JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) – Big changes have come in a short
amount of time to Arkansas' abortion policy, as a near-ban on abortion is now
state law.
Both the Arkansas Senate and House of Representatives recently
voted to override the governor's veto of House Bill 1037, the Pain-Capable
Unborn Child Protection Act. It bans most abortions after 20 weeks into a
pregnancy.
Another bill with even stricter regulations has now made it
to Governor Mike Beebe's desk. The governor says he has yet to decide if he
will veto Senate Bill 134, otherwise known as the Arkansas Human Heartbeat
Protection Act.
This bill cleared the state Senate Thursday and would ban
most abortions in the state 12, instead of 20, weeks into a pregnancy.
Governor Beebe initially vetoed the 20-week ban because he
says it was unconstitutional and violated the Supreme Court ruling in Roe v.
Wade. According to the Associated Press, he told reporters Thursday that the
proposed 12-week ban is even more problematic than the 20-week ban he already
vetoed.
Critics call the 12-week ban the ‘heartbeat bill' because
its supporters argue that a fetus should be protected from abortion once an
ultrasound detects its heartbeat.
The bill may ban most abortions 12 weeks into a pregnancy,
but it also contains exemptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother and
lethal fetal conditions. It also proposes that doctors who violate the ban
would lose their medical licenses.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas called
for Governor Beebe to veto this legislation too. Its written statement Thursday
said in part, "If enacted, the 12-week ban would be the most severe such law in
the country."
Rita Sklar, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, also
said in the statement, "This bill shows an absolute disregard for the health of
the women of Arkansas. We urge Gov. Beebe to spare our state the indignity of
passing the strictest ban in the country and veto this bill."
Dr. Catherine Reese, a professor of public administration at
Arkansas State University, agrees.
"I don't like to see Arkansas taking that route and going
that way," Dr. Reese said. "I think that probably these laws will be struck
down. In that case, is it all just a big waste of time?"
Dr. Reese discussed the recently passed laws in her Women in
Politics class. She said some of the students complained that mostly male lawmakers
should avoid legislating decisions that affect women and their bodies.
"It's total hypocrisy," she said. "[The Republicans] are
going to say government should stay out of our lives, and yet we're going to
say we would like to legislate the most important personal decision you may
ever make. We're going to tell you exactly what to do and how to make it
because our morals and values are superior to yours."
Governor Beebe has until next week to decide if he will veto
the 12-week ban.
He says this will likely be costly to taxpayers because they
will have to fit the bill if the laws are ever challenged in court.
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