Senate Committee Advances Bill to Protect Physical Privacy, Safety in Arkansas

Legislation,

On Thursday, the Senate State Agencies Committee passed S.B. 486 by Sen. Blake Johnson (R — Corning) and Rep. Mary Bentley (R — Perryville).

This good bill protects physical privacy and safety of Arkansans in showers, locker rooms, changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in government buildings and in state and local jails.

The bill also applies to changing rooms, restrooms, and sleeping quarters in shelters for victims of domestic violence.

S.B. 486 is similar to a law Arkansas passed in 2023 to protect privacy in public schools and on overnight school trips.

The bill would require the facilities named in the bill to be designated for “male” or “female” use. The measure generally requires people to use the facility that corresponds to their biological sex.

Over the years, we have seen efforts to house men with women in jails, let men stay in women’s shelters, and give men access to women’s changing areas, locker rooms, showers, and restrooms.

S.B. 486 is common sense legislation narrowly tailored to protect physical privacy and safety in public buildings and shelters in Arkansas.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for consideration.

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

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House Committee Passes Good Bill Affirming Religious Freedom at Public Schools

Legislation,

On Tuesday the House Education Committee passed S.B. 223, the Religious Rights at Public Schools Act of 2025.

This good bill by Sen. Mark Johnson (R — Little Rock) and Rep. Alyssa Brown (R — Heber Springs) affirms public school students’ and teachers’ religious liberties.

The bill identifies and upholds religious freedoms that are already protected by state and federal law — such as the right to pray, discuss religion, or read the Bible during free time at school.

The bill also helps make sure that religious expression is treated equally to other types of speech at school.

This will help prevent schools from squelching anyone’s religious liberties.

When it comes to religious liberty, public schools have been a battleground for more than 60 years. It’s important that we stand up for religious freedom at school. S.B. 223 is a good bill that helps do exactly that.

The bill now goes to the entire Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.

You can read the Religious Rights at Public Schools Act here.

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

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Family Council Supports Amendment Requiring Ballot Measures to Pass in a Majority of Counties

Legislation,

On Monday evening Family Council President Jerry Cox testified in support of a proposed amendment that would require ballot measures to pass in a majority of Arkansas’ counties in order to become law.

As we have written many times this year, the Arkansas Constitution lets canvassers circulate petitions to place measures on a general election ballot. Its original intent was to give citizens a way to function as a “legislative body.” Unfortunately, powerful special interests have used the initiative process to put flawed, misleading, and deceptive measures on the ballot in Arkansas.

If a campaign has enough money, it can hire hundreds of petition canvassers to collect signatures to place a measure on the ballot, and it can run deceptive advertising to support that ballot measure.

The way Arkansas’ ballot initiative process works right now, voters in a handful of counties can decide the outcome of a ballot measure that impacts every corner of the state, because the Arkansas Constitution only requires ballot measures to receive a simple majority vote in order to pass.

That means special interest groups who back a ballot measure can focus on campaigning for their measure in a handful of populated areas. A ballot measure that is really bad for rural Arkansans might pass if enough voters in the metropolitan areas support it.

H.J.R. 1017 by Rep. David Ray (R — Maumelle) and Sen. John Payton (R — Wilburn) would require ballot measures to pass with a majority vote statewide and in a majority of Arkansas’ counties in order to become law.

This means under H.J.R. 1017, a constitutional amendment, initiated act, or a measure referred by the Arkansas Legislature would need to receive at least 51% of the vote statewide, and it would need to pass in at least 38 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.

H.J.R. 1017 is a good measure that would keep metropolitan areas from running roughshod over rural communities, and it would help ensure ballot measure sponsors actually campaign statewide instead of focusing on Arkansas’ cities.

You can watch Family Council President Jerry Cox’s committee testimony on H.J.R. 1017 below.

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