Texarkana Puts New Restrictions on Public Drinking in Entertainment District

Public Drinking, ,

News outlets report the Texarkana Board of Directors voted to place new restrictions on public drinking in the city’s “entertainment district” at its first meeting of 2026.

Act 812 of 2019 let cities create “entertainment districts” where alcohol can be carried and consumed publicly on streets and sidewalks. These districts can be either permanent or temporary under the law.

After Act 812’s passage, El Dorado and Texarkana were among the first cities to authorize public drinking under the law.

However, at its January 5 meeting, the Texarkana Board of Directors implemented new restrictions changing the entertainment district’s boundaries, requiring businesses in the district to close by midnight, and preventing people from bringing in alcohol from outside the district.

KSLA News quoted Kristen Schultz with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department as saying, “We have had for one a lot of outside underage drinking come into the district. We have also had a lot of loitering and prowling in front of the businesses creating large crowds and often large disturbances among the patrons.”

Unfortunately, Texarkana is not the only city that has encountered serious problems from public drinking in its entertainment district.

In 2024, the El Dorado City Council voted unanimously to shut down its entertainment district due to ongoing problems with fighting, vandalism, and other disorderly behavior.

As we have said for years, public drinking is a scourge on the community.

It raises serious concerns about drunk driving and public safety.

Public drinking doesn’t attract new businesses, bolster the economy, or revitalize Main Street. It hurts neighborhoods and families. It simply does not belong in Arkansas’ communities.

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

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National Pro-Life Group Endorses Sen. Tom Cotton for Re-Election

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Last week, the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Candidate Fund announced it had endorsed U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) for re-election.

The group says Sen. Cotton “holds an A+ on SBA Pro-Life America’s National Pro-Life Scorecard.”

In a statement, Sen. Cotton welcomed the endorsement, saying:

“The tremendous gains we’ve made protecting innocent life wouldn’t be possible without the passionate advocacy of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and its tireless champions. It’s a privilege to fight alongside them to protect our unborn. I’m honored to receive SBA’s endorsement for my re-election as U.S. Senator for Arkansas.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is one of the nation’s leading pro-life organizations.

The group’s mission is “to end abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.”

The organization strongly supports good, pro-life measures like the federal Hyde Amendment as well as efforts to stop mail-order abortion drugs.

You can read the group’s full statement endorsing Sen. Cotton here.

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

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Even “Casual” Marijuana Use Harms Teens: New Study

Marijuana

A major study from Columbia University confirms what many parents have long suspected: There is no such thing as “harmless” marijuana use for teenagers.

The study, published in Pediatrics last month, analyzed data from over 160,000 American students. Researchers found teens who used marijuana just once or twice a month showed higher rates of depression, anxiety, and impulsive behavior compared to teens who didn’t use the drug at all.

Students who used marijuana nearly every day were almost four times more likely to have poor grades and more likely to be frequently disengaged from school activities. The younger the student, the stronger these negative effects became.

The study comes at a time when an estimated one in five high school students use marijuana, and approximately 6% of 12th graders use it daily.

Today’s marijuana is not the same drug from decades past. Modern cannabis products are far more potent and dangerous. High-potency marijuana can trigger serious mental health problems. This is especially concerning for teenagers, whose brains are still developing.

Marijuana has been found time and time again to pose serious health hazards like deadly heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects.

Researchers now say marijuana doubles a person’s risk of death from heart disease.

And instead of decreasing crime, marijuana legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels and increased the flow of illegal drugs across America.

Arkansans should also pay attention. As other states move to legalize marijuana, we’re learning more about the serious dangers it poses—especially for children.

The evidence is clear: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

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

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