Jerry Cox, Founder and President of Family Council, talks about his disappointment and frustration over the House Rules Committee killing SB66, a good, commonsense bill that would protect children from pornography online. Cox says SB66 will be brought up again Wednesday, March 1st, in the House Rules Committee meeting at noon. From now until Wednesday, Cox says it is time for citizens all over the state to contact their representatives and light up the switchboard at the House of Representatives.
Here’s what you can do:
Dial 501-682-6211 during normal business hours. Tell them your name, who your state representative is, and simply say “please vote for Senate Bill 66, the bill to protect children from internet porn.”
“It’s real simple and you can make a huge difference just by making that call,” Cox says.
Cox also adds that if anyone has questions about this bill, they are welcome to call his team at Family Council. That number is 501-375-7000. You may also visit their website at familycouncil.org
“I think people need to see (what’s happening) and be there. I think that will help lawmakers understand that people care about this issue a whole lot. But also, if you know your lawmaker and you’ve got their phone number, call them over the weekend and have a face to face kind of conversation with them and say, ‘please protect our children as much as you can.'”
SB66 was filed to protect children from accessing pornography. This includes requiring reasonable age verification before accessing a pornography website. The bill quickly passed in the Senate without a dissenting vote. The bill then went to the House of Representatives where Speaker Matthew Shepherd assigned the bill to the House Rules Committee. Every member of the committee was appointed by Speaker Shepherd.[i] SB66 came before the House Rules Committee on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, but no motion was made to pass the bill. (Watch the committee meeting here.) Without further action, the bill will die in committee and the members of the House of Representatives will have sided with those who want to sexualize children through open access to pornography.
If you want to protect children, ask Speaker Matthew Shepherd to urge his appointees to quickly give SB66 a “do pass” from the Rules Committee. Also, ask the members of the committee to pass the bill.
Here is a list of the members of the House Rules Committee:
Chair DeAnn Vaught, Vice-Chair Shad Pearce, and the other Representatives on the committee are: Frances Cavenaugh, Carol Dalby, Matt Duffield, Jon S. Eubanks, Kenneth B. Ferguson, Lanny Fite, Mike Holcomb, Lane Jean, Stephen Magie, Jeremiah Moore, Milton Nicks, Jr., Dwight Tosh, and Jeff Wardlaw.
Finally, if the House Rules Committee fails to act quickly, ask your Representative to make a motion to pull the bill out of committee and straight on the House floor for a vote. (Pulling the bill out of committee requires a two-thirds majority vote of the House under House Rule 71.[ii])
[i] House Rules on the appointment of members to the House Rules Committee:
54.(b) SELECT COMMITTEES 54.(b)(1) With the exception of the House Budget Committee, the Speaker shall appoint all members and all alternates on all House select committees and all Joint Select Committees. The Speaker shall appoint ex officio members in accordance with the law.
53.(c) HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEES House Rules Committee shall consist of no more than fifteen (15) members.
[ii] House Rule on removing a bill from committee:
House Rule 71. A vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the elected membership of the House of Representatives shall be necessary to remove a bill from a committee.
