On Wednesday night the Arkansas Senate passed a bill that would prohibit certain abortions if Arkansas’ pro-life laws ever change.
Since 2022, abortion in Arkansas has been prohibited except to save the life of the mother. This year the Arkansas Legislature passed a law clarifying and closing possible loopholes in the state’s pro-life laws.
Before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Arkansas passed dozens of different laws restricting and prohibiting abortion — including laws protecting unborn children from being aborted because of their sex or because they may be at risk for Down Syndrome. Technically, those good laws are still on the books, and they could be enforced if a federal court ever blocked Arkansas’ laws that generally prohibit abortion.
S.B. 591 by Sen. Clint Penzo (R — Springdale) and Rep. Karilyn Brown (R — Sherwood) would prohibit abortions performed due to the unborn baby’s race if Arkansas’ pro-life laws are ever amended or struck down.
The Arkansas Senate voted overwhelmingly for this good law on Wednesday. S.B. 591 now goes to the Arkansas House of Representatives for consideration.
The Following Senators Voted For S.B. 591
- J. Boyd
- J. Bryant
- Caldwell
- A. Clark
- Crowell
- B. Davis
- Dees
- J. Dismang
- J. Dotson
- J. English
- Flippo
- Gilmore
- K. Hammer
- Hester
- Hickey
- Hill
- Irvin
- B. Johnson
- M. Johnson
- B. King
- M. McKee
- J. Payton
- C. Penzo
- J. Petty
- Rice
- Stone
- G. Stubblefield
- D. Sullivan
- D. Wallace
The Following Senators Voted Against S.B. 591
- S. Flowers
- G. Leding
- F. Love
- R. Murdock
- J. Scott
- C. Tucker
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
