Sanctity of Human Life – Page 199

Abortion in Arkansas Remains Near Historic Lows

Jun 2, 2021Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Little Rock, Ark. — On Wednesday the Arkansas Department of Health released its annual reports on the number of abortions performed in the state.

The report shows that 3,154 abortions occurred in Arkansas in 2020.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Abortion in Arkansas is near historic lows. Abortion in Arkansas hasn’t been this low since the late 1970s, and Arkansas is the most pro-life state in America according to Americans United for Life. Arkansans are winning the fight against abortion.”

Cox noted that teen abortion remained at an all time low in 2020. “In the 1990s teenagers were among those who were most likely to have an abortion. Today they are some of the least likely to have one. The number of abortions performed in Arkansas has been cut in half since 1991. Overall, the state’s abortion rate has plummeted. That’s all really great news.”

Cox said the reports also show Arkansas’ informed-consent laws have helped women choose options besides abortion. “Arkansas has one of the best informed-consent laws in America. It requires abortionists to give women all the facts about abortion up front, including abortion’s risks, consequences, and alternatives. They also have to give women plenty of time to consider all options before making a final decision. We estimate from these reports that between 500 and 600 women chose not to have abortions last year after receiving this information.”

Cox praised the Arkansas Legislature for enacting good legislation that protects unborn children. “Arkansas’ lawmakers have passed some of the best pro-life laws in the country. Governor Hutchinson has signed every pro-life law that has come across his desk, and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has defended them in court. This year the state passed several laws that will protect unborn children and give our courts an opportunity to overturn bad decisions like Roe v. Wade. These latest reports simply show that we are winning the fight against abortion in our state.”

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Texas Passes Pro-Life “Heartbeat Bill” Similar to Arkansas’

May 21, 2021Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

This week Texas passed a good, pro-life law prohibiting abortion if the unborn baby’s heartbeat is detected.

It’s similar to a law Arkansas passed a little over eight years ago.

In 2013 the Arkansas Legislature passed S.B. 134 by Sen. Jason Rapert generally prohibiting abortion after the twelfth week of pregnancy if a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

Pro-abortion groups filed a lawsuit to block the state from enforcing this good, pro-life measure.

In the end, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals struck most of the law, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case.

However, the courts left the law’s informed-consent requirements in place, and some parts of the Eighth Circuit’s ruling actually gave Arkansas a framework for passing additional pro-life legislation in 2015 and 2017.

If Texas’ law is challenged, it’s possible their courts will rule differently and we could all get a pro-life victory out of the case.

All of this underscores that slowly, but surely, we are winning the fight against abortion.

Abortion Supporters Say Arkansas Has Enacted a Near-Record Number of Pro-Life Laws This Year

May 5, 2021Jerry CoxAbortionAbortion, Life, Pro-life, Sanctity of Human Life

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.

The report says,

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.