Arkansas Supreme Court Blocks Abortion Amendment

The Arkansas Supreme Court has ruled that a proposed ballot measure to expand abortion access will not appear on the November ballot due to improper signature collection practices by the organizing group, Arkansans for Limited Government (AFLG). The court upheld Secretary of State John Thurston's rejection of the signatures, citing the failure to provide required training certifications for paid canvassers, which resulted in only unpaid signatures being counted, falling below the necessary threshold. The measure aimed to allow abortions up to 18 weeks of pregnancy without restrictions and beyond that in specific circumstances. Pro-life groups welcomed the ruling, while abortion rights advocates expressed disappointment, calling it 'a dark day' for reproductive rights in the state. AFLG argued that the Secretary of State imposed unreasonable requirements and sought legal recourse, but the court maintained that the law was clear on the matter. Currently, Arkansas enforces one of the strictest abortion bans in the U.S., allowing the procedure only in limited medical emergencies.