Arkansas House Report: Millitary, abortion and trade in the mix

Editor’s note: Rep. Leslee Milam-Post, D-Ozark, provided the following commentary on the previous week of the 88th Arkansas General Assembly.

The 88th General Assembly is winding down the month of January with several good bills passed through the House and even a good debate under our belt.

Two measures affecting military service members in our state passed the House this week. The Nick Bacon Remembrance Act, named for the late Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, allows honorably discharged veterans to have their status listed on their Arkansas driver’s license. This would help veterans take advantage of available discounts, but it would also help law enforcement and medical personnel to more easily identify and assist a veteran who may suffer an episode related to post-traumatic stress disorder. Any veteran could have this designation placed on their license for free, and there is no extra cost to the state. Bacon’s family watched from the visitor’s gallery as we passed the measure. It next goes to the Senate for consideration.

A measure impacting service members and their families is  HB1141, which the House passed Thursday. It would clarify Arkansas law to adopt Department of Defense regulations that allow military service members to decide who is authorized to make arrangements for their remains in the event they die while serving our country. This will help prevent confusion among family members about their loved one’s wishes.

In other matters, the House passed a measure that would allow Arkansas drivers to choose to get their vehicle registration renewal reminders by e-mail, instead of by regular mail. Drivers already have the option to renew their registration online, which more and more people do every year. Last year, about 300,000 Arkansans took advantage of the electronic format. If that many people opt to get an electronic reminder, it would save the state about $100,000. All of these measures have been sent to the Senate.

There are several bills that I will be watching in the upcoming week. One very disturbing one is SB113 sponsored by Senator Cecile Bledsoe. It prohibits health insurance exchange policies from offering coverage for abortions except through a separate rider.

What a joke. And the insurance companies know it. Most people are not going to plan ahead for an abortion. What bothers me MOST about this bill is that it denies coverage for procedures needed by women who have had a miscarriage (abortion) from natural causes.

In closing, Arkansas is the nation’s largest rice producing state, accounting for about 50% of the country’s rice production. Noting that much of that crop is marketed to countries around the world, the House passed a non-binding resolution, urging President Obama and Arkansas’s Congressional delegation to remove trade and travel restrictions on Cuba, which would enhance trade opportunities for our rice exports.

We of course, have just begun to tackle some of the hundreds of bills being filed in both chambers. Issues from highway funding, to water safety, to corrections and education spending will likely be addressed in weeks ahead. I will continue to keep you updated as we move forward. I encourage each of you to be active in the legislative process.

You can now watch most committees and House proceedings via live stream at the Arkansas House website.

As always, please contact me at with questions or concerns at [email protected]