Beebe suggests abortion bill unconstitutional
By The Associated Press
This article was published February 4, 2013 at 10:13 a.m.
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LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says his office’s preliminary research suggests a proposal to ban most abortions in the state is unconstitutional but isn’t ready to say whether he opposes the legislation.
Beebe said Monday that his office is still researching the legality of the proposal to ban most abortions if a heartbeat is detected but said the early research suggests it would have constitutional problems.
The Senate last week approved the measure, which would ban abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.
Beebe said his office is also researching the legality of two other abortion measures. One would ban abortions at 20 weeks into a pregnancy and the other would ban insurers in the exchange created under the federal health care law from covering abortions.
Comments on: Beebe suggests abortion bill unconstitutional
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 4, 2013 at 11:13 a.m.
Nice to see that someone at least is giving some thought to the law.
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jetjohn says... February 4, 2013 at 12:07 p.m.
Abortion is wrong!!!! Murderers!
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Concerned_Citizen says... February 4, 2013 at 12:17 p.m.
jetjohn - if you think it is murder then don't have one. Stay out of everybody else's personal business!!!!!
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hot says... February 4, 2013 at 12:21 p.m.
please weather it is wrong or not women are the ones who are having these unwanted births so i say give them the vote to have men get a vaectomy or not
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penber says... February 4, 2013 at 12:37 p.m.
Regarless of anyone's views, the legislature should not waste its time on unconstitutional bills. If your goal is to limit abortions, find another way. Maybe we should support more homes for unwed mothers or make adoption cheaper and easier.
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nlrengineer says... February 4, 2013 at 12:44 p.m.
If abortion is not murder, then no justification is necessary. If it is, then no justification is adequate.
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JIGGS65 says... February 4, 2013 at 1:44 p.m.
jetjohn is right. abortion is murder and you realize that if you are a believer of God and His Word. He created all life and knows all of us even before we were formed in the womb. A lot of our political leaders know this but ignore the truth because acting like and talking like a Christian in office is bad for your political future. People like our govoner and vice president should read their Bibles and go to their church leaders and find out the truth about what God,s Word really says and stop lying to advance their political careers.
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iamtherevolution says... February 4, 2013 at 2:10 p.m.
Understand what Beebe is doing here - he's trying to derail this bill without actually coming out against it. Another disingenious move by a professional politician. Honestly, I generally think Beebe has what is best for Arkansans foremost in his mind in his leadership, but I am sorry for his stand on this issue. I know this is a divisive issue in our country, and it is sad that we are at a place in our society where we won't protect defenseless, unborn children. We need to do all we can to support women and children and limit abortion to those cases where it is truly medically necessary to protect the health of the mother.
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Captialist12 says... February 4, 2013 at 2:27 p.m.
Killing babies is wrong. The government recognizes killing babies, children, and adults is wrong, so why pretend it is ok to kill babies in the womb? The govt already regulates women's bodies regarding illegal drug use. All of men's bodies' are regulated by registering for the draft at 18 years of age. Moreover, men have been sent to war in the past with their whole bodies.
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dimebag says... February 4, 2013 at 3:53 p.m.
What did Obama say, if we can save one life, then we should at least try. That is his answer to silly gun laws, but i bet he wouldn't go near this comment to save an unborn child. Far as i am concerned if you can find a fetal heartbeat, then they should not be allowed an abortion.
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inquire says... February 4, 2013 at 4:31 p.m.
With all due respect, Beebe is sworn to uphold the constitution of the state of Arkansas and obey the US constitution ,not the Bible, in his role as an elected official. If it were his job to do so, it would also have to be his job to uphold all other holy books revered by any citizen of the state. It's best to leave church and state separate and not start down that road. Mixing church and state hasn't worked out well in other parts of the world. Once you mix church and state, you loose freedom of religion. Is that what you want?
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1soni says... February 4, 2013 at 4:33 p.m.
Inquire - It's ok, as long as it's the "RIGHT" religion.
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Packman says... February 4, 2013 at 5:35 p.m.
Where exactly in the constitution does it give a woman a unilateral right to abortion on demand? Abortion stops a beating heart. That means death any way you slice it. It ain't about religion at this point, but basic human physiology. Abortion kills. Facts are such stubbborn things.
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23cal says... February 4, 2013 at 6:46 p.m.
Legislation is not the best answer to the abortion crisis.
What amazes me is that the anti-choice screamers aren’t doing the best possible and simplest things to prevent abortions. That would be funding and promoting broad based sex education and making contraception free and readily available....So that fewer people have unwanted pregnancies! That would include making marriage counseling, healthcare, and childcare easy and inexpensive to obtain. That would include providing care, hope, support, and encouragement in a physically real and financial way.
If you don’t want abortions, that is how you stop them. If, instead, you want to force your narrow minded moral views onto other people by using the government and the law as a cudgel, then you do......exactly what you are doing. Make no mistake: supporters know it, organizers know it, politicians know it. The debate really isn’t about the efficacy of contraception or the biology of abortions, but how much doctrine can be crammed into state and federal law.
I think a lot of you are so dumb that you have convinced yourselves the choