14 DAY TRIAL // Democrat Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe has vetoed a bill that wouldn't allow women to have abortions once they are 12 weeks pregnant.
Beebe is suggesting that the radical piece of legislation is unconstitutional, putting the state in a position where lawsuits might ensue, eventually costing the state a lot in legal fees.
The bill, passed by Senate by a 26-8 vote, mentions that exceptions are to be made if the mother has been raped or has been a victim in an incestuous relationship.
According to the Huffington Post, other exceptional cases include those in which the mother's or fetus' lives are in danger.
“In short, because it would impose a ban on a woman's right to choose an elective, nontherapeutic abortion well before viability, Senate Bill 134 blatantly contradicts the United States Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court,” Beebe explains.
“When I was sworn in as governor I took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend both the Arkansas Constitution and the Constitution of the United States. I take that oath seriously,” he adds.
Just last week, he vetoed the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act, banning 20-week abortions. Women’s groups argue that many mothers do not even know that they are pregnant by that time. However, the governor's veto has been overridden by the state legislature.
“Let’s call this bill what it is: bumper-sticker message legislation with no chance of standing up in court, designed to dial the clock back 40 years on women’s rights,” explains Nancy Northup, speaking the Center for Reproductive Rights.
“This extreme ban will either force women already facing tough economic circumstances to travel to a neighboring state to access constitutionally protected health care or to turn to dangerous, clandestine options that could ruin or even end their lives,” she notes.