Last week, we kicked off a blog series called Pro-Life Legislation That Arkansas Needs and discussed SB113, a bill filed by Sen. Cecile Bledsoe (R-Rogers) that would have prevented public funds in Arkansas from being used for abortions under Obamacare. Our focus this week will be HB2159, the Pregnant Woman’s Protection Act, by Rep. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch).
HB2159: The Pregnant Woman’s Protection Act
Arkansas law currently allows a woman to defend herself against assault, but it’s not clear whether a pregnant woman has the right to defend her unborn child against assault. That’s why Rep. Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch) introduced HB2159—the Pregnant Woman’s Protection Act. This bill would have made it lawful for a pregnant woman to use any level of physical force necessary to prevent an assault on her unborn child.
In Michigan, a high-profile case occurred where a pregnant woman was punched in the stomach by her boyfriend—a direct attempt to kill her unborn baby. She responded in self-defense and defense of her baby, and ended up killing her boyfriend. Tragically, she sat in jail for about two years on murder charges before a judge threw out the case against her. Had a law been in place in Michigan like HB2159, this woman would not have been unjustly behind bars. Every state, including Arkansas, needs legislation clarifying that a pregnant woman has the legal right to defend her unborn child from assault.
