Attorneys Continue to Spar Over Arkansas Law Prohibiting Abortion

Abortion, , , , ,

On Monday Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge’s office filed a brief in federal court arguing that U.S. District judge Kristine Baker should not block a new state law prohibiting abortion.

Act 309 of 2021 generally prohibits abortion in Arkansas except in cases when the mother’s life is in jeopardy. The law passed with overwhelming support from the state legislature earlier this year, and it is slated to take effect July 28.

Last month the ACLU and abortionists filed a lawsuit against the state over Act 309.

On June 14 the ACLU asked U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would block the state from enforcing Act 309.

On Monday the Arkansas Attorney General’s office responded to the ACLU’s request.

The A.G.’s team argues that pro-abortion rulings like Planned Parenthood v. Casey need to be reevaluated and overturned — and that the U.S. Supreme Court is liable to do that in its upcoming Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case out of Mississippi.

The A.G.’s brief also argues that past court decisions like Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey “were wrongly decided” and that “there is no doubt that the fetus is a human life — not mere tissue, not ‘potential life,’ and not ‘the product of conception.'”

As we have written before, U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker has consistently ruled in favor of the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. In light of that fact, many expect Attorney General Rutledge’s arguments to fall on deaf ears in Judge Baker’s court.

However, the judges above her at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals have overturned some of her bad rulings in the past.

While it seems likely that Judge Baker will block Arkansas’ pro-life law in the short run, the Eighth Circuit may not agree with her decision on appeal.

In the long run, this lawsuit will give federal courts an opportunity to reverse decades of bad case law on abortion.

That means there is potential for significant, pro-life victories down the road.

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Biden Administration Challenges Arkansas’ SAFE Act

Legislation, Transgender, ,

On Thursday President Biden’s U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest opposing Arkansas’ Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act in federal court.

The SAFE Act is a 2021 law that protects children in Arkansas from sex-reassignment procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones.

The DOJ’s statement filed on Thursday calls sex-reassignment procedures “life-saving care” and argues that the SAFE Act violates the U.S. Constitution.

The brief also claims that Arkansas’ reasons for supporting the SAFE Act are “mere pretext for animus against transgender minors” — in other words, that Arkansas’ policymakers must secretly be motivated by hate instead of a desire to help children.

But as we have said time and time again, researchers do not know the long term effects puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can have on kids.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never approved puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for the purpose of gender transition. Doctors are giving these hormones to kids off-label, in a manner the FDA never intended.

That is why many experts agree that giving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children is experimental, at best.

That’s also why a major hospital in Sweden announced earlier this year that it would no longer administer puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children.

It is deeply disappointing that the federal government would use taxpayer dollars to oppose a law that protects children from experimentation. Fortunately, Arkansas’ Attorney General’s office is fighting back, and we believe that federal courts will uphold this good law.

Read The DOJ’s Statement of Interest Opposing the SAFE Act Here.

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Poll Shows Most Arkansas Voters Support SAFE Act

LGBT, Transgender, ,

A new poll by Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College shows most voters (52.5%) in Arkansas approve the Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act that the Arkansas Legislature recently passed.

The SAFE Act protects children from sex-reassignment procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has never approved puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for the purpose of gender transition. Doctors are giving these hormones to kids off-label, in a manner the FDA never intended.

Researchers do not know the long term effects puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can have on kids.

That is why many experts agree that performing sex-reassignment procedures on children — even giving them puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones — is experimental, at best.

That’s also why a major hospital in Sweden recently announced it would no longer administer puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children.

The Arkansas Legislature passed the SAFE Act earlier this spring to protect children from these procedures. Now a new poll by Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College shows 52.5% of voters in Arkansas support the SAFE Act; 38% oppose it; and 9.5% don’t have a position on the measure.

The poll found that Republicans and Democrats were deeply divided on the SAFE Act, with 80% of Republicans supporting the measure and 73% of Democrats opposing it. Across the board, support for the SAFE Act was highest among voters ages 30 – 44 and 45 – 64.

Liberal outlets have gone to great lengths to mischaracterize the SAFE Act and what it does. In spite of that, most voters still support the law. This just shows once again that the Arkansas Legislature was right to pass the SAFE Act.

You can read more about the poll here.

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