Lawmaker Withdraws Bill Concerning Acts of Negligence by Healthcare Professionals

Legislation, , , ,

Last Tuesday Rep. Lee Johnson (R — Greenwood) withdrew a bill that dealt with criminal liability for negligence and misconduct by healthcare professionals.

Right now if someone is harmed because of a healthcare professional’s negligence or misconduct, authorities can investigate the situation, and prosecutors can take appropriate action.

H.B. 1168 was a bill similar to legislation that other states have proposed to protect healthcare professionals from being prosecuted for honest mistakes. But H.B. 1168 was drafted in such a way that its wording could have made it difficult to prosecute healthcare workers who deliberately hurt another person. Fortunately, Rep. Johnson took the time to listen to people with concerns about the way the bill was drafted, and he chose to withdraw it from the legislature.

It’s important to protect good healthcare professionals, but our laws need to hold bad actors accountable as well. That is part of the reason Family Council has consistently opposed legislation that would shield nursing homes and similar facilities when their negligence harms or kills another person.

Family Council deeply appreciates Rep. Johnson taking the time to listen to Arkansans who had concerns about unintended consequences H.B. 1168 might have caused, and we support his decision to withdraw the bill from consideration.

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

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Louisiana Grand Jury Indicts New York Doctor for Prescribing Abortion Pills

Abortion, , ,

On Friday the Associated Press reported a Louisiana grand jury indicted a doctor from New York for illegally prescribing abortion drugs in Louisiana.

Louisiana law prohibits abortion, and it generally is illegal to deliver abortion drugs into Louisiana from out of state.

The AP says the case appears to be the first time criminal charges have been filed against a doctor for illegally sending abortion drugs across state lines since Roe‘s reversal in 2022.

Abortion-inducing drugs take the life of an unborn child. They also carry significant health risks for women — including risks of sepsis and death. In some cases, abortion drugs actually can be more dangerous for women than surgical abortion procedures. That is why states like Arkansas have prohibited the delivery of abortion drugs from out of state.

Last year Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued cease-and-desist letters to New York companies advertising abortion pills in Arkansas. The letters alleged the companies were violating Arkansas law. The A.G.’s office reported that the advertisements for abortion pills stopped as a result of their cease-and-desist.

However, NPR reported last year that lawmakers in some pro-abortion states have enacted “shield laws” to protect abortionists who ship abortion drugs across state lines. The shield laws give abortionists immunity from civil or criminal liability and prevent them from being extradited to the state where the abortion drugs were sent.

The AP reports that New York has a shield law protecting abortionists. Louisiana’s grand jury indictment could directly test the law’s constitutionality. That could shape how states like Arkansas enforce pro-life laws in the future.

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

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