HB1180, also known as the Baby Olivia Act, is a dangerous and misleading bill that seeks to force anti-abortion propaganda into Arkansas classrooms under the guise of sex education. The bill mandates that students — starting as early as fifth grade — view Meet Baby Olivia, a medically and scientifically inaccurate video produced by the extremist political organization Live Action.
This bill is not about education; it is about pushing an ideological agenda. Live Action has a long history of spreading misinformation to advance anti-abortion policies nationwide, and HB1180 attempts to codify its propaganda into Arkansas's curriculum. There is no science-based or education-based justification for this mandate. Instead, this bill undermines young people’s access to medically accurate, comprehensive sex education, which decades of research show is critical for preventing unintended pregnancies, reducing the spread of sexually transmitted infections, and fostering healthy relationships.
Arkansas consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for teen pregnancy and has alarmingly high maternal and infant mortality rates. HB1180 does nothing to address these real public health issues. Instead of pushing shame-based misinformation, lawmakers should focus on expanding access to comprehensive sex education and improving maternal health care across the state.
We strongly oppose HB1180 because Arkansans deserve policies rooted in facts, not ideology. Young people deserve access to education that empowers them to make informed decisions about their health and futures — not politically motivated misinformation.
