Groups Sue to Block Arkansas’ 12-Week Abortion Ban
Abortion rights advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday that seeks to overturn the more restrictive of Arkansas’ two new abortion laws, saying the near-ban of abortions from the 12th week of pregnancy onward is unconstitutional.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas and the Center for Reproductive Rights, which filed the suit on behalf of Dr. Louis Jerry Edwards and Dr. Tom Tvedten, who provide abortions at a Little Rock clinic, say Arkansas’ ban clearly contradicts the standard of viability established by the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
“We are asking the court to block an attempt to essentially outlaw all abortions past 12 weeks, so early that a woman might not know the complete health and status of her pregnancy,” Rita Sklar, executive director of Arkansas’ ACLU chapter, said at a news conference.