Constitutionality of Heartbeat Bill Remains at Center of Debate
By: Hubert Tate, KARK 4 News
Updated: February 11, 2013
An Arkansas House committee approved a Senate bill on Thursday making abortion illegal after 12 weeks, except in cases of rape, incest or the health of the mother.
The bill does not make exceptions for any fetal anomalies.
Many states have bans at 20 weeks, but none have successfully passed a 12-week ban.
Governor Beebe says this particular bill appears to be unconstitutional.
At age 22, Ali Taylor found herself young and pregnant.
"I was struggling in my life at that point. I really wasn't taking care of myself or people in my life," said Taylor. "So I decided to terminate the pregnancy, and I did."
Now 16 years later, she has no regrets about her choice and says the fact lawmakers are choosing right now, whether to effectively make abortions illegal in Arkansas is frightening.
"It scares me for Arkansas women," said Taylor.
Senator Jason Rapert is sponsoring the bill and says the measure is constitutional.
The bill does not make exceptions for any fetal anomalies.
Many states have bans at 20 weeks, but none have successfully passed a 12-week ban.
Governor Beebe says this particular bill appears to be unconstitutional.
At age 22, Ali Taylor found herself young and pregnant.
"I was struggling in my life at that point. I really wasn't taking care of myself or people in my life," said Taylor. "So I decided to terminate the pregnancy, and I did."
Now 16 years later, she has no regrets about her choice and says the fact lawmakers are choosing right now, whether to effectively make abortions illegal in Arkansas is frightening.
"It scares me for Arkansas women," said Taylor.
Senator Jason Rapert is sponsoring the bill and says the measure is constitutional.
Comments
Rapert is flat out lying and knows it. A state law does not trump the rights of a USSC decision. I guess he thinks people are too stupid to grasp that if it were allowed, lots of GOP controlled states would have successfully done it by now. They have not because they cannot. He thinks everyone is too stupid to grasp those very facts. He and the others that voted for this illegal bill also just took the oath of office where they swear to defend the US Constitution which reads "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same". They break that oath with all these unlawful acts. The 'right to life' movement trumps the Constitution in their minds.
Cindi C.
February 10, 2013 at 10:58 pm
