Why Is Arkansas So Scared To Let Voters Decide On Abortion?
Why Is Arkansas So Scared To Let Voters Decide On Abortion?
I think we know!
Last month, Arkansans for Limited Government announced that they had obtained enough signatures to get abortion rights on the ballot in their state in November — which was pretty incredible, for reasons of, well, Arkansas.
But then, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the petition on the grounds that they submitted information about paid canvassers on a rolling basis and not in a single large bundle.
And for reasons of, well, Arkansas.
Arkansans for Limited Government appealed the decision, but on Thursday, the Arkansas supreme court ruled 4-3 in favor of Thurston.
“We find that the petitioners failed to comply with the statutory filing requirements for paid canvassers. That statute was inapplicable to volunteer canvassers. As such, we ordered the Secretary to count the signatures from volunteer canvassers, but we do not order him to count the signatures from paid canvassers. Because the number of the initial count of signatures fails to meet the facial validity threshold required by law, we deny further relief,” wrote Justice Rhonda Wood for the majority.
Justice Karen Baker wrote the dissent, noting that many other petitioners had previously filed signatures the same way with no problem.
“I would be remiss if I neglected to highlight these allegations,” she wrote, “as the differing treatment of these petitions is alarming. As set forth above, the initiative is the first power reserved for the people by the Arkansas Constitution. Why are the respondent and the majority determined to keep this particular vote from the people? The majority has succeeded in its efforts to change the law in order to deprive the voters of the opportunity to vote on this issue, which is not the proper role of this court.”
I think we know exactly why they were all so determined to keep the people of Arkansas from voting on abortion — because there have been seven similar ballot initiatives in seven other states and they’ve succeeded seven times. They don’t trust that people, even in Arkansas, are as willing to give up bodily autonomy as they hope they are.
PREVIOUSLY ON WONKETTE!:
In other news from Arkansas:
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 ‘𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨-𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.’ 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.
[ gift link: ] https://wapo.st/3ZjTQAj
"Pregnancy and birth in Arkansas
How Arkansas compares to other states on key health measures.
Births: Arkansas ranks 11th highest for births, 2nd highest for teen births and 6th highest for preterm births
Mortality: Arkansas ranks 3rd worst for infant mortality and 4th worst for maternal mortality.
Health coverage: A higher percentage of women in Arkansas are uninsured than the U.S. average...."
Certainly, blocking abortions has had an impact on these statistics, an impact is sure to increase as hospitals close their birthing centers and OB/GYNs leave the state.
But, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the rest of her "pro-life" hypocrites don't care
Ta, Robyn. Yet another state in which I'll never set foot again. My so-called reproductive years are long over, but it's the principle of the thing. Arkansas will never receive another penny from me apart from my federal tax dollars, because of *course* they're one of the "taker" states. The only other exception I'll make is if there's a crafter selling on Etsy whose work I love. People often can't help where they live.