Mark Lowery (R – Maumelle)
Representative Robin Lundstrum (R – Elm Springs)
Representative Roger Lynch (R – Lonoke)
Representative Julie Mayberry (R – Hensley)
Representative Austin McCollum (R – Bentonville)
Representative Richard McGrew (R – Hot Springs)
Representative Gayla McKenzie (R – Gravette)
Representative Jon Milligan (R – Lake City)
Representative John Payton (R – Wilburn)
Representative Clint Penzo (R – Springdale)
Representative Aaron Pilkington (R – Knoxville)
Representative David Ray (R – Maumelle)
Representative Johnny Rye (R – Trumann)
Representative Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro)
Representative Kendon Underwood (R-Cave Springs)
Representative DeAnn Vaught (R – Horatio)
Representative Richard Womack (R – Arkadelphia)

Family Council Action Committee Political Director Ken Yang is working with the recipients to schedule presentation of the awards to the legislators in their districts in the coming weeks. 

Family Council Action Committee is a conservative, pro-family, Christian 501(c)(4) organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Legislators Propose Bad Hate Crimes Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, June 25, 2020

Little Rock – On Wednesday, Arkansas State Senator Jim Hendren (R) – Gravette and State Representative Nicole Clowney (D) – Fayetteville renewed calls for Arkansas to pass hate crimes legislation.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “No law has ever stopped hate, and no law ever will. It’s a matter of the heart. The experience of other states proves that hate crimes laws do not work. Over the past few years we’ve seen despicable crimes committed in states that have hate crimes laws. According to the FBI, the states with the most hate crimes all have hate crimes laws. It’s clear that hate crimes laws simply do not work. This hate crimes law does nothing to address issues like police brutality, no-knock warrants, racial profiling, and unequal justice. It does nothing to address the real issues that people are deeply concerned about. We all agree something needs to be done to address racism in our state, but passing a hate crimes law isn’t the answer.”

Cox said hate crimes laws promote unequal justice. “Laws like the one being proposed here in Arkansas treat crimes and their victims unequally. Targeting anyone and committing a crime is wrong and currently illegal. When hate crimes laws levy harsher penalties for targeting some people but not others, the punishments can differ even if the crimes are the same. The penalty for assault or murder should be the same no matter the victim’s race, religion, or sexual-orientation.”

Cox said Family Council will oppose any effort to pass hate crimes legislation in Arkansas. “We have opposed hate crimes laws every time they have been proposed at the Arkansas Legislature since the 1990s. This legislation was a bad idea 25 years ago, and it’s still a bad idea today.”

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Hate Crimes Legislation is Not the Answer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

On Tuesday Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson released a statement renewing calls for Arkansas to pass hate crimes legislation.

In response, Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “Hate crimes laws don’t work. New Jersey has a hate crimes law like the one the governor is proposing, but it didn’t stop anti-Semitic violence from happening in that state last week. The FBI tracks hate crimes committed nationwide. According to the FBI, the five states with the highest number of hate crimes in 2018 were Washington, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Michigan. Every one of these states has a hate crimes law. Arkansas, on the other hand, has some of the fewest hate crimes of any state in America. Passing a hate crimes law isn’t going to do anything here.”

Cox said besides being ineffective, hate crimes laws give government the power to punish speech and beliefs. “Hate crimes laws give the government the power to punish thoughts as well as actions. When police investigate a possible hate crime, questions come up about what the suspect wrote or said. People ask questions about his religious beliefs or his friends and associates. These investigations stray into thought-policing and end up punishing criminals for what they believe in addition to what they did. Free countries don’t criminalize beliefs or thoughts.”

Cox said hate crimes laws promote unequal justice. “Hate crimes laws treat crimes and their victims unequally. Targeting anyone and committing a crime is wrong and currently illegal. When hate crimes laws levy harsher penalties for targeting some people but not others, the punishments can differ even if the crimes are the same. The penalty for murder or armed robbery should be the same no matter the victim’s race, religion, or sexual-orientation.”

Cox said Family Council will oppose any effort to pass hate crimes legislation in Arkansas. “We have opposed hate crimes laws every time they have been proposed at the Arkansas Legislature since the 1990s. This legislation was a bad idea 25 years ago, and it’s still a bad idea today.”

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