Pro-Abortion Group Continues Legal Effort Against Arkansas’ Pro-Life Laws
A pro-abortion group has requested a hearing in its lawsuit against Arkansas’ pro-life laws.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and since then Arkansas law has prohibited abortion except to save the life of the mother. Last year the state legislature took excellent steps to strengthen and clarify Arkansas’ pro-life laws.
But in January, attorneys with a pro-abortion group filed a lawsuit in Pulaski County to strike down Arkansas’ good, pro-life laws. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin told media outlets at the time that the lawsuit on its face appears to have little legal merit. Family Council agrees with the attorney general.
The attorney general’s office has asked the court to dismiss the case. In response, attorneys representing the pro-abortion group filed a brief making the bizarre argument that Arkansas’ pro-life laws violate the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under the Arkansas Constitution, and they have asked the judge to schedule a hearing in the case.
Arkansas has been named the most pro-life state in America for the past six years, and lawmakers have enacted excellent legislation protecting women and unborn children from abortion and supporting women with unplanned pregnancies. This lawsuit threatens to undo all of those good laws.
Public opinion polling has shown time and again that most Arkansans are pro-life and oppose abortion on demand.
Arkansas’ pro-life laws reflect Arkansans’ pro-life views. These laws protect everyone’s right to life — including the unborn child’s.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states like Arkansas are free to enact laws restricting or prohibiting abortion. We are confident our courts ultimately will uphold Arkansas’ pro-life laws against this legal challenge.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
Arkansas Watches as Appeals Court Rules Ten Commandments Can Stay in Texas Classrooms
A federal appeals court ruled last week that Texans can display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
The Ten Commandments are one of the earliest examples of the rule of law in human history, and federal courts have ruled that state and local governments can recognize their longstanding tradition and influence in American society. But groups like the ACLU have opposed public displays of the Ten Commandments nationwide.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that Texas’ law placing the Ten Commandments in school classrooms does not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The court noted that “no child is required to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin.”
This is not the first victory we have seen in the 5th Circuit this year. Louisiana has a similar Ten Commandments law, and the 5th Circuit lifted an injunction against it in February.
Arkansans should pay close attention to these court cases in Texas and Louisiana. Last year, Arkansas enacted a law letting people donate posters of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms and public buildings. Unfortunately, a federal judge has ruled against the posters at schools in Arkansas.
The 5th Circuit’s decision is a strong signal that laws like Arkansas’ are on solid constitutional ground. With that in mind, we believe our federal courts ultimately will uphold the law and let Arkansans display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.