The campaign to undo the abortion ban in Arkansas is deemed a “long-odds push” due to the state’s deeply conservative political landscape. The Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act bans most abortions in the state. Opponents to this law, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood, are fighting against it on two fronts.
First of all, they are challenging the law in the courts. Several lawsuits have been filed against the state of Arkansas claiming the law is unconstitutional. The outcome of these lawsuits is uncertain, as they may eventually reach the United States Supreme Court, where the conservative majority could potentially uphold the law.
Second, opponents are also attempting to use the state’s ballot initiative process to give Arkansas voters the chance to reject the law. This push involves collecting enough signatures to put an initiative on the ballot to repeal the law.
Though Arkansas is a predominantly conservative state, researchers point out that public opinion on abortion in the state may not be as monolithic as it appears. They believe that while a majority of Arkansans describe themselves as pro-life, many may still believe there should be exceptions to a total ban on abortion.
Despite these efforts, the campaign to undo the abortion ban in Arkansas does face long odds, as undoing such a law in a deeply conservative state like Arkansas is particularly challenging.
