An attempt to save children from being forced to give birth failed in a House committee on Tuesday in Arkansas, leaving the state’s near-total abortion ban intact. House Bill 1880, proposed by Rep. Ashley Hudson, aimed to provide exceptions to the current ban, especially for pregnant children and those facing health risks. However, the bill was rejected by the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee.
Under Arkansas law, children who become pregnant, even as a result of rape or incest, are required to carry the pregnancy to term. Hudson’s bill sought to provide exceptions in cases where the mother’s health would be imperiled by the pregnancy, but it did not pass.
The committee rejected the bill despite emotional testimony from a woman named Melissa Farmer, who shared her story of desperately seeking an abortion to save her life after multiple hospitals turned her away. The bill also faced opposition from pro-life advocates who emphasized the importance of carrying a fetus to term, even in cases where the baby will not survive.
Although Hudson’s bill did not pass, it shed light on the challenges faced by women seeking abortion care in Arkansas and the limitations imposed by the state’s strict abortion ban. Advocates point out that while the ban remains in place, options like medication-induced abortions and traveling to other states for abortion care are still available to Arkansans.
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