#Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee

[politijohn]

Anti-Trans Legislation: Feb 25-Mar 3 in Review

The following bills were introduced:

Two schooling bills, Florida S1320 and H1223, were pre-filed.

Georgia HB653, an under-18 healthcare ban, was introduced. 

Iowa HSB208, a school-based bathroom bill, was introduced and passed in its subcommittee. 

Iowa HB482, a school-based bathroom bill, was introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee.

Iowa HSB214, an under-18 healthcare ban, was introduced and had a House subcommittee hearing.

Iowa SSB1197, an under-18 healthcare ban, was introduced and had a subcommittee meeting.

Iowa HJR8 was introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. This is a joint resolution attacking marriage.

Iowa HSB222, a schooling/parental rights bill, was introduced and referred to the House Education Committee yesterday.

Maine LD930, a sports ban bill that specifically targets trans girls, was introduced and referred to the Joint Judiciary Committee.

Missouri HB1332, a tax bill that would punish institutions for providing gender-affirming healthcare, was introduced and read.

Missouri HB1364, a drag ban bill, was introduced and read for a second time.

Ohio HB68, a "SAFE" act, was introduced and referred to the House Public Health Policy Committee.

Texas HB2862 and HB3147 were filed. These prison bills would prohibit incarcerated trans and gender diverse folks from being housed in facilities consistent with their gender identity.

The following bills progressed:

Bathroom bills: (A bathroom bill denies access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.)

Arizona SB1040, a school-based bathroom bill, passed in the Senate and crossed over to the House.

Arkansas SB270, which would make it “criminal indecency with a child” for trans folks to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identity, was re-referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Idaho SB1100, a school-based bathroom bill, had a second reading and was filed for a third reading.

Idaho S1016, which already passed in the Senate, had its first reading in the House and was scheduled for a second reading.

Iowa SF335, a school-based bathroom bill, passed committee and renumbered as SF482.

Heathcare bills: (Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender-affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm. Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.)

Florida S0952, the “Reverse Woke Act,” was referred to the Senate Health Policy Committee.

Georgia SB140, an under-18 healthcare ban, had a second reading.

Indiana SB0480, an under-18 healthcare ban, passed in the Senate and crossed over to the House.

Kansas SB233, which already passed in the Senate, was referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee. This is also an under-18 healthcare ban.

Nebraska LB574, again an under-18 healthcare ban, was placed on general file, meaning it is now on the floor. 

Oklahoma SB129 passed in committee and will head to the Senate floor. A reminder that this bill had an emergency added, so it would immediately go into effect if it passes.

Texas HB776, an abortion and under-18 healthcare ban, was referred to the House Public Health Committee. 

Utah HB0132 returned to committee yesterday after it failed in committee in January. This is also an under-18 bill.

Public performance bills: (also known as "drag bans" restrict access for folks who are gender non-conforming in any way. They loosely define "drag" as any public performance with an “opposite gender expression,” as sexual in nature, and inappropriate for children. This also pushes trans individuals out of public spaces.)

Arizona SB1698 passed in committee and is headed to the Senate.

Arkansas SB43 was signed by the Governor. This is the drag ban bill that was largely amended to only cover public nudity.

Montana HB359, which already passed in the House, had its first reading in the Senate.

Oklahoma SB503, an obscenity bill, passed in committee.

South Dakota HB1116 an "obscenity bill" that prohibits "lewd or lascivious content," which already passed in the House, passed in committee.

Tennessee SB0841 had its action deferred until 3/14.

Texas HB708 was referred to the House State Affairs Committee.

Schooling bills: (Schooling, or so called “parental rights” bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans. They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth.)

Arizona SB1001 passed in the Senate and was transmitted to the House.

Arkansas SB294 is headed to its final vote in the House.

Florida H1069 was sent to another education subcommittee in the House.

Indiana HB1608 passed in the House and crossed over to the Senate where its first reading is scheduled for Monday.

Iowa HSB222 passed in its subcommittee.

Missouri HB1258 had a second reading.

Oklahoma SB503 passed in committee this morning and is headed to the Senate floor.

Tennessee HB1269 was referred to the House Finance, Ways, & Means Committee.

Utah SB0283, an anti-DEI bill for higher education, passed in its Senate Revenue and Taxation Hearing and is now headed to its second committee.

