Arkansas lawmakers override veto, pass restrictive abortion law
Arkansas legislators approved the nation’s most restrictive abortion law on Wednesday after overriding a veto by the state’s Democratic governor, who said the legislation was “blatantly unconstitutional.”
Senate Bill 134, known as the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act, bans abortions involving fetuses with heartbeats that are 12 weeks or older, excluding medical emergencies, and mandates an ultrasound for expecting mothers before they attempt an abortion.
The state’s House of Representatives followed the Senate in voting to override Gov. Mike Beebe’s veto.
In vetoing the bill Monday, Beebe said, “Senate Bill 134 blatantly contradicts the United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court.”