Fifth Circuit Ruling Bodes Well for Pro-Life Law in Arkansas

Abortion, , ,

On Wednesday a three-judge panel from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a pro-life law in Louisiana that is similar to one Arkansas passed in 2015.

Life News writes,

[The Louisiana law] requires abortion providers to have hospital admitting privileges in case patients experience emergency complications. Soon after it became law, the Louisiana abortion facility Hope Medical Group for Women and the Center for Reproductive Rights challenged it in court.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar Texas law in 2016, arguing it burdened women’s access to abortion. However, the Fifth Circuit panel said the Louisiana law is different because it “does not impose a substantial burden on a large fraction of women.”

Although pro-abortion groups have not made a clear statement, the Louisiana ruling presumably will be appealed to the full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The ruling is significant, because right now the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing an Arkansas law that requires abortion clinics that offer abortion drugs like RU-486 to contract with a doctor who has hospital admitting privileges.

Planned Parenthood and others have argued the Arkansas law is unconstitutional and should be struck down. The fact that federal judges have upheld a similar law in Louisiana bodes well for Arkansas.

Photo Credit: By Brian Turner (Flickr: My Trusty Gavel) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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Arkansas Right to Life to Host Screening of Gosnell Movie September 27

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Our friends at Arkansas Right to Life will host a special screening of the movie “Gosnell: The Trial America’s Biggest Serial Killer” on Thursday, September 27, at the Riverdale 10 VIP Cinema in Little Rock at 7:00 PM.

The movie follows the arrest and prosecution of Philadelphia abortionist Dr. Kermit Gosnell who was convicted in 2013 of murdering babies born alive following botched abortion procedures. The grand jury report in his case cited horrific conditions–including blood-stained medical records, insufficiently-trained staff members, and a complete lack of organization–at Gosnell’s clinic.

The movie is scheduled to hit theaters in October, and it is rated PG-13 for mature thematic content including disturbing images and descriptions. However the film itself is not graphic.

Tickets for this sneak preview are $10 each, and they are available online at riverdale10.com. This special screening hosted by Arkansas Right to Life is co-sponsored by The Dave Elswick Show 101.1 FM The Answer.

Ann McElhinney, the film’s producer and author of the book Gosnell: The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer, will be a special guest at this screening and will give a brief presentation before the movie starts.

I hope you can make plans to attend this event. You can watch a preview of the movie below, and you can learn more about the film at GosnellMovie.com.

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Family Council Publishes “Pro-Life Champions 2018” List

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Little Rock, Ark. —  On Friday Family Council published its Pro-Life Champions 2018 list highlighting past and present elected officials who have championed pro-life legislation in Arkansas over the past five years.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement saying, “Arkansas is the second most pro-life state in the nation thanks to several great members of the Arkansas General Assembly who have championed pro-life legislation over the past five years as well as Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.  Family Council has worked with every one of these individuals along with our friends at Arkansas Right to Life to protect the sanctity of innocent human life in Arkansas. It is important that Arkansans know who these pro-life champions are.  They deserve tremendous thanks from the people of our state.  I hope Family Council’s Pro-Life Champions 2018 list helps do that.”

Cox said the laws Arkansas has passed in recent years are saving lives. “Legislation sponsored by these lawmakers has helped reduce the number of abortions in Arkansas to a forty-year low.  Laws passed by these champions have already saved the lives of thousands of children, and they will continue to save the lives of children for many years to come.”

Current state legislators listed in Pro-Life Champions 2018 are Representative Bob Ballinger (R – Berryville); Representative Sonia Barker (R – Smackover); Representative Mary Bentley (R – Perryville); Senator Cecile Bledsoe (R – Rogers); Representative Charlie Collins (R – Fayetteville); Senator Linda Collins-Smith (R – Pocahontas); Representative Charlene Fite (R – Van Buren); Senator Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals); Representative Kim Hammer (R – Benton); Senator Jim Hendren (R – Gravette); Senator Bart Hester (R – Cave Springs);  Senator Missy Irvin (R – Mountain View); Senator Blake Johnson (R – Corning); Representative Robin Lundstrum (R – Elm Springs); Representative Andy Mayberry (R – Little Rock); Representative Aaron Pilkington (R – Clarksville); Senator Jason Rapert (R – Conway); Representative Brandt Smith (R – Jonesboro); and Senator Gary Stubblefield (R – Branch)

Cox said he hopes Arkansans will thank the elected officials in the Pro-Life Champions 2018 list. “We have provided contact information for each of lawmaker as well as Governor Hutchinson and Attorney General Rutledge.  I hope Arkansans will contact all of them and express their gratitude. They are doing tremendous work to stand up for the sanctity of human life in Arkansas.”

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

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Read the Pro-Life Champions 2018 list here.

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