Sex designation bills: (Sex designation bills make it harder for trans folks to have IDs, such as birth certificates, that match their gender identity. They can force a male or female designation based upon sex assigned at birth. Some ban a non-binary “X” marker or require surgery to qualify for ID updates.)

Montana SB458,passed in committee and will head to the Senate floor.

Tennessee SB1440 passed in committee and will head to the Senate floor.

Sports ban bills: (Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity. Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.)

Arkansas HB1156 was re-referred to the Senate Education Committee. 

Florida H0999 was sent to another education subcommittee. 

Wyoming SF0133, which already passed in the House, passed in the Senate and will now head to the Governor for signature.

Other anti-trans bills:

Kentucky HB470 passed in committee. This bill defies our categorization system; it's a healthcare bill, but also functions as a bathroom, sports, name change, and a sex designation bill; it packages anything attacking trans youth. A live-tweet of the hearing is here, as can the many Kentucky residents who testified against it.

West Virginia HB3042, a “religious freedom” bill, passed in the Senate and is headed to the Governor for signature. 

Texas SB559, a “religious freedom” bill, passed in committee and will head to the Senate floor.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

An Arkansas lawmaker shocked onlookers this week when he asked a transgender health care professional about her genitals at a hearing on a bill that would prohibit gender-affirming care for minors.

Gwendolyn Herzig, a pharmacist who is a trans woman, was testifying Monday in support of the treatment for minors during a state Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

“You said that you’re a trans woman?” Republican state Sen. Matt McKee asked Herzig. “Do you have a penis?”

The audience erupted, with some audibly gasping and at least one person shouting, "Disgraceful."

"That's horrible," Herzig said, after taking a few moments to gather herself. "I don't know what my rights are, but that question was horribly inappropriate."

Herzig, who holds a doctorate of pharmacy, then added: "I'm a health care professional, a doctor. Please treat me as such. Next question, please."

Herzig said she went into Monday's hearing hoping that Republican lawmakers would be receptive to hearing her perspective as a trans woman and a health professional.

"Any other question I was expecting other than what I got," Herzig, 33, said in a phone interview with NBC News. "It was probably the most publicly humiliating thing I've ever gone through."

McKee did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.

The exchange prompted outrage on social media from trans activists and the state's Democrats.

"Absolutely sickening," Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, wrote on Twitter. "Arkansas State senator Matt McKee asked a trans person at a legislative hearing 'do you have a penis?' Does this State Senator have any basic human decency?"

The Democratic Party of Arkansas tweeted, "Republicans are not hiding their transphobia."

The legislation, S.B. 199, introduced in the Arkansas Senate this month, would prohibit physicians in the state from providing most types of gender-affirming care to minors, including prescribing puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy, or from performing transition-related surgeries.

It would also allow anyone in the state who has received gender-affirming care as a minor to file a malpractice lawsuit against physicians for up to 30 years after they turn 18.

More than a dozen major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, support the treatments that would be barred if the bill becomes law.

In 2021, Arkansas became the first state to ban gender-affirming care for minors, but a federal judge temporarily blocked the law. The 2021 legislation largely mirrors the bill introduced this year.

Five other states have enacted similar forms of the legislation, including South Dakota, whose Governor signed a measure into law on Monday.

Less than two months into 2023, lawmakers in at least 24 states, including Arkansas, have introduced legislation that would restrict transition-related care for minors, according to an NBC News analysis.

S.B. 199 advanced through Arkansas' Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, and it is expected to pass through the state Senate in upcoming weeks.

After testifying, Herzig said she defiantly sat through the rest of the hearing before heading back to work at the pharmacy she owns, Park West Pharmacy in Little Rock, the state capital.

As video of her exchange with McKee spreads on social media, Herzig said, "Going viral, I guess, is OK."

"I really just hope it just shows people that there's people like me who want to stand up and that there are people who want to make sure there are access to resources," she added.

[transformationsproject]

Today's Legislative Updates 03/14/23

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

A bathroom bill denies access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity.

They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Texas HB2722 moved to the House Public Education Committee yesterday.

Idaho S1016 passed the House yesterday and moved to the Senate for approval, after which it would move to the Governor.

Idaho S1100 had its first House reading yesterday.

Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm.

Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Florida S0254 passed committee yesterday and moved to the Senate floor.

Kentucky HB470, which now also has bathroom bill language, passed committee today and moved to the Senate floor.

