A legislative committee Tuesday morning passed a bill to end state affirmative action, but most of the public was left in the dark on the proposal’s language because it wasn’t made publicly available until after the panel voted and adjourned.
Senate Bill 60 would outlaw the use of “panic” regarding a victim’s sex, gender or sexual orientation as justification for violence against them. The “panic defense” has been banned in 13 states as of 2022.
Senate Bill 81 is one of the more controversial bills proposed so far in the 2023 legislative session and librarians across the state — including Clark County — are speaking out in opposition.
The first three weeks of the 2023 legislative session have been remarkable for the wide variety of issues the Senate has addressed.
The bill classifies a drag performance as an adult business similar to pornography, strip clubs and other sexually explicit content and activities.
As part of Senate District 3, Arkadelphia is represented in the Arkansas Senate by Republican Steve Crowell of Magnolia.
The bill asserts that drag “is intended to appeal to the prurient interest,” meaning overtly sexual in nature. It would outlaw such performances or businesses that stage them on public property or in the proximity of minors, and it would restrict these businesses to areas that children do not frequent.
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