Arkansas Abortion Ban Faces Court Challenge

Draconian law limits liberty

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arkansas, and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit today asking the court to block an Arkansas law that would ban almost all abortion care starting at 12 weeks of pregnancy.

"This law is one of the most dangerous assaults on women's health that we've seen in decades," said Rita Sklar, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas. "We may not all agree about abortion, but we can all agree that this complex and personal decision should be made by a woman, her family, and her doctor, not politicians."

Last month, the Arkansas legislature overrode Gov. Mike Beebe's veto of the law. At the time, it was the most severe abortion ban in the country. A week later, North Dakota passed a ban that applies so early in a pregnancy that many women may not even know they're pregnant.