Pro-abortion supporters are suing the state of Arkansas after the secretary of state rejected an extreme ballot measure last week.
As Townhall covered, the Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the effort put forward by pro-abortion activists to enshrine the right to kill your unborn baby into state law.
Thurston said that the group failed to submit a sworn statement both identifying paid canvassers by name and confirming that these canvassers were properly trained on collecting signatures, according to The New York Times. Due to this, the initiative was disqualified.
“The first part of our review is to ensure that the sponsor has complied with all statutory requirements for submitting a petition,” Thurston wrote. “Because you failed at this first step, it is my duty to reject your submission.”
WIN IN ARKANSAS: The Secretary of State’s office REJECTED the Arkansas Abortion Amendment.⁰⁰Abortion will NOT be on the ballot in November!⁰⁰In rejecting signatures from unverified, paid signature collectors & in noting what the law requires, Arkansas Secretary of State John… pic.twitter.com/NBK0sZizzb
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) July 10, 2024
Now, a group called Arkansans for Limited Government asked the state Supreme Court to reverse the state’s decision to reject the ballot measure. The organization asked the court to order the state to begin counting its signatures.
The law these activists want enshrined in the state would prohibit abortion restrictions in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. And, it would allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, life of the mother, and if the baby is “unlikely to survive birth,” K8 reported.
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Last week, in a statement, the group that submitted the information needed to qualify for the ballot and said that Thurston’s decision was “an unfounded legal interpretation.”
“We will fight this ridiculous disqualification attempt with everything we have,” the group said. “We will not back down.”
In response, Attorney General Tim Griffin said, “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.”
“Failure to follow such a basic requirement is inexcusable: the abortion advocates have no one to blame but themselves.”
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