Senate refuses to take up Texas-style anti-abortion law - Arkansas Times
The Senate today decided not to take up Sen. Gary Stubblefield’s proposal to adopt a Texas-style law to ban abortion by civil enforcement.
The Senate voted on his resolution to allow the introduction of a non-budget bill on this topic. It required a two-thirds vote. It fell well short of the required 24 members of the 35-member Senate.
His bill would ban abortion from the moment an electrical signal is detected in an embryo, as early as six weeks after conception when the fetus is the size of a seed. Private citizens could sue someone who had an abortion or provided one and win damages against them, up to three years after an abortion. A person providing transportation could be sued. There’s no exception for rape or incest. It provides no option for severe medical circumstances — only to save the life of a woman. (It does prevent damages against a woman who managed to obtain an abortion because of rape.)
Stubblefield argued that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling refusing to block the similar Texas law gives Arkansas leeway to pass this law. Even some anti-abortion groups oppose the passage of this law at this time for fear it could change the stats of existing Arkansas anti-abortion law, including an absolute ban that will be on hold unless or until the Supreme Court reverses Roe v. Wade.
Stubblefield quoted the Bible in an extensive speech. He called abortion the murder of a child. He pleaded for a committee hearing for the bill. A similar bill is pending in the House and was not brought up when the House Rules Committee refused Monday to allow several other anti-abortion bills to be introduced.
Sen. Trent Garner said it was “stupid” to argue this bill could supersede some other anti-abortion bills. And he said the decision in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals could encourage the 8th Circuit to prevent an injunction against the Arkansas law, which a trial judge would be bound to issue should this law pass.
Sen. Jason Rapert said other issues were at work — a reference to reports that the anti-abortion crowd is to be placated with $1 million in taxpayer money for so-called pregnancy centers established to talk women out of having abortions, sometimes with the misleading promise of significant help through and after pregnancy. But he, too, pleaded to pass the law because other states are following the Texas lead and the Supreme Court has sent a clear signal it won’t stand in the way.
Sen. Jim Hendren asked how it was that the anti-abortion lobby was split on this legislation. Rapert said it was like the “First Baptists” and “Second Baptists.” There’s always been some division, he said. He suggested some would no longer be able to raise money anymore once the battle is totally won. Hendren said it was unfair of Rapert to characterize long-time foes of abortion, such as himself, as not committed to the “pro-life” cause.
After the defeat of SR 14, Stubblefield offered a nearly identical resolution that would allow consideration of parallel legislation from the House. That legislation, by Rep. John Payton, failed to clear the House Rules Committee Monday. Rapert said supporters would attempt to pull that bill from committee in the House. It failed by an identical vote.
source: https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2022/02/15/senate-refuses-to-take-up-texas-style-anti-abortion-law
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