Press Release: Arkansas Ranked Third Most Pro-Life State in America

Abortion, Life, , ,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 14, 2014

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – On Tuesday Americans United for Life, a leading national pro-life group, released its annual “Life List.” The group moved Arkansas from the number-four spot in 2013 to the number-three spot for 2014.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “This is something Arkansans should be proud of. Our state is the third most pro-life state in the country. That’s worth celebrating.”

Cox said the Life List considers more than laws regarding abortion. “Obviously, when people hear the words ‘pro-life,’ many think, ‘anti-abortion.’ Americans United for Life looks at much more than just that. They consider how the sick, elderly, and terminally-ill are treated in your state; what policies you have safeguarding patients; bioethics; and so on. For them to look at every law from every state and decide Arkansas is one of the top three states in the country when it comes to protecting human life says a lot about how much Arkansans value people.”

Cox noted Americans United for Life rated Arkansas an “All-Star” when it comes to protecting the lives of women and children from abortion. “Last year Arkansas passed a law requiring abortion clinic volunteers and employees to report suspected child abuse. We also passed a law ensuring a pregnant woman won’t be charged with a crime if she uses force to protect her unborn baby from an attacker. Laws like that make Arkansas a leader when it comes to protecting women and children.”

Cox says he hopes Arkansas will eventually become the most pro-life state in America. “I hear a lot of people talk about strengthening the economy right now. I think that’s great, but a strong economy doesn’t do a whole lot of good if your citizens aren’t alive and well to enjoy and contribute to it. Protecting the lives of Arkansans should always be a top priority. I’m grateful the Arkansas Legislature made it a priority in 2013, and I hope they will continue to do so in the future.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Click here to learn more about AUL’s Life List.

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U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Review Arizona’s 20-Week Abortion Ban

Abortion, , ,

The following blog post is by Family Council staff member Ken Yang.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Arizona’s fetal pain law banning abortions starting at 20 weeks. The justices gave no reason for refusing to review the case.

Arizona’s law is similar to one passed in Arkansas last year as well as laws in many other states around the country.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed the bill into law in April, 2012, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck it down saying it violated the standards set by Roe v. Wade.

Arizona’s 20-week ban is the first to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Texas appears to be next in line with the court system, so be on the lookout. Sooner or later the U.S. Supreme Court will have to begin hearing the people and the 55 plus million lives that have been silenced by abortion.

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Obama Admin. “Shows Contempt” for States, Federal Courts, Congress

Marriage,

Today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the federal government would recognize any same-sex marriage licenses that have been issued in Utah.

As you may be aware, a federal judge declared same-sex marriage legal in Utah last month, and the state was forced to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in spite of the states ban on gay marriage. This week, however, the U.S. Supreme Court put a stay on the judge’s ruling until the matter can be appealed and decided by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In keeping with the decision, the State of Utah has said it will not recognize the same-sex marriage licenses issued between the initial judge’s ruling and the Supreme Court decision. The Obama Administration, however, has unilaterally decided to ignore the Supreme Court, saying it will recognize the marriage licenses even though those licenses are not currently valid.

Family Research Council released a statement about the decision, which says in part,

“The Obama administration’s decision today is an effort to make law in the breach and shows contempt for the states, the federal courts, and Congress. It only adds to the administrative chaos by flouting Utah’s marriage law and is in contrast to the U.S. Supreme Court’s cautious approach in granting a stay in the case. The Department of Justice’s announcement is doing the very thing which the Supreme Court condemned in the U.S. vs. Windsor decision – ‘creating two contradictory marriage regimes within the same State.'”

Here’s the problem: There is no federal marriage license. Marriage licenses are issued by states, and the federal government defers to states in determining whether or not someone is lawfully married. That was actually a point the U.S. Supreme Court touched on last summer when it struck part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

If the U.S. Supreme Court says the State of Utah does not have to recognize same-sex marriage, and if the State of Utah says these couples are not lawfully married, then the federal government really has very little grounds for saying otherwise.

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