By: Cayden Hartman
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (UATV) — Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed Senate Bill 6, which is also known as the “Arkansas Unborn Child Protection Act”, into law March 6th leading to reactions from various pro-life and pro-choice groups from around the state.
The bill acts as a near total ban on abortion in the natural state with the only exception for an abortion to take place would be in case where the mother’s life is threatened by the pregnancy.
SB6 does not include exceptions for pregnancy as a result of rape or incest.
In a press release Governor Hutchinson said that he would’ve liked those those crimes to be included as a reason to have an abortion.
“I would have preferred the legislation to include the exceptions for rape and incest, which has been my consistent view, and such exceptions would increase the chances for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Hutchinson said.
Despite not containing the exceptions he wanted Hutchinson signed the bill with the intent of much more than just banning abortion in Arkansas.
“I will sign SB6 because of the overwhelming legislative support and my sincere and long-held pro-life convictions,” Hutchinson said. “SB6 is in contradiction of binding precedents of the U.S. Supreme Court, but it is the intent of the legislation to set the stage for the Supreme Court overturning current case law.”
Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, said that the organization played a part in getting the bill to the governors desk.
“SB6 was supported by Arkansas Right to Life, we were heavily involved with getting this passed in the general assembly and we are very fortunate to have our governor sign it into law. And the bill will eliminate abortion in Arkansas,” Mimms said.
Mimms said that the group is fine without an exception for rape or incest.
“We don’t believe that an unborn child conceived through the crimes of rape or incest deserves the death penalty for the crime of their father,” Mimms said.
Ali Taylor, co-founder and president of Arkansas Abortion Support Network, said that she is upset over the governors decision to sign the legislation.
“We are to say extremely disappointed that the governor singed it is an understatement,” Taylor said. “We are angry and outraged that the state is enacting such an overreach into the personal health care decisions of its citizens.”
Taylor said that one of the worst aspects of the bill includes the lack of exceptions for rape or incest.
“A person who has experienced rape or incest has already had one of the most profound decisions a person can make about their own lives or bodies taken away from them,” Taylor said. “For the state to come along and say ‘Oh we’re going to take another decision away from you’ is reprehensible.”
Both Taylor and Mimms expect the bill to be challenged in the near future.