FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 13, 2017

Little Rock, AR—Ahead of a Thursday hearing regarding legal challenges against several pro-life laws, Family Council President Jerry Cox issued a statement, saying, “A lot of misinformation has spread in recent days about these good, pro-life laws. We want to set the record straight.

“These laws help prohibit companies from buying or selling organs harvested from aborted babies. They ensure aborted babies are respectfully buried or cremated. They help protect minors who may be victims of rape, incest, or human trafficking. They require doctors to request at least some of a woman’s medical records before performing an abortion. They require abortion clinics to be properly licensed and inspected. And they prohibit surgical abortion procedures in which an unborn baby is dismembered. These are good laws that will protect the lives, health, and safety of  Arkansans.”

Cox said opponents of the laws have spread confusion through incorrect information. “Instead of talking about the merits of the laws, opponents have resorted to scare tactics and debunked rumors. A few people have tried to argue these laws somehow require a sexual assault victim to get her attacker’s permission before having an abortion or let a man sue to prevent a woman from having an abortion. These are ridiculous arguments that were discredited months ago when the legislature first discussed these laws. None of these laws lets the father of the unborn child stop a woman from having an abortion, and Arkansas does not recognize the parental rights of rapists.”

Cox praised state legislators for passing these pro-life laws last spring. “Most of these laws passed with bipartisan support. A few passed nearly unanimously in the Arkansas House or Arkansas Senate. Our lawmakers know these are good laws. I am optimistic our courts ultimately will agree.”

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Photo Credit: By Brian Turner (Flickr: My Trusty Gavel) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.