Public performance bans, or "drag bans," restrict access for folks who are gender non-conforming in any way.

They loosely define "drag" as any public performance with an “opposite gender expression,” as sexual in nature, and inappropriate for children.

This also pushes trans individuals out of public spaces.

Kentucky SB115 entered the House yesterday.

Schooling / Parental Rights bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans.

They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth.

Louisiana HB81, a schooling/parental rights bill forcing misgendering and deadnaming of students, was prefiled yesterday and sent to the House Committee on Education.

Arkansas HB1468 passed committee today and moved to the House floor.

Florida H0999 passed in subcommittee yesterday and moved to the House Education and Employment Committee.

Kentucky HB173 is dead after being withdrawn yesterday.

Montana SB413 is officially dead as of yesterday.

Sex designation bills make it harder for trans folks to have IDs, such as birth certificates, that match their gender identity.

They can force a male or female designation based upon sex assigned at birth.

Some ban a non-binary “X” marker or require surgery to qualify for ID updates.

Utah SB0093 has passed both bodies as of yesterday, and has been sent to the Governor.

Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth.

They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity.

Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.

Arkansas HB1156 passed committee yesterday with a minor amendment and moved to the House floor for a final vote, after which it would move to the Governor.

In other bills that either fit multiple categories or stand on their own, we have:

Arkansas HB1615, a "religious freedom" bill with very broad applications, was introduced yesterday and sent to the House Judiciary Committee.

Texas HB3147 moved to the House Corrections Committee yesterday.

Kansas SB180 moved back to the House Health and Human Services Committee yesterday.

Tennessee SB1440 passed the Senate yesterday and moved to the House.

North Dakota HB1205 passed its Senate committee yesterday and moved to the Senate floor.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. YOU can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives!

[titleknown]

Do you think Section 230 is pretty much going to be passed? I've been thinking about leaving the internet completely over this.

...Well, like many things, the answer is "It's Complicated,"

Firstly, for the most part, efforts to screw up Section 230 aren't direct repealing all of it so much as carve-outs that majorly weaken it, in ways that could still deeply screw up free speech.

The recent Kids Online Safety Act/EARN IT Act is being pushed for, and while it's not in committee, given the former was sent to the Commerce Committee last time and the latter to the Judiciary Committee, they're probably gonna send it next time, and you're probably going to want to call your senators if they're in said committee to tell them to kill those bills.

The membership of the Commerce Committee:

Maria Cantwell, Washington, Chair

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota

Brian Schatz, Hawaii

Ed Markey, Massachusetts

Gary Peters, Michigan

Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin

Tammy Duckworth, Illinois

Jon Tester, Montana

Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona[a]

Jacky Rosen, Nevada

Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico

John Hickenlooper, Colorado

Raphael Warnock, Georgia

Peter Welch, Vermont

Ted Cruz, Texas, Ranking Member

John Thune, South Dakota

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Deb Fischer, Nebraska

Jerry Moran, Kansas

Dan Sullivan, Alaska

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

Todd Young, Indiana

Ted Budd, North Carolina

Eric Schmitt, Missouri

J.D. Vance, Ohio

Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia

Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming

The membership of the Judiciary Committee:

Dick Durbin, Illinois, Chairman

Dianne Feinstein, California

Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota

Chris Coons, Delaware

Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut

Mazie Hirono, Hawaii

Cory Booker, New Jersey

Alex Padilla, California

Jon Ossoff, Georgia

Peter Welch, Vermont

Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, Ranking Member

Chuck Grassley, Iowa

John Cornyn, Texas

Mike Lee, Utah

Ted Cruz, Texas

Josh Hawley, Missouri

Tom Cotton, Arkansas

John Kennedy, Louisiana

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee

So yeah.

I may as well add, If you've got the misfortune to be calling a Republican, be sure to bring up how KOSA will be used as a way for Big Government to spy on people via mandated age verification, and how EARN IT will be used to censor conservative speech.

That'll get the bastards attention. And no matter what you do, don't shut up about it, because silence means the fuckers win, just look at FOSTA/SESTA...

...Tho, in better news, the questioning in those Supreme Court suits tackling Section 230 seem to show that the justices are at least reluctant to try and do much to 230, very specifically because of how much it could fuck up.

Which begs the question, if even these fucking demons know why fucking with Section 230 is a godawful idea, what excuse do these senators have?

