Arkansas Expanding Services for Pregnant Women

Abortion, , ,

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and abortion in Arkansas is prohibited in most circumstances, the state is expanding services for pregnant women and families.

Last week the State Senate announced that Arkansas has begun expanding services that should be available to thousands of women by the beginning of next year, pending approval from the federal government.

Earlier this month Governor Asa Hutchinson held a press conference where he outlined ongoing plans that would provide resources to women who otherwise might be at risk for abortion.

This latest announcement from the Arkansas Senate seems to be part of those ongoing plans.

Among other things, the Senate announcement noted that the state also has created a call line that will notify women about resources in their area, writing,

The state Health Department is implementing a service called the Pregnancy and Parenting Resource Call Line. People can call 1-855-ARK-MOMS to get information about the availability of resources in their area that benefit pregnant women.

That’s also 1-855-275-6667.

The call line will provide information about health care services, prenatal and post natal care, adoption and foster care, child care assistance, mental health care, how to apply for a job, how to get treatment for addictions, how to sign up for welfare and food stamps and how to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

The State of Arkansas also is in the process of awarding grants to pregnancy help organizations that assist pregnant women. The state is set to provide up to $1 million to these organizations in the coming months.

Now that abortion is illegal in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother, we need to work to make it unthinkable. One way we can do that is by providing options and resources to women who otherwise might be at risk for abortion. It’s good to see that the State of Arkansas is taking steps to do just that.

Family Council plans to continue supporting this important, pro-life work in the months to come.

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Walmart Promises to Pay for Employees to Have Abortions

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Walmart will pay for employees to have abortions, according to the Associated Press.

The AP reports that health plans at the nation’s largest employer — which is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas — will pay for employees’ abortions “when there is a health risk to the mother, rape or incest, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or lack of fetal viability.”

“Health exceptions” for abortion are notoriously vague. In the past, courts have interpreted them as effectively permitting abortion on demand in many cases. That is part of the reason why Arkansas’ abortion laws do not include health exceptions. Arkansas prohibits abortion except when the mother’s life is at risk, but the law contains specific exceptions for ectopic pregnancy as well.

The AP notes that Walmart’s new health plan will also pay for employees’ travel expenses for abortion — meaning that Walmart would pay for a woman in Arkansas to travel to a state like California for an abortion.

Unfortunately, this is just the latest example of Walmart championing a liberal agenda.

In 2015 the company opposed legislation protecting religious freedom in Arkansas.

In 2021 Walmart opposed legislation protecting healthcare workers’ rights of conscience, and the company supported so-called “hate crimes” measures creating special protected classes of citizens in Arkansas.

The Walton Family Foundation has opposed Arkansas’ SAFE Act that protects children from sex-reassignment procedures, and it has budgeted $1 million for grants to pro-LGBT groups in Arkansas. The Walton Family Foundation technically is separate from Walmart, but still very closely related, because the Waltons are such large shareholders in the company.

Since 1973, abortion has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Arkansans. Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has reversed Roe v. Wade and given states the ability to restrict or prohibit abortion, companies like Walmart are using their money and influence to promote abortion to their employees. That is simply tragic.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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