|
|
| |
| Wed, Dec. 3, 2008 |  |
 |
|
||
| |
Arkansas Right to Life satisfied with Supreme Court decision Thursday, Apr 19, 2007 By Jason Wiest Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas abortion rights opponents and advocates alike viewed Wednesday's U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a federal ban on so-called "partial-birth abortions" as a step toward revisiting the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion. In a 5-4 decision, the nation's highest court said the federal law, signed by President Bush in 2003, does not unconstitutionally burden the right to an abortion, even though it provides no exemption to take a woman's health into account - a provision the court has in the past said was a prerequisite for abortion restrictions. "The court has essentially rewritten established law that protected women's health," said Holly Dickson, attorney for the Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. "I don't think this is the first step toward overturning Roe v. Wade. I think there are a lot of steps already in place." Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, said the anti-abortion group whose work for a partial birth abortion ban has spanned a decade was elated by Wednesday's ruling. She said it may reflect a nationwide shift to an anti-abortion attitude. "Abortion is still not something that is openly discussed, women hide the fact that they've had an abortion," Mimms said. "Nationwide we see attempts to implement state laws that are in place just waiting if Roe v. Wade is overturned," Dickson said. Activists on both sides of the issue said Wednesday's ruling could embolden abortion opponents in statehouses nationwide to launch new challenges to legal abortions. In Arkansas, a constitutional amendment bans the use of taxpayer dollars for abortions. Also, state laws require parental consent for a minor to get an abortion, and require that a woman be informed of the possible ramifications of having an abortion, including fetal pain, before the procedure is performed. In 1999, Arkansas banned the late-term abortion procedure at the heart of Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, but the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis later struck down the law as an undue burden to a woman's right to have an abortion. The Legislature revisited the issue in 2005. The House passed legislation to ban the procedure, but the measure died in the Senate. Mimms said Wednesday that the high court decision made a state ban unnecessary. Gov. Mike Beebe said he supported the court's decision, noting that he voted for the 1999 ban and still does not support the procedure. Dickson said the court's ruling might not be the last word on the issue. "I would not be surprised if this law is fleshed out further because there was conflicting evidence as to whether or not a health exception was needed in this case," she said. While the high court ruled the ban was constitutional on its face, the court still could declare the law unconstitutional as applied, Dickson said. |
