Tag: Pro-life

Arkansas Ranked Second Most Pro-Life State in America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Little Rock, Ark. – On Tuesday Americans United for Life released its 2018 “Life List” ranking each state based on its laws and policies regarding human life. According to the list, Arkansas is the second most pro-life state in America, just behind Arizona.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “This is something Arkansans should be proud of. In the past Arkansas has been ranked as high as number three or number four in the nation when it comes to protecting innocent, human life. This is the best ranking we have ever received.”

The Life List ranks states based on their policies regarding abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and other issues related to human life. Cox said he believes pro-life laws passed by the Arkansas Legislature in recent years are the reason the state has moved up in the rankings. “The credit goes to Governor Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Legislature for taking a courageous stand that protects human life in Arkansas from conception until natural death. Their hard work is paying off. We as citizens of Arkansas should be very proud of them. Last year Arkansas passed a long list of laws prohibiting or regulating certain abortion procedures and protecting women’s health. Recently the State officially quit giving Medicaid funding to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. Arkansas also has some excellent policies in place when it comes to suicide and euthanasia. Laws and policies like these have turned Arkansas into the second most pro-life state in the country.”

Cox said he is looking forward to the day when Arkansas is the most pro-life state in America. “Abortion in Arkansas has plummeted to record lows in recent years—especially among teenagers. Public opinion polling shows most Arkansans believe abortion ought to be either completely illegal or legal only under certain circumstances. Right now the only state with better pro-life laws is Arizona. Given the circumstances, I believe Arkansas could easily become the number-one state in America when it comes to protecting, respecting, and valuing human life.”

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

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AR Pro-Life Law Could Stop Clinics From Doing Chemical Abortions

Last Thursday attorneys for Planned Parenthood filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court saying their clinics will have to stop doing chemical abortions if a pro-life law from 2015 is upheld.

In 2015 the Arkansas Legislature passed a law requiring abortion clinics performing chemical abortions to contract with a physician who has admitting privileges at a hospital to handle complications from the abortion.

In 2016, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker blocked that law from being enforced. However, last July, a three-judge panel at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Judge Baker’s decision. Now Planned Parenthood is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to strike the law down.

Last week Planned Parenthood wrote that if the law is enforced, it will have to stop doing chemical abortions in Arkansas, because Planned Parenthood has been unable to find a doctor with hospital admitting privileges with whom to contract.

When the Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act was filed in 2015, a lot of people said it wouldn’t do anything. Before it’s over, this simple law may have a larger impact on abortion and pro-life laws in America than any other bill we have worked on in recent history. Here’s how:

1. Hospital Admitting Privileges. Last year the U.S. Supreme Court struck a Texas law requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. Many took that to mean admitting privileges requirements were unconstitutional. The Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act requires abortion clinics to contract with a physician who has hospital admitting privileges. However, the Eighth Circuit implied Arkansas’ law is different from Texas’ and might be constitutional.
2. The “Large Fraction” Test. The Eighth Circuit panel essentially said judges can’t just strike down any law that makes it harder to get an abortion. The law must affect a large percentage of women seeking an abortion. That applies to every state in the Eighth Circuit. This could make it easier for pro-life laws in Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to withstand future legal challenges.
3. Future Pro-Life Laws. The Eighth Circuit’s ruling revealed other pro-life laws we might pursue. For example, the judges suggested a state could require abortion clinics to maintain a twenty-four hour emergency telephone line. This will help guide our pro-life legislation in the future.

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Family Council Signs Letter Opposing Abortion Coverage in Obamacare Funding

This week Family Council joined more than 60 pro-life leaders from across the country in urging the U.S. Senate not to authorize any Obamacare funding that covers abortion.

Recent proposals by Senators Alexander (R – TN) and Murray (D – WA) would give federal tax dollars to insurance plans that cover elective abortions. The proposals ignore longstanding traditions in Congress, like the Hyde Amendment, that prevent taxpayer-funding of elective abortions in most cases.

As we wrote last year, the Hyde Amendment has long been viewed as a delicate compromise. However, that compromise has recently come under attack. In 2016 the Democratic National Committee put language in its party platform saying, “We will continue to oppose — and seek to overturn — federal and state laws and policies that impede a woman’s access to abortion, including by repealing the Hyde Amendment.”

Prohibiting the public funding of abortion saves lives. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, more than 2 million lives have been saved by the Hyde Amendment since in was first enacted in 1976.

Simply put, our senators should not authorize any federal spending that subsidizes abortion.

You can read the entire letter to Congress here.

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