Teacher Labor Union Gives Nearly $1M to Arkansas Ballot Measure Campaign

Elections,

On Monday, Arkansas Ethics Commission filings revealed an out-of-state group gave nearly $1 million to a campaign to place the Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment on the November ballot.

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.” But instead of giving everyday people a way to enact their own laws, special interests have hired people to circulate petitions to place misleading, deceptive, and poorly written measures on the ballot in Arkansas.

Last year, Arkansans testified in legislative committees about petition canvassers allegedly trying to provoke altercations and encouraging people to sign petitions multiple times.

In response, the Arkansas Legislature has passed several good laws intended to address petition fraud and other problems with the initiative process, but those laws have been tied up in court.

The Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment would amend the Arkansas Constitution to keep the ballot initiative process wide open and prevent the state legislature from enacting safeguards against petition fraud and other offenses.

Ethics filings show the National Education Association in Washington, D.C., donated $933,200 to the campaign for the amendment last month. The National Education Association is the largest teacher labor union in the United States.

The group backing the measure reportedly spent $500,000 hiring people to circulate petitions for the amendment. Family Council has obtained documents from the Secretary of State’s office showing the campaign has hired between 280 and 300 petition canvassers. They have until July 3 to collect the signatures necessary to place the amendment on the November ballot.

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

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Data Shows 141 Arkansas Students Took Academic Study of the Bible Courses this Year

Religion, ,

Data from the Arkansas Department of Education shows 141 public school students enrolled in courses to study the Bible academically this school year.

Since 2013, the Arkansas General Assembly has enacted laws that let public schools offer elective, academic courses on the Bible.

According to the Arkansas Department of Education’s academic framework for the classes, the course is offered as a one-semester elective in which students learn about the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, and culture.

If a public school offers the course, it must be objective and nonsectarian. It must meet the same academic standards as other elective courses offered in public schools. And instructors must be licensed to teach in the State of Arkansas.

Over the past 12 years, different school districts in the state have chosen to offer academic courses on the Bible under state law.

Now data from the Arkansas Department of Education shows at least 141 public school students enrolled in elective, academic courses on the Bible at 13 schools for the 2025-2026 school year.

It’s good that Arkansas lets students learn about the Bible at school. After all, no single book has been more influential on our civilization. Of course, Christians believe the Bible is meant to be learned and lived out in daily life. Still, studying the Bible academically is a great opportunity.

Below is a list of school districts offering courses on the Bible this year.

SCHOOL DISTRICTCOURSENUMBER OF STUDENTS
SEARCY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)27
VAN BUREN SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)24
SOUTH SIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT (Van Buren)Academic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)17
NETTLETON SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)16
MAGNOLIA SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)13
MARMADUKE SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)11
FORDYCE SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)7
LONOKE SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)7
DEWITT SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)5
SOUTH CONWAY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)4
DES ARC SCHOOL DISTRICTAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)4
ACADEMICS PLUS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLSAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)4
PREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS OF ARKANSASAcademic Study of the Bible (0.5 credit)2
Total141

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

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Poll: Most Americans Say Suicide Is Wrong — But Many Support Physician-Assisted Suicide Anyway

Bioethics, Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, , , , ,

A new Gallup poll shows most Americans believe suicide in general is morally wrong, but opinions are split over physician-assisted suicide.

Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey measures Americans’ views on a wide variety of behaviors — like gambling, human cloning, divorce, and so on.

This year’s survey found 70% of Americans say suicide is morally wrong, which is a strong majority.

But here’s the contradiction: views on “doctor-assisted suicide” are nearly evenly split, with a staggering 49% of Americans saying physician-assisted suicide is morally acceptable.

It seems like many people may believe that suicide is wrong — except in certain cases or when a doctor assists with the suicide. That should concern every pro-life Arkansan.

Physician-assisted suicide is typically sold to the public as a “compassionate” option for people facing terminal illness. But experience has shown that assisted suicide doesn’t help people who are sick or dying, and it doesn’t remain limited to a few cases.

In Oregon — the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide back in 1997 — a record 637 lethal prescriptions were written last year. Of those patients, only two were referred for psychiatric evaluation before receiving a prescription for suicide. That is a serious failure.

Data shows many of these patients are lonely and feel like they are losing control over their lives. They need counseling and support — not a deadly prescription.

Assisted suicide fundamentally changes the doctor-patient relationship from healing to killing. The Hippocratic Oath promises to “first, do no harm.” Prescribing lethal drugs violates that sacred trust.

The slippery slope is real. In Canada, Belgium, and Netherlands, assisted suicide has expanded far beyond rare, terminal illnesses. Canada is on pace to record its 100,000th assisted suicide death this summer. What starts as a “compassionate choice” eventually becomes routine killing.

In parts of the U.S. where physician-assisted suicide is legal, insurance companies have refused to pay for patients’ medical care, but have offered to cover assisted suicide drugs.

Being pro-life means believing innocent human life is sacred from conception until natural death. Just like abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide violate the sanctity of innocent human life.

That’s why Family Council has strongly opposed assisted suicide legislation in Arkansas. In 2019 and 2021, Arkansas lawmakers wisely rejected very bad end-of-life legislation. Family Council worked closely with our friends in the legislature to stop those proposals.

Gallup’s survey shows Americans understand that suicide is wrong. We should remember that holds true even when activists try to dress it up as “medicine.”

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

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