LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday signed a law banning nearly all abortions in the state, a comprehensive measure that defenders hope will force the U.S. Supreme Court to review its historic Roe v decision. Wade, but opponents promise to block before it goes into effect later this year.
The Republican governor expressed reservations about the bill, which only allows the procedure to save the mother’s life and does not provide exceptions for pregnant women due to rape or incest. Arkansas is one of at least 14 states where lawmakers have proposed a total ban on abortion this year.
Hutchinson said he was signing the bill because of his “overwhelming legislative support and my sincere and enduring pro-life convictions”.
Bans were pushed by Republicans who want to force the United States Supreme Court to review its decision Roe v. 1973 Wade who legalized abortion across the country. Conservatives believe the court is more open to overturning the ruling after former President Donald Trump’s three court appointments.
Hutchinson has signed several important abortion restrictions since taking office in 2015, but he has expressed concerns that this project directly challenges Roe and about the lack of rape and incest exceptions.
“(The ban) is in contradiction with the mandatory precedents of the US Supreme Court, but it is the intention of the legislation to set the stage for the Supreme Court to overturn current jurisprudence,” he said in a statement released by his office. “I would have preferred the legislation to include exceptions for rape and incest, which has been my consistent view, and such exceptions would increase the chances of a review by the United States Supreme Court.”
The legislation will not take effect until 90 days after the majority of the Republican legislature suspends this year’s session. That means it cannot be applied until this summer, at the very least. Proponents of the right to abortion said they plan to challenge the ban in court before that.