Point is, the efforts to undermine it aren't all at once so much as gradual and insidious. Call your senators folks, and stay vigilant.

[thekitsuneknight]

I officially hate the government. 😡

[thatstormygeek]

Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton questioned Chew’s personal loyalties. Cotton, a former U.S. Army captain, asked if Chew, a citizen of Singapore, had ever been a member of the Chinese Communist Party. “No, Senator,” Chew answered. “Again, I’m Singaporean.”

[my-weird-news]

Dems 💥 Shield Biden, Shrug at GOP?!

The Democratic Phalanx: A Comedy of Double Standards

Once upon a time in the enchanted realm of politics, where logic went to take a vacation, we find ourselves in the midst of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a place where reality takes a backseat and double standards thrive like exotic plants in a botanical garden. Our protagonist, Tom Cotton, a brave soul from the land of Arkansas, dared to voice his thoughts on the peculiar ways Democrats handle investigations and law enforcement actions........ Click the image to continue reading

[alyzu]

Watch "#GOP lawmaker asks inappropriate question to #trans female" on YouTube

This Senator is a repulsive piece of sh*t. He probably thinks this was a "burn". It wasn't. He's harassing her and showing his ignorance.

[cavenewstimes]

Arkansas House Passes Bill To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients’ Rights To Carry Concealed Guns Kyle Jaeger

The Arkansas House of Representatives has passed a bill to clarify that medical marijuana patients can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Days after moving through the House Judiciary Committee, the legislation from Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R) passed the full chamber in an 82-5 vote on Tuesday. Pilkington said on the floor that the state’s…

[osarothomprince]

Arkansas House Passes Bill To Protect Medical Marijuana Patients’ Rights To Carry Concealed Guns

The Arkansas House of Representatives has passed a bill to clarify that medical marijuana patients can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Days after moving through the House Judiciary Committee, the legislation from Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R) passed the full chamber in an 82-5 vote on Tuesday. Pilkington…Arkansas House Passes Bill To Protect…

[graymanbriefing]

2nd Amendment Brief: National Overview BLUF: This is a summary of gun related legislation, policies, control, and other measures related to the firearms/weapons rights/access. An amendment to Arkansas HB 1013 was filed this month which would modify the law on the possession of firearms by certain convicted felons by proposing to allow a person who has been convicted of certain nonviolent felonies to petition the court for an order restoring the person's right to possess a firearm after 10 years of the end of their sentence. It will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee. If the bill is approved by the committee, it will mo...(CLASSIFIED) ///BREAK In New York, Minority members of the State Senate filed an amicus Brief that lends support of a Gun Owners of America case in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, that certain concealed carry restricti...(CLASSIFIED) . ///BREAK New Mexico HB 101 or the "Large-capacity Magazines & Assault Weapons Act" has been introduced. The bill would make illegal the possession, transfer, sell or manufacture of any magazine or belt that can accept more than ten rounds unless the magazine has been permanently modified to accept ten or less rounds. It would also ban the sale or possession of any pistol/rifle with more than ten rounds or shotgun with more than five rounds and any number of standard attachments or modifications such as pistol grips, foregrips, conversion kits, bar...(CLASSIFIED) ///BREAK Colorado HB23-1165 has been introduced and is under consideration by committee. The bill would allow county level governments (a single board vote) to designate unincorporated areas as unlawful discharge areas by repealing the private property and minimum population density requirements. The current 100 persons within a square mile standard will be reduced to a 30 dwelling per square mile standard, making it easier to designate areas (to include private property) as illegal discharge zones. Th...(CLASSIFIED) ///BREAK In South Carolina the House passed HB 3594, the constitutional carry bill which would allow citizens carry a firearm openly or concealed w...(CLASSIFIED, see full briefs at www.graymanbriefing.com)

[cloudhedges]

Video: Libs Outraged After Arkansas State Senator Asks Trans Pharmacist, ‘Do You Have a Penis?’

by Infowars.com Gwendolyn Herzig replies, “I don’t know what my rights are, but that question was highly inappropriate.” Arkansas state Sen. Matt McKee (R) asked a transgender pharmacist, “do you have a penis?”, prompting audible gasps from his liberal colleagues. McKee posed the question to Little Rock pharmacist Gwendolyn Herzig during a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday discussing a…

[transformationsproject]

Trans rights are still under attack in the United States. Please visit our website linked below to learn about your state and contact your reps. Here's a thread of today's updates:

A bathroom bill denies access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. They increase danger without making anyone any safer and have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills.

Arkansas SB270 was re-referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender affirming care saves lives. Denying access will cause harm. Providers are faced with criminal charges, parents are threatened with child abuse charges, and intersex children are typically exempted.

Georgia SB140 passed committee and moved to the floor.

Kansas SB233 passed in the Senate yesterday.

Mississippi HB1125 "Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures (reap)" passed in the House and Senate and is on its way to the Governor.

Tennessee HB1 passed and now moves on to the Governor.

Wyoming SF0144 passed committee and now moves to the House floor.

Public performance bans, or "drag bans," restrict access for folks who are gender non-conforming in any way. They loosely define "drag" as any public performance with an “opposite gender expression,” as sexual in nature, and inappropriate for children. This also pushes trans individuals out of public spaces.

Montana HB359 was scheduled for a second hearing.

Tennessee HB9 passed, and now moves on to the Governor.

Schooling / Parental Rights bills force schools to misgender or deadname students, ban instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, and make schools alert parents if they suspect a child is trans. They remove life-saving affirmation and support for trans youth.

Florida H1069 was pre-filed yesterday.

Arkansas SB294 passed committee yesterday.

Indiana HB1407 passed in the House and has crossed over to the Senate.

Indiana HB1608 had its second reading yesterday.

Oklahoma HB2546 passed in committee.

Sex designation bills make it harder for trans folks to have IDs, such as birth certificates, that match their gender identity. They can force a male or female designation based upon sex assigned at birth. Some ban a non-binary “X” marker or require surgery to qualify for ID updates.

Kentucky HB585, a birth certificate bill, was filed and sent to the House Committee on Committees Committee yesterday.

Montana SB458, a sex definition bill, was introduced and had its first reading in the Senate yesterday.

Texas SB1082, a sex definition bill, was filed yesterday.

Kansas SB180 passed in the Senate today.

Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity. Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes.

Kansas HB2238 passed in the House yesterday.

These are other negative bills that attack trans rights outside of the bill types above.

Iowa SF212, an adoption and foster care bill, passed in subcommittee and has a hearing tomorrow at 10am in the Senate.

We also have good news to share! These are either updates on positive bills which protect and affirm trans individuals or updates on anti-trans bills that have failed.

Wyoming SF0144, a healthcare ban, is almost certainly dead, but may still be voted on.

It's not too late to stop these and other hateful anti-trans bills from passing into law. You can go to http://transformationsproject.org/ to learn more and contact your representatives.

[tumsozluk]

A Conversation with Senator Tom Cotton

A Conversation with Senator Tom Cotton

Media Panel Press Release Panel Video Event Summary Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) was featured in an Immigration Newsmaker conversation hosted by the Center for Immigration Studies on Thursday, November 17, at 8:00am EST at the Capitol Hill Club. A leader in the U.S. Congress on immigration and national security issues, Senator Cotton’s committees include the Judiciary Committee, where he…

[nowthisnews]

"Next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a vote for Amy Coney Barrett to sit on the Supreme Court. If confirmed, analysts say Barrett would push the court further right than it has been since 1950 and lock in a conservative majority, potentially for decades. One of the many issues at stake is the right to an abortion, as Barrett, who is anti-abortion, would be the deciding vote on overturning Roe v. Wade. If overturned, abortion would immediately be banned in 17 states.

Over the past decades, states across the country have passed laws making it harder to get an abortion. Many of these laws have been blocked by the courts, but other laws have placed major restrictions in large parts of the country. Nine states currently have laws prohibiting all abortions, thereby provoking legal challenges to Roe v. Wade, while 10 states have ‘trigger laws,’ meaning that they would automatically ban abortion in the first and second trimesters if Roe were overturned. (Two states, Arkansas and Mississippi, have both laws.)

Throughout her testimony, Barrett refused to directly answer questions regarding her views on Roe v. Wade. However, as a top choice of religious right and anti-abortion activists, she has made statements in the past that referred to abortion as 'always immoral' and Roe v. Wade as 'barbaric.’ A recent Washington Post-ABC poll found that 62% of voters support the Supreme Court upholding the right to an abortion, while just 24% say it should be overturned and 14% have no opinion."