Photo: Courtesy KUAR
Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed SB289, The Medical Ethics and Diversity Act.
The bill will allow doctors to refuse to treat someone because of religious or moral objections.
The AP noted earlier similar proposals stalled in the Legislature in 2017 and 2019.
After signing the bill, Gov. Hutchinson issued a statement saying, “I weighed this bill very carefully, and it should be noted that I opposed the bill in the 2017 legislative session. The bill was changed to ensure that the exercise of the right of conscience is limited to ‘conscience-based objections to a particular health care service.’ I support this right of conscience so long as emergency care is exempted and conscience objection cannot be used to deny general health service to any class of people. Most importantly, the federal laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, and national origin continue to apply to the delivery of health care services.”
Photos: Sen. Scott Flippo and Sen. Missy Irvin
The legislative website notes local cosponors of the legislation include Sen. Scott Flippo of Bull Shoals, Sen. Missy Irvin of Mountain View, Rep. Nelda Speaks of Mountain Home and Rep. John Payton of Wilburn.
Photos: Rep. Nelda Speaks and Rep. John Payton
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