Pro-Abortion Ballot Initiative Tossed By State’s Supreme Court

The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state’s rejection of petition signatures collected for an abortion ballot initiative.

The ruling crushes the attempt to get the proposed constitutional amendment onto the ballot for November’s election.

BREAKING: The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state’s rejection of signature petitions for an abortion rights ballot initiative, keeping it from going before voters. https://t.co/AhCGFcJLRR

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 22, 2024

“The 4-3 ruling from the court comes after arguments from Arkansans for Limited Government (AFLG), the group hoping to expand abortion access in the state, and Attorney General Tim Griffin,” THV 11 noted.

From the Associated Press:

Election officials said Arkansans for Limited Government failed to comply with state law primarily because it submitted documentation regarding paid signature gatherers separately and not in a single bundle. The group argued that it should have been given more time to provide any additional documents needed.

“We find that the Secretary correctly refused to count the signatures collected by paid canvassers because the sponsor failed to file the paid canvasser training certification” in the way the law requires, Justice Rhonda Wood wrote for the 4-3 majority.

A dissenting justice wrote that the decision strips Arkansans’ of their rights and effectively changes the state’s initiative law.

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“Why are the respondent and the majority determined to keep this particular vote from the people?” wrote Justice Karen Baker, who is running against Wood for chief justice. “The majority has succeeded in its efforts to change the law in order to deprive the voters of the opportunity to vote on this issue, which is not the proper role of this court.”

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision removing the nationwide right to abortion, there has been a push to have voters decide the matter state by state.

JUST IN: The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the state’s rejection of signature petitions for an abortion rights ballot initiative on Thursday, keeping the proposal from going before voters in November. https://t.co/yiAXVLtHod

— KATV News (@KATVNews) August 22, 2024

“Arkansas currently bans abortion at any time during a pregnancy, unless the woman’s life is endangered due to a medical emergency,” the Associated Press noted.

The ballot proposal, which lacked the support of national pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood, would allow abortion in the first 18 weeks of gestation.

However, it would still permit abortion later on in cases of rape, incest, threats to the mother’s life or health, or if the fetus would be unlikely to survive birth.

“The Arkansas Abortion Amendment is a citizen-led, proposed constitutional amendment. It would prevent the state from restricting access to abortion up to 18 weeks after fertilization or in the instance of rape or incest, fatal fetal anomaly, or when abortion is needed to protect the pregnant woman’s life or physical health,” Arkansans for Limited Government wrote on its website.

Arkansas Supreme Court rules abortion amendment supporters did not meet signature requirements, won’t be on ballot https://t.co/jY4HQvu55K pic.twitter.com/PUGFRWkU4g

— FOX16 News (@FOX16News) August 22, 2024

THV 11 reports:

Attorney General Tim Griffin applauded the ruling calling it a “win for the rule of law.”

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“The people rule in Arkansas, through the law,” Griffin said. “Changing the Arkansas Constitution involves a rigorous process requiring strict adherence to the law.”

Thurston joined Griffin in applauding the decision and claimed that his staff “did not allow partisan politics or misinformation to deter them from their duty to comply with the law.”

Read the full proposed ballot initiative HERE.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.