Recently the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization closely aligned with Planned Parenthood published a report saying that 2021 is on track to be the most anti-abortion year in decades.
Five states—Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Oklahoma—enacted restrictions on abortion clinics, an issue that has not been hot in state legislatures since the Supreme Court in 2016 struck down regulations enacted in Texas. Most notably, Arkansas and Kentucky passed laws making it easier for state agencies to close abortion clinics.
Furthermore, a disturbing record was set this week: With its enactment of a new restriction on abortion clinics, Arkansas has now enacted 20 restrictions in 2021, tying Louisiana’s 1978 record for the most restrictions in a single year.
By our count, Arkansas enacted 14 excellent, pro-life laws during the past legislative session. That’s certainly a record for the Arkansas Legislature.
These new laws could save thousands of women and unborn children from abortion in the years to come. That’s something to celebrate.
Photo Credit: Planned Parenthood Sticker by dogra on Flickr.