Eureka Springs City Council Weighs Public Drinking

The Eureka Springs City Council is considering a proposal that would legalize public drinking, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The city council reportedly will vote on the ordinance on September 9.

Earlier this year the Arkansas Legislature narrowly passed Act 812 by Sen. Trent Garner (R – El Dorado) and Rep. Sonia Barker (R – Smackover). The new law lets cities create “entertainment districts” where alcohol can be carried and consumed publicly on streets and sidewalks.

Public drinking raises serious concerns about public safety.

Cities like Memphis and New Orleans have had significant problems with violence in their entertainment districts.

These districts also raise serious concerns about drunk driving in our communities.

Family Council has put together a free toolkit to help citizens oppose public drinking ordinances like Fayetteville’s and Sherwood’s.

Our toolkit contains talking points, information about problems public drinking has caused in other states, photographs of public drinking districts elsewhere around the country, and other resources you can use to fight public drinking in your community.

Click here to download our free toolkit.

Photo by Photolitherland at English Wikipedia [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)]

Open Season on People of Faith in Eureka Springs

Eureka Springs may be the toughest place in Arkansas for people who want to practice their Christian faith in the public square. Tuesday’s passage of a so-called “anti-discrimination” ordinance has made it a lot harder for Jews, Christians, Muslims, and anyone else of faith to exercise their religious beliefs. Now, it’s open season on people in those groups.

Rather than preventing bias and discrimination, this ordinance makes discrimination the law in Eureka Springs. People of all faiths have always enjoyed religious freedom in Eureka Springs. Under this ordinance, citizens can be forced to choose between obeying their faith and obeying the City of Eureka Springs.

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Eureka Springs Calls Election on Ordinance

News media are reporting the Eureka Springs City Council will hold a special election this May to let voters decide whether to keep the city’s controversial “nondiscrimination” ordinance hastily passed earlier this month.

According to reporters, this move preempts the petition process underway in Eureka Springs to repeal the ordinance, and it will give the city council control over the wording of the ballot.

The Conway City Council passed an ordinance earlier this week addressing city employment policies based on sexual-orientation and gender-identity.

Many argue these ordinances will be nullified when Act 137 (formerly known as Senate Bill 202) takes effect later this year.