Arkansas currently has a near-total ban on abortion. A proposed amendment would have allowed abortion up to 18 weeks into pregnancy and in the cases of rape, incest, and any medical emergency that might harm the baby or the pregnant individual’s life. But the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled against placing it on the November ballot.
The ruling is based on procedural red tape technicalities. The court says that the group advocating for the amendment, Arkansans for Limited Government, didn’t turn in the proper paperwork identifying paid canvassers by name or prove that the committee explained to them the rules of soliciting signatures to the office of Secretary of State John Thurston at the right time.
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The AFLG says it submitted the proper documents multiple times and regularly provided lists of paid canvassers to Thurston’s office to ensure everything was on the up and up. However, the AFLG says it did not include the proper paperwork on two separate days because it was specifically told by Thurston’s office not to turn it in on those days. The court ruled that turning in that paperwork was the AFLG’s responsibility, regardless of what they were told.
Even though AFLG had submitted over 101,000 signatures, in the court’s eyes, only 87,675 signatures were gathered while following the proper procedures—falling short of the 90,704 necessary.
Three of the court’s judges dissented. They argued that the decision deprived Arkansans of their right to vote on the issue. They criticized the majority’s handling of the case, saying it was a manipulation of the state’s ballot initiative process.
The state Supreme Court’s decision means the near-total ban on abortion will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
