Arkansas Governor Signs Good Law to Prohibit Race-Selection Abortions

Abortion, , , ,

Last week Gov. Sanders signed a good law to 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 enacted 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.

This good law passed with overwhelming support in the Arkansas House and Arkansas Senate. On April 22, Gov. Sanders signed it — making it Act 973 of 2025.

Family Council was very pleased to work with our friends in the legislature to secure passage of Act 973. We appreciate lawmakers’ continued dedication to upholding the sanctity and dignity of human life, and we appreciate Gov. Sanders signing this good law.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Governor Sanders Signs Law to Give Students a Window into the Womb

Legislation, , ,

On Monday Governor Sanders signed a good law to help teach public school students about unborn children.

S.B. 450 by Sen. Breanne Davis (R — Russellville) and Rep. Kendra Moore (R — Lincoln) lets public school students see a recording of a high-definition ultrasound video as part of human fetal growth and development education courses.

The law also makes it possible for students to learn important facts about how unborn children develop in the womb.

Similar legislation reportedly has passed in North Dakota, Tennessee, Idaho, and Kansas.

With the governor’s signature, S.B. 450 is now Act 915 of 2025. Act 915 received overwhelming support in the Arkansas Senate and House of Representatives, and we want to recognize the legislature for supporting this good law and Governor Sanders for signing it on Monday.

Very few medical advancements have done more to change hearts and minds on abortion than ultrasound technology. In fact, research has shown that some women are less likely to have an abortion if they see an ultrasound image of their unborn child. Act 915 will help students understand that unborn children are human beings.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Study Finds Pro-Life Laws Boost Births in Arkansas and Beyond

Abortion, , ,

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) estimates more than 300 children were born in Arkansas in 2023 as a direct result of the state’s pro-life laws.

Since 2022, abortion in Arkansas has been generally prohibited except to save the life of the mother. It is also against the law to deliver abortion-inducing drugs like RU-486 into the state. Government data and news reports indicate some women from Arkansas may cross state lines for abortion, but so far there has been very little data estimating exactly how many children are alive today as a result of pro-life laws.

The JAMA study published in February reviewed abortion laws and birth rates from 2023 in all 50 states — including Arkansas. Researchers found the number of births were higher than expected in states that generally prohibited abortion.

Overall, the study estimated that at least 22,180 children across America were born in 2023 as a direct result of pro-life laws — including an estimated 325 children in Arkansas.

National Review analyzed the JAMA study, writing,

The JAMA study is unique because it is the first study that analyzes the impact of recent pro-life laws on different demographic groups. The study found that pro-life laws had a statistically larger impact on the fertility rates of unmarried women, African Americans, Hispanics, and women on Medicaid. The study also considered the impact of individual pro-life laws. Some state pro-life laws, such as the those enacted in Texas, had a larger impact than others. However, every abortion ban or heartbeat act was correlated with an increase in the state fertility rate. In short, every pro-life law that was analyzed saved lives.

As National Review notes in its analysis of the study, JAMA likely underestimated the number of children born as a result of pro-life laws. JAMA reviewed birth data in each state from 2012 to 2022, and then compared the number of births that were projected in 2023 with the number of children who were actually born. JAMA referred to these as “excess births.” The number of unborn children saved as a result of pro-life laws may be much higher than JAMA estimates.

The JAMA study underscores that pro-life laws save lives. We have written repeatedly about how many children in Arkansas are alive today simply because of informed-consent laws the state legislature enacted. Abortion hurts women and it kills unborn children. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has reversed Roe v. Wade, states are free to restrict or prohibit abortion. Laws against abortion are saving the lives of unborn children. That’s something to celebrate.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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