Jerry Cox – Page 3 – Family Council

Obamacare Abortion Report Shows Importance of a Law Arkansas Passed in 2013

Sep 21, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent Events

Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report showing insurance companies pay for abortions in a number of states under Obamacare. The report underscores the importance of a good, pro-life law that Arkansas passed in 2013.

The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Act — commonly known as “Obamacare” — created a system of state and federal health insurance exchanges. Insurance plans under Obamacare are not supposed to pay for abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. But the data from the GAO shows that millions of Americans have abortion coverage through Obamacare.

The GAO found more than one out of every four (26%) Obamacare plans available nationwide paid for “non-excepted” abortions — that is, abortions that were not performed due to rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. The GAO said those Obamacare plans covered an estimated 4.4 million people.

The GAO data indicates most of the Obamacare plans covering abortion were in California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Minnesota.

None of the Obamacare plans offered in Arkansas covered elective abortions, thanks to a good law the state legislature passed in 2013.

Act 72 of 2013 by former Rep. Butch Wilkins (D — Bono) and former Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R — Rogers) prevents taxpayer funds from being used to pay for abortions under Obamacare in Arkansas.

It took pro-lifers two years to pass a law like Act 72. In 2011, similar legislation failed in committee, and Act 72 was narrowly defeated in committee once before it finally garnered enough support to pass and become law.

At the time, many people said Arkansas did not need Act 72. Some thought that the federal restrictions on taxpayer-funded abortion would be enough. But looking back, lawmakers clearly did the right thing by passing Act 72.

A lot has changed since 2013. Today, Arkansas is the most pro-life state in the nation, and abortion is generally prohibited except to save the life of the mother. There is still a lot of work for pro-lifers to do. For example, right now abortionists in other states are mailing abortion drugs into states like Arkansas — which is both dangerous and illegal. That is why Family Council is urging pro-lifers to go to abortioncrimebymail.com and ask their leaders in Washington to stop abortionists from sending abortion drugs through the mail into states like Arkansas.

Still, taxpayer-funded abortion is prohibited under the Arkansas Constitution, and thanks to Act 72 of 2013, elective abortions aren’t being paid for in Arkansas under Obamacare. That is something to celebrate.

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

Medical Committee Says There Was “No Reasonable Alternative” but Euthanasia for Dutch Toddler

Sep 21, 2026Jerry CoxEuthanasia and Assisted SuicideAssisted Suicide, Euthanasia, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

A medical review committee in the Netherlands says there was “no reasonable alternative” but euthanasia for a two-year-old child — even though the child did not have a terminal illness — and determined that the physician who euthanized the child “acted with due care.”

The Netherlands first legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia in 2002, and the practice has expanded drastically over the years. In 2022, a staggering one out of every 20 deaths in the Netherlands were the result of euthanasia. The country has made headlines for letting “mobile euthanasia units” make house calls as well as for euthanizing people suffering from conditions like macular degeneration and mental illness.

But this month, the country drew attention after reports surfaced that a Dutch doctor euthanized a two-year-old child under the nation’s law.

The Dutch Assessment Committee for Late Termination of Pregnancy and Termination of Life in Newborns and Children Aged 1 to 12 Years reviewed the case and determined the doctor who euthanized the child had no other reasonable choices and acted appropriately.

The committee’s report indicated the child was born prematurely at 26 weeks and three days and suffered serious medical complications. The child suffered from brain damage, visual impairment, and epilepsy, which caused developmental delays and made it difficult for the child to communicate. The child’s doctor concluded the child had “a limited life expectancy, with no prospect whatsoever of a better quality of life.”

In other words, the child was euthanized despite not being terminally ill.

Obviously, the child’s medical condition was very serious, but that should not be a death sentence.

An English translation of the medical review committee’s report describes the euthanasia process in chilling detail:

“There are as yet no guidelines for performing the procedure for termination of life in children aged under 12. Based on the parents’ wishes, the physician opted for the method whereby the child was gradually placed under sedation. The physician began the sedation (lowering the level of consciousness) by administering increasing doses of midazolam and morphine through an IV cannula. The physician then administered coma-inducing substances (propofol and thiopental), after which the child reached a state of very deep sedation, and died.”

By now, there should be no doubt that when it comes to assisted suicide and euthanasia, the slippery slope keeps slipping.

Assisted suicide and euthanasia devastate families and rob patients of compassionate care.

In 2018, we shared news out of Belgium that euthanasia and assisted suicide are forcing hospice workers and other palliative care experts to quit. One Belgian doctor said, “palliative care units are . . . at risk of becoming ‘houses of euthanasia’, which is the opposite of what they were meant to be.”

Being pro-life means believing innocent human life is sacred from conception until natural death.

Just like abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are murder, and they violate the sanctity of human life.

That’s why Family Council helped defeat a very bad bill in 2019 that would have let doctors prescribe lethal drugs to patients in Arkansas and two bad end-of-life bills in 2021. These were flawed measures that fundamentally disrespected the right to life.

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

From Zombie Arguments to Prioritizing Prayer, Here is a Look Back at the Week

Sep 18, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsCurrent Events, Update, Weekly Rewind

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Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

Colorado Hedging its Bets in the Wake of Sports Gambling Problems. Nationwide, sports betting is legal in 39 states — including Arkansas, where people are on track to wager nearly a billion dollars this year on sports betting alone. But a growing body of evidence shows this type of gambling is causing serious financial harm. Keep Reading.

ADF: “There’s No Way for a State to Protect Life” if Doctors Can Mail Illegal Abortion Drugs. Last week, Alliance Defending Freedom Of Counsel Erin Hawley told Morning Wire there is “no way for a state to protect life if a doctor from New York or California can simply mail an illegal [abortion] drug to someone’s doorstep.” Keep Reading.

Kentucky Man Indicted for Secretly Swapping Girlfriend’s Medication With Abortion Drug. Abdullah Mohmand, 27, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of attempting to kill her unborn child. Keep Reading.

The Population Zombie Strikes Again: Guest Column. A group of scientists are, once again, predicting imminent disaster because of overpopulation. Keep Reading.

Company Offers Assisted Suicide in NY for $12K. Late last year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced an agreement to enact legislation letting healthcare professionals prescribe lethal drugs via so-called “Medical Aid in Dying.” New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act officially took effect on August 5. That same day, a new company called Quiĕtus began offering assisted suicide in New York. Moneywise and Yahoo Finance write: Keep Reading.

Marijuana Edibles “a Growing Danger” for Kids: CNN. Nationwide, policymakers have legalized marijuana to varying degrees, and federal regulators have eased restrictions on the drug. But pundits continue to raise concerns about legalization’s unintended consequences — especially when it comes to children. Keep Reading.

Family Council Joins Brief Asking Supreme Court to Protect Prayer Meetings in Homes. Last week, Family Council joined 55 other conservative, pro-family leaders in an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the right to host prayer meetings at home. Keep Reading.

Augustine: The Philosopher Who Solved Anxiety. More and more young people today suffer from anxiety, depression, or loneliness. But it turns out this isn’t a new problem. Sixteen hundred years ago, a restless university student named Augustine suffered the same maladies. This young man, who would become one of history’s most famous philosophers, found a solution. It still works today. Owen Anderson, Arizona State professor of philosophy and religious studies, tells the story. Keep Reading.