Abortion Lawsuit in Ohio Serves as a Warning for Arkansas
The ACLU and abortionists have joined in a lawsuit challenging common-sense abortion restrictions in Ohio.
If successful, the lawsuit would overturn informed-consent laws that require abortionists in Ohio to give women information about abortion and provide them with at least 24 hours to consider their options before proceeding with the abortion.
Since Ohio enshrined abortion in its state constitution last year, the lawsuit claims the informed-consent requirements unconstitutionally “delay” abortions in the state. The case provides a glimpse of what could happen if the Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 passes this year.
The proposed Arkansas abortion measure would write abortion into the state constitution, and it says the state cannot “prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion” during the first five months of pregnancy — allowing thousands of elective abortions every year and paving the way for taxpayer-funded abortions in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Abortion Amendment also contains sweeping health exceptions for abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy, and it nullifies all state abortion laws that conflict with the amendment — jeopardizing informed-consent laws that offer women critical information about the abortion procedure.
In 2015, the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 1086, the Woman’s Right to Know Act, requiring abortionists to explain the abortion procedure — including its risks, its consequences, and its alternatives — before performing an abortion.
The Woman’s Right to Know Act passed with strong, bipartisan support in the Arkansas Legislature.
Data from the Arkansas Department of Health indicates that from August 1, 2015, to June 24, 2022, over 3,500 women chose not to have abortions after receiving the information outlined in this one law.
The lawsuit in Ohio illustrates how informed-consent requirements in Arkansas could be challenged and nullified if voters write unrestricted abortion into the Arkansas Constitution by passing the proposed abortion amendment.
Saline County Quorum Court Committee Passes Pro-Life Resolution
On Monday a committee of the Saline County Quorum Court passed a pro-life resolution, clearing it for consideration by the entire Quorum Court later this month.
The resolution is titled, “A Resolution to Oppose the Proposed Arkansas Abortion Amendment to Amendment 68 of the Arkansas Constitution in Accordance with the Policy of Saline County, Arkansas as set forth in Saline County Resolution No. 2021-8“
Right now a group is working to place the Arkansas Abortion Amendment on the November ballot.
The measure would write abortion into the state constitution, and it would prevent the Arkansas Legislature from restricting abortion during the first five months of pregnancy — allowing thousands of elective abortions every year and paving the way for taxpayer-funded abortions in Arkansas.
Supporters of the abortion amendment have until July 5 to collect nearly 91,000 petition signatures from registered voters in order to qualify for the November ballot.
In 2021, Saline County passed a resolution affirming that the county is Pro-Life. Monday’s resolution would reaffirm the county’s Pro-Life status and oppose the 2024 Arkansas Abortion Amendment. Faulkner County recently passed a similar pro-life resolution opposing the abortion amendment.
The Saline County Quorum Court will vote on the pro-life resolution at its next meeting on April 15.