Efforts to repeal an abortion ban in Arkansas, a state deeply conservative in its leanings, face substantial obstacles. The ban in question, Senate Bill 6, prohibits nearly all abortions in the state, with exceptions only in cases where the life of the mother is at risk. It does not include exemptions for cases of rape or incest.
Given the entrenched conservative tendencies of Arkansas’s politics and governance structures, the quest to reverse the ban seems fraught with difficulty. The Bill was passed in March 2021 amidst staunch opposition from pro-choice advocates and is thought to be one of the most restrictive in the United States.
A counter-movement spearheaded by pro-choice proponents, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood, has launched legal challenges against the Bill. They argue that it contravenes the constitutional right to abortion as established in the landmark Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade.
However, this ban isn’t only about Arkansas. Its larger aim appears to be instigating a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, one that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court, whose current conservative majority may overturn the almost half-century-old-law.
This puts abortion rights supporters in a delicate position. Successfully fighting off restrictive laws at the state level could indirectly court a national showdown in the highest court of the land – one they may lose given the court’s current composition.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, many activists are undeterred. These activists are not just targeting the courts
Inside the long-odds push to undo an abortion ban in ruby red Arkansas
Efforts to repeal an abortion ban in Arkansas, a state deeply conservative in its leanings, face substantial obstacles. The ban in question, Senate Bill 6, prohibits nearly all abortions in the state, with exceptions only in cases where the life of the mother is at risk. It does not include exemptions for cases of rape or incest.
Given the entrenched conservative tendencies of Arkansas’s politics and governance structures, the quest to reverse the ban seems fraught with difficulty. The Bill was passed in March 2021 amidst staunch opposition from pro-choice advocates and is thought to be one of the most restrictive in the United States.
A counter-movement spearheaded by pro-choice proponents, such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood, has launched legal challenges against the Bill. They argue that it contravenes the constitutional right to abortion as established in the landmark Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade.
However, this ban isn’t only about Arkansas. Its larger aim appears to be instigating a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, one that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court, whose current conservative majority may overturn the almost half-century-old-law.
This puts abortion rights supporters in a delicate position. Successfully fighting off restrictive laws at the state level could indirectly court a national showdown in the highest court of the land – one they may lose given the court’s current composition.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, many activists are undeterred. These activists are not just targeting the courts
