The House Public Health Committee yesterday voted to pass HB1855, a bill that requires abortion clinics to be licensed and regulated by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Currently, there are at least two clinics in Arkansas that perform abortions, but are not regulated as abortion clinics. For years, a northwest Arkansas doctor performed abortions, but to our knowledge his clinic was never inspected or regulated as an abortion clinic by the Department of Health.  HB1855 closes that loophole in the law by requiring any clinic that does 10 or more abortions in a month to be licensed and regulated as an abortion clinic.

Please call your representative at (501) 682-6211, and leave a message asking him or her to vote for HB1855 when it comes before the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Also, the House Public Health Committee voted down a good pro-life bill that would have prohibited abortion at state-run hospitals and medical facilities, except to save the life of the mother. The Attorney General’s office spoke against the bill, and the committee voted it down. Every pro-life bill at the Arkansas Legislature is important and needs to be passed. Please call the members of the House Public Health Committee today and this weekend, and ask them to vote for EVERY pro-life bill that comes before their committee. Their phone numbers are below.

Tyler, Linda S. (D-45) Telephone: 501-329-8644

Woods, Jon (R-93) Telephone: 479-200-3100

Allen, Fred (D-33) Telephone: 501-225-4979

Gaskill, Billy W. (D-78) Telephone: 870-239-4383

Hall, Clark (D-13) Telephone: 870-829-3382

Hyde, Barry (D-40) Telephone: 501-371-0255

King, Bryan B. (R-91) Telephone: 870-438-4565

Lampkin, Sheilla E. (D-10) Telephone: 870-723-6449

Lea, Andrea (R-68) Telephone: 479-967-4922

Leding, Greg (D-92) Telephone: 479-422-8099

Lovell, Buddy (D-56) Telephone: 870-358-4104

Malone, Stephanie (R-64) Telephone: 479-452-4554

Mayberry, Andy (R-27) Telephone: 501-888-3522

Pennartz, Tracy (D-65) Telephone: 479-285-4800

Perry, Mark (D-44) Telephone: 501-982-4561

Smith, Garry L. (D-7) Telephone: 870-574-1792

Wagner, Charolette (D-77) Telephone: 870-561-4600

Wardlaw, Jeff (D-8) Telephone: 870-226-9501

Wilkins, Butch (D-74) Telephone: 870-972-5503

Word, James L. (D-16) Telephone: 870-543-6391

There are now eight pro-life bills pending before the House Public Health Committee. Every one of them needs to be passed and signed into law before the session ends. Please call the House Public Health Committee, and ask them to pass every pro-life bill before their committee.