Arkansas Ranked Second Most Pro-Life State in America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 18, 2019

On Wednesday Americans United for Life released its 2020 Life List ranking all 50 states from best to worst on how well their laws and policies protect human life. This year Arkansas is ranked in second place, right behind Louisiana.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “This is great news. Arkansas is the second more pro-life state in the country, and that’s something Arkansans should be proud of.”

Cox said the ranking is the result of the hard work of pro-life Arkansans. “Since 2012, Arkansas has moved from being the fifth most pro-life state in the country to the second. We’ve been in the number two spot for three years in a row, now. That’s because Arkansans work so hard to defend human life. We’ve made some really big gains passing pro-life laws in Arkansas, and we’ve won some major victories in federal court. This year alone we passed 13 laws that protect unborn babies, address physician-assisted suicide, and prohibit public funds from being used to clone or kill unborn children. All of that work is having an impact on our state.”

Cox said he considers the pro-life fight a team effort. “We have great legislators who sponsor pro-life bills and who vote pro-life. Governor Hutchinson has signed those measures into law, and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge has defended those laws successfully in court. This really is a team effort.”

Cox said ultimately this work is about saving lives. “Next year, we estimate that about 500 children will start preschool and Kindergarten because of a single pro-life law we helped pass in 2015. All told, the laws Arkansas passed this year will save more than 600 children from abortion every single year. Today, abortion in Arkansas is at a 40-year low, and teen abortions are at an all-time low. Only two abortion facilities are open for business right now in our state. We’re winning the fight to protect unborn children, and the fact that Arkansas is the second most pro-life state in America is proof of that fact. I believe one day soon Arkansas will be the most pro-life state in America.”

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U.S. Supreme Court Makes Silent Statement for Pro-Life Laws Everywhere

The last thing many abortionists want is for a woman to see a photograph of her unborn baby.

But thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court decision this week, that’s exactly what is going to happen.

On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge the ACLU brought against a pro-life law out of Kentucky.

The law simply says that before performing an abortion, the abortionist must conduct an ultrasound on the woman and describe the ultrasound image while letting the woman see the image and hear the baby’s heartbeat.

Abortion supporters filed a lawsuit against Kentucky, but the Sixth Circuit upheld the law. Without comment, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the legal challenge against the Kentucky law — meaning it will stand as constitutional.

All of this may not sound like much, but it’s significant for two reasons:

First, ultrasound laws like Kentucky’s help women choose options besides abortion. By letting women see and hear their unborn child, these laws reinforce that an unborn baby is a person — not a clump of cells.

Second, by deciding not to hear the case, the U.S. Supreme Court may be giving states more leeway to restrict and eventually prohibit abortion. That’s going to save the lives of unborn children and ultimately pave the way for us to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The court’s decision is going to help unborn children everywhere in America. That’s something to celebrate.