Developments at the Legislature

By Larry Page, Executive Director • Arkansas Faith & Ethics Commission

As you know, the General Assembly is now full speed ahead in its current session. The following are some of the more important measures we are following. I will be as brief as possible, but will share more details about any of these at your request.

• Senate Bill 223 — A new bill added to our watch list. This bill is intended to enumerate and guarantee several religious rights for public school students. Some of those rights include praying silently or aloud, individually or in groups, forming and participating in religious clubs in the same manner other clubs or groups can function and expressing a religious viewpoint in the same manner other viewpoints can be expressed. There are several other religious rights students will enjoy listed in the bill. We are strongly in favor of this measure.

• House Bill 1306 — A bill that would provide civil immunity (not criminal immunity) to authorized volunteers who “provide safety, security or protection for a church… as authorized by the church.” The immunity is only available to security personnel who receive mandatory security training from the church. Immunity is not available for acts or omissions due to intentional, reckless or grossly negligent conduct. We think this is a good bill. It is awaiting a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee.

• Senate Bill 98 — A bill to expand the permissible delivery of alcoholic beverages to consumers. Currently, alcohol can be delivered to a consumer in a wet county by an employee of the liquor store or microbrewery-restaurant. This bill will add grocery stores, small farm wine stores and convenience stores as businesses allowed to deliver alcoholic beverages. In addition, the bill will allow the businesses to contract with a third-party independent contractor. In our opinion, this bill has too many loose ends and will be ripe for abuses.

This bill failed in its first vote in the Senate. However, amendments were made that satisfied enough senators that the bill was approved on a second try. It will now move to the House of Representatives. We still have reservations about the measure.

• House Bill 1173 — This bill will dramatically increase the percentage of alcohol permitted in beer sold in grocery and convenience stores. Currently, the percentage is set at 5% alcohol by weight; this bill will increase that to 14% alcohol by weight. Cold beer is sold in grocery stores and convenience stores. It is common for drivers to consume the cold beer purchased at a store. The evidence is clear by all the beer cans we see on the shoulders and ditches along our highways. These drivers may down two or three of the 5% beers and get a good buzz. What will happen when those two or three beers contain 14% alcohol? Impaired drivers, DWI arrests and mayhem, injury, and death on our highways will be some of the results. This is a bad bill.

This bill was defeated in the House of Representatives in its first shot at passage; however, sponsors can bring a bill back for another vote. We must assume it can come back, so we must continue monitoring it.

• House Bill 1011 — A bill entitled the “Restore Roe Act.” It is an extreme measure that would set the clock back on our state’s abortion laws. It would essentially return us to the standards prior to the Dobbs decision that reversed the Roe v. Wade decision in a stunning move by the U.S. Supreme Court. We will vigorously oppose this measure to retain the very strong pro-life standards we have all worked hard to achieve.

No action has been taken on this bill to date.

• House Bill 1044 — This bill is the “Sports Raffle Act,” which would permit colleges and universities or a nonprofit organization affiliated with the school to conduct a raffle in conjunction with the school’s sporting event. The school could utilize the proceeds for several purposes, including (and probably most importantly to the bill’s supporters) additional funds to financially assist student-athletes.

This bill failed to win approval in the House Rules Committee. It is all but certain that the sponsor will make another run to get a do pass recommendation from the Rules Committee.

Thanks for your participation in good government. It works best when we get involved, have our voices heard and our preferences known. Let me encourage you to do a couple of things. First, we want to hear your thoughts about these issues. Contact us at llp@arfaith.org or (501) 837-1688. Secondly, let your state representative or senator know how you feel about any issues that resonate with you and how you would like them to handle your concerns.

To identify your state senator and get contact information for him or her, take the following steps:

• Go to senate.arkansas.gov

• On the Senate’s home page, click on the green box that says Find My Senator.

• On the page it takes you to, type in your address and click on Search.

• Your senator’s name and contact information will appear.

To identify your state representative and get contact information for him or her, take the following steps:

• Go to arkansashouse.org.

• On the house’s home page, click on Find Your Representative.

• On the page it takes you to, type in your address and click on Search.

• Your representative’s name and contact information will appear in a box.

• For an email address, click on "Full profile," and on the page it takes you to, scroll to the bottom for the email address.

You can call the Senate switchboard at (501) 682-2902 and the House of Representatives at (501) 682-6211 during regular office hours and leave a message for your legislator requesting support or opposition to a bill under deliberation. Please use the bill number when conveying this information or describe the issue sufficiently.