Arkansas Senate backs partial-birth abortion bill

By Charlie Warren - Mar 6, 2009 -

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe is expected to sign into law a bill banning partial-birth abortion in the Natural State.

On a 30-3 vote, the Senate approved House Bill 1113 on Feb. 19, which a week earlier had passed the House of Representatives 84-6. It now goes to Beebe, who has said he will sign it.

The bill, introduced by Rep. Dawn Creekmore, defines partial-birth abortion as one occurring after the living baby has been partially delivered. In 1997, the General Assembly passed a partial-birth abortion ban that was later declared unconstitutional, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. But Congress passed a federal ban in 2003, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sen. Cecile Bledsoe of Rogers was the Senate sponsor of the bill. Bledsoe said the bill would provide an exception if the life of the mother was in danger. She also said women who have partial-birth abortions could not be prosecuted under the new law, according to the Democrat-Gazette. She said partial-birth abortions are not performed in Arkansas and she wants to keep it that way.

“This measure represents important pro-life policy,” said Larry Page, executive director of the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council. “The adoption of this law clearly signals that Arkansans respect human life and want to protect it to the extent possible under current federal constitutional and statutory laws.”

This article is reprinted from the February 26, 2009, issue of the Arkansas Baptist News, the newsjournal of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

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