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Arkansas Senate committee advances SB 43 after heated testimony on drag performances and minors
Summary
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee advanced Senate Bill 43 after sponsor Senator Stubblefield argued it protects children; opponents including the ACLU and multiple witnesses said the bill's vague wording (notably the insertion of the term 'prurient') would chill protected speech and disproportionately affect transgender Arkansans. The committee recorded a 'paper do pass' to move the bill forward.
The Senate City, County & Local Affairs Committee on Tuesday heard more than a dozen witnesses on Senate Bill 43, a proposal that would classify certain performances as "adult-oriented" for the purpose of restricting where they may occur and adding civil and criminal penalties for violations.
Senator Stubblefield, sponsor of the bill, opened the hearing by saying the measure was intended to "protect our children" and described criteria in the bill that he said would have to be met before enforcement could occur. He emphasized a legal term discussed in the text and testimony he introduced, saying the bill targets what he called an "excessive interest" in certain matters and arguing that parents and grandparents deserve safeguards for children.
Opponents framed the bill as a threat to constitutional rights and to transgender and LGBTQ Arkansans. Holly Dixon, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, told the committee the bill would "relegat[e] drag performances to…
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