An Arkansas law banning abortion took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court removed the nationwide right to abortion, allowing abortion only to protect the mother's life in a medical emergency.
Arkansans for Limited Government plans to fight the rejection and vows not to back down.
Arkansas election officials rejected petitions for an abortion-rights ballot measure on July 10, 2024.
GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders criticized the measure on social media after its rejection.
Organizers submitted over 101,000 signatures but fell short of the required amount with approximately 87,382 valid signatures.
Secretary of State John Thurston cited missing statements regarding paid signature gatherers as the reason for rejection.
The measure aimed to bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation with exceptions for rape, incest, threats to woman's health or life.
The proposal lacked support from national abortion-rights groups and faced opposition from abortion opponents in Arkansas.
Arkansas election officials have rejected petitions for an abortion-rights ballot measure that aimed to bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation with exceptions for rape, incest, threats to woman’s health or life. The rejection came on Wednesday from Secretary of State John Thurston, who cited missing statements regarding paid signature gatherers as the reason for his decision. Organizers had submitted over 101,000 signatures but fell short of the required amount with approximately 87,382 valid signatures. The group behind the proposed constitutional amendment, Arkansans for Limited Government, plans to fight the rejection and vows not to back down.
The measure was viewed as a test of support for abortion rights in a predominantly Republican state where top elected officials have touted their opposition to abortion. GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who opposed the measure, criticized it on social media after its rejection. The proposal lacked support from national abortion-rights groups such as Planned Parenthood due to it still allowing abortion bans at 20 weeks into pregnancy and faced opposition from abortion opponents in Arkansas.
The rejection of the petitions comes after the U.S. Supreme Court removed the nationwide right to abortion with a 2022 ruling, which sparked a national push to have voters decide the matter state by state. An Arkansas law banning abortion took effect when the court issued its ruling, and Arkansas’ current ban allows abortion only to protect the mother’s life in a medical emergency. The proposal was also viewed as a test of support for abortion rights in a Republican state where top elected officials have touted their opposition to abortion.
The rejection of the petitions has sparked controversy and debate, with some arguing that it is a setback for abortion rights and others praising the decision as a victory for the pro-life movement. The issue is likely to continue to be a contentious one in Arkansas and beyond, as states grapple with the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion.
Arkansans for Limited Government gathered over 100,000 signatures for a ballot proposal to legalize abortion up to 18 weeks after fertilization with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or physical harm.
Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the petition due to a procedural error regarding the submission of documents naming paid canvassers and their required information.
Accuracy
]Arkansans for Limited Government gathered over 100,000 signatures[
The number of valid signatures was reduced to 87,382
The measure aimed to bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation
Deception
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None Found At Time Of
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Fallacies
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The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of a dichotomous depiction. The author presents an inflammatory quote from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders without providing counter-argument or context, which can create misleading impressions about the situation (Informal Fallacy: Unfair Generalization). Additionally, the author uses loaded language when describing Arkansas as 'sometimes ranked the most pro-life state in America', which is a subjective statement and can evoke emotional responses from readers (Informal Fallacy: Loaded Language). The article also presents opposing viewpoints as mutually exclusive options without considering nuanced positions (Dichotomous Depiction).
Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston (R) has rejected petitions to put an abortion access measure on the ballot this fall, blaming a procedural error by the organizing group.
sometimes ranked the most pro-life state in America.
As I have long said, changing the Arkansas Constitution involves a rigorous process, as it should, and it requires sponsors to adhere to all applicable laws and rules.
Arkansas election officials rejected petitions for an abortion-rights ballot measure on Wednesday.
, Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the petitions due to missing statements regarding paid signature gatherers.
Organizers submitted over 101,000 signatures but fell short of the required amount with approximately 87,382 valid signatures.
Arkansans for Limited Government, the group behind the proposed constitutional amendment, will fight the rejection and vows not to back down.
The measure aimed to bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation with exceptions for rape, incest, threats to woman’s health or life.
GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders opposed the measure and criticized it on social media after its rejection.
Planned Parenthood did not support the proposal due to it still allowing abortion bans at 20 weeks into pregnancy, and faced opposition from abortion opponents in Arkansas.
Accuracy
Arkansans for Limited Government gathered over 100,000 signatures for a ballot proposal to legalize abortion up to 18 weeks after fertilization with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or physical harm.
The proposed amendment would allow abortion through the first 18 weeks of pregnancy and in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or to save the pregnant person’s life.
Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston rejected petitions for a proposed amendment to make abortion legal in Arkansas under certain circumstances.
, The proposed amendment would allow abortion through the first 18 weeks of pregnancy and in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or to save the pregnant person’s life.
Arkansans for Limited Government claims it supplied a list of paid canvassers to the state and had no reason to suspect it was incomplete.
Accuracy
The proposed amendment would allow abortion through the first 18 weeks of pregnancy and in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly or to save the pregnant person’s life.
Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the submission due to failure to submit a statement identifying all paid canvassers by name and provide proper documentation and training.
The number of valid signatures was reduced to 87,382 when signatures gathered by paid canvassers were removed, falling below the threshold for ballot inclusion.
Arkansas secretary of state rejected an effort to put an abortion-rights amendment on the ballot due to missing paperwork
Organizers submitted over 101,000 signatures for the proposed ballot measure
Accuracy
Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the petition due to a procedural error regarding the submission of documents naming paid canvassers and their required information.
Organizers submitted over 101,000 signatures but fell short of the required amount with approximately 87,382 valid signatures.
