nicole clowney
Bill to shield Arkansas officials’ security records moves forward
Arkansas lawmakers’ third attempt this week to alter the state’s Freedom of Information Act advanced in both the House and Senate on Wednesday. House Bill 1012 and Senate Bill 10 would exempt from FOIA all records and communications concerning the planning or provision of security services to the governor and other state elected officials. The […]
Arkansas Democratic lawmakers discuss maternal and reproductive health policies at White House
Four Arkansas state representatives participated in a discussion at the White House on Wednesday about the state of reproductive rights in the U.S. nearly a year after the landmark Supreme Court ruling that left abortion access in the hands of the states. The 49 state legislators at Wednesday’s meeting came from 25 states that have […]
Arkansas governor vetoes first bills from 2023 legislative session
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued her first vetoes since taking office in January, killing four bills this week that she said are unnecessary. The Arkansas Legislature can override a gubernatorial veto with a simple majority, but Senate President Pro Tempore Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, said Friday the Senate would not attempt any veto overrides. […]
Arkansas House committee changes controversial public bathroom bill
The Arkansas House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved an amended version of a bill that initially would have criminalized entering and remaining in bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match an adult’s gender assigned at birth if children are present. Senate Bill 270 now limits potential misdemeanor charges and prosecutions to adults present “for […]
Proposed ban on teachers using transgender pronouns heads to Arkansas Senate
The Arkansas House approved a bill Monday that would require school employees in Arkansas to address students and other employees by their given names and pronouns. House Bill 1468 would require written permission from a minor’s parent or guardian for school employees to use any “pronoun or title that is inconsistent” with the minor’s biological […]
Arkansas House committee rejects abortion exemption for fatal prenatal conditions
An Arkansas legislative panel on Tuesday rejected a new exemption to the state’s abortion ban for cases of fetal abnormalities “incompatible with life.” Rep. Nicole Clowney (D-Fayetteville) said her House Bill 1301 would allow physicians to induce labor in rare cases when a fetus has a condition that prevents living beyond a few hours after […]