The state of Arkansas, in the United States, has adopted a new law, signed on Tuesday by Governor Asa Hutchinson (9), which prohibits all possibilities of abortion, except in a medical emergency endangering the mother’s life.
The ban does not make exceptions in cases of rape or incest. The move is stronger than recently approved abortion restrictions in South Carolina and other states, which have banned the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.
Arkansas’ measure, which is due to go into effect in August, is the most restrictive in the country. However, it can still be revoked in federal courts, with the United States Supreme Court allowing abortion in the country in a 1973 ruling.
The decision to restrict access to termination of pregnancy is part of a Conservative effort to get the Supreme Court to try the issue again, and possibly change its understanding, as there are more conservative justices in this. court.
Arkansas Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he signed the bill because of his “overwhelming legislative backing” and his own “pro-life convictions,” but would have preferred exceptions for rape and incest – which would also have improved the chances of a Supreme Court review, he said.
“[A proibição] it is in contradiction with the binding precedents of the Supreme Court, but the intention of the law is to prepare the ground for the Supreme Court to overturn the current case law, ”he said in a statement.
Planned Parenthood, an organization that advocates for women’s access to reproductive health and abortion, has criticized Arkansas law and said politicians should focus more on responding to Covid-19 Status and immunization efforts.
The United States Civil Liberties Union (Aclu) has announced that it will seek to challenge the text in court, as has happened in other states. In 2019, Alabama enacted a near-total abortion ban, which was blocked due to legal challenges.
Another sweeping abortion ban was enacted by the governor of South Carolina last month, but was quickly stopped by a federal judge after a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood.