Arkansas governor is near total abortion ban in law

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday signed into law legislation banning almost all abortions in the state, a sweeping measure that proponents hope will force the U.S. Supreme Court to re-enact its Landmark Roe v. Wade decision But opponents swear to block before they take effect later this year.

The Republican governor had expressed reservations about the bill that only allows the process to save a mother’s life and does not provide exceptions for those in an act of rape or incest. Arkansas is one of at least 14 states where legislators have proposed a ban on outright abortion this year.

Mr Hutchinson said he was signing the bill because it was “legislative support and my honesty and long-time pro-life sentences”.

The sanctions were pushed by Republicans who force the US Supreme Court to re-enact their 1973 Roe v Wade ruling. Conservatives believe the court is more open to decisions after three appointments to former President Donald Trump’s court.

Mr Hutchinson has signed several major abortion restrictions into law since he assumed office in 2015, but had expressed concern that the bill directly challenges Roe and is about the lack of rape and incest exceptions. He reiterated those concerns as he announced his decision.

A statement issued by its office stated, “The ban (ban) is contrary to the binding precedent of the US Supreme Court, but it is intended for the Supreme Court to legislate to overturn the current case law.”

“I would have preferred legislation to include exceptions to rape and incest, which has been my consistent view, and such exceptions would increase the likelihood of review by the US Supreme Court.”

As the Legislature considered the measure, Mr. Hutchinson shared a letter with lawmakers in which attorneys wrote a letter to the National Right to Abortion Opponents stating that the bill’s likelihood of going to Roe was “too small And remote “. The National Right to Life did not take a position on the bill, though its Arkansas ally supported the ban.

The law will not go into effect until 90 days after the majority-Republican Legislature adjourns this year’s session. This means that it may not be implemented as soon as possible in summer. Abortion rights advocates said they plan to challenge the ban in court first.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas called the ban “cruel and unconstitutional”.

Arkansas executive director Holly Dixon said, “Governor Hutchinson: We’ll see you in court.”

“This is the worst politics,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Plant Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement. “At a time when people need economic relief and basic safety precautions, ending access to abortion is cruel, dangerous and grossly unjust.”

Arkansas has some of the most stringent abortion measures in the country and two years ago Mr. Hutchinson signed a measure into law that would ban the process if the Roe decision was overturned. Another measure was signed by Mr. Hutchinson in 2019, banning abortion after an 18-week pregnancy, due to a legal challenge.

Several other restrictions are still being considered in the Legislature, including the first ultrasound to be shown to a woman who has had a miscarriage approved by the Senate the day before.

A more comprehensive abortion ban was signed last month by the governor of South Carolina, but was quickly blocked by a federal judge due to a legal challenge by Planned Parenthood. Alabama imposed an almost complete ban on abortion in 2019, which has been blocked due to court challenges.