Federal judge permanently blocks Arkansas law banning transgender procedures for minors, AG will appeal

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

An Arkansas law that banned medical procedures for transgender patients under the age of 18 was permanently blocked by U.S. District Judge Jay Moody on Tuesday (June 20). Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said he would appeal the decision.

The Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act (SAFE Act) was passed by the state legislature in 2021 by overwhelming margins, but then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed the measure saying it was “overbroad” and “a vast government overreach.” The legislature overrode his veto, putting the law in effect before it was challenged in court.

The federal lawsuit was brought by several families of transgender children who claimed the SAFE Act violated the 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law and their 1st Amendment right to free speech. The defendants included then-Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and members of the Arkansas Medical Board.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/06/federal-judge-permanently-blocks-arkansas-law-banning-transgender-procedures-for-minors-ag-will-appeal/

Arkansas House approves monument to the unborn, porn ID legislation

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A bill to require Arkansans to show identification before viewing online pornography passed the Arkansas House of Representatives on Tuesday. Rep. Mindy McAlindon, R-Centerton, said the bill will prevent minors from watching explicit material, which she said can have negative effects on children and be addictive.

“Currently it is easier for children to log onto a pornography website than it is to log on to Budwiser.com,” she said. “This bill puts just a little bit of a gateway between our children and adult entertainment.”

Rep. Stephen Meeks, R-Greenbrier, worried the bill was unenforceable since most porn companies are not based in Arkansas. He said requiring people to show legal identification on an untrustworthy website could violate their right to privacy.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-03-15/arkansas-house-approves-monument-to-the-unborn-porn-id-legislation

Arkansas House Of Representatives

Lawmakers Tuesday voted to build a monument at the State Capitol to "unborn children aborted" and require picture identification to view pornography.

Tyson Foods’ Green Forest plant implicated in child labor investigation

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Springdale-based Tyson Foods and George’s Inc. were among the 13 companies found to have used Packer Sanitation Services who hired minority workers ages 13-17 working overnight shifts in plants around the country.

The U.S. Department of Labor said Packers Sanitation Services employed minors to work in meat packing plants on third-shift sanitation crews. The Labor Department found 102 children between the ages 13 and 17 working in hazardous occupations.

Tyson Foods plant in Green Forest is reported to have had 6 minors working, resulting in fines of $90,828 by the Labor Department against Packers Sanitation. Tyson’s plant in Goodlettsville, Tenn., was found to have one minor, and that penalty was $15,138. The investigation found Springdale-based George’s Inc. had four minors working its Batesville, Ark. plant. That penalty was $60,552.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/tyson-foods-green-forest-plant-implicated-in-child-labor-investigation/

Photo from the U.S. Department of Labor of a child working in a slaughterhouse.

ACLU Files Promised Lawsuit Over Arkansas' Transgender Care Ban

By STEVE BRAWNER / TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

The American Civil Liberties Union filed suit Tuesday against the state of Arkansas over a newly passed law that prohibits health care professionals from providing gender-transition procedures to individuals under age 18.

The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court Eastern District against Act 626 was filed on behalf of four transgender youth and their families along with two doctors. It alleges the law violates the U.S. Constitution.

Act 626 prohibits physicians and health care professionals from providing gender transition procedures to individuals under age 18, or to refer minors to other health care professionals. It also prohibits the use of public funds or insurance coverage for gender transition procedures. It does not prohibit services for persons born with a “medically verifiable disorder of sex development,” such as external biological sex characteristics.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/aclu-files-promised-lawsuit-over-arkansas-transgender-care-ban

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/05/aclu-files-suit-over-states-transgender-care-ban/

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