(The Center Square) – Voters could get a chance to decide on Arkansas’ abortion laws if a question makes it onto the November 2024 ballot.
Arkansans for Limited Government announced Monday they are submitting a ballot question that would allow abortion up to 18 weeks or after that in the case of rape, incest, the life of the mother or a fatal fetal anomaly.
“Government overreach is killing Arkansas women,” the group said in a news release. “The Arkansas Reproductive Healthcare Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment currently before the Attorney General, would limit government interference in the personal healthcare decisions of Arkansans.”
The group is a coalition of Arkansans concerned about government overreach. They are not affiliated with Planned Parenthood and its members have a variety of beliefs and opinions about abortion, according to its website.
“When it comes to personal healthcare, Arkansans know what’s best for their families, and the state shouldn’t pretend to play ‘doctor’ or know better,” said Hershey Garner, chair and a spokesperson for the group. “These matters are deeply personal and should be between an individual and their medical provider.”
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, in June 2022. Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson and then-Attorney General Leslie Rutledge signed Arkansas’ trigger law banning all abortions except to save the life of the mother.
Since then, some states have put the issue on the ballot. Earlier this month, Ohio voters agreed to put abortion rights in the state constitution.
“Ohio was galvanizing, but we’ve been working on this for over a year,” the organization said in an email to The Center Square. ‘We’re inspired by other states’ success stories, but our amendment is different than that of Ohio’s or Michigan’s, for instance, and tailored to the needs and wants of Arkansans.”
Attorney General Tim Griffin must approve the language of the proposed ballot question. After that, the group must gather 90,704 signatures representing at least 50 of Arkansas’ 75 counties for a constitutional amendment, according to the secretary of state’s office.
