Arkansas Attorney General Seeks to Overturn Components of Roe, Casey
Yesterday we reported Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act; this good, pro-life law was sponsored by Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway) and passed by the Arkansas Legislature in 2013. It prevents most abortions after the twelfth week of pregnancy if a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Part of the law was struck down by a three-judge panel of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the entire Eighth Circuit declined to hear the an appeal of the decision; A.G. Rutledge is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the appeal and uphold and law as constitutional.
Central to the A.G.’s petition of the U.S. Supreme Court is whether or not the “viability rule” derived from Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey needs to be “revisited and overruled.”
The “viability rule” is a significant–albeit arbitrary–judicial principle derived from both rulings, and overruling it would be a major win for protecting human life. (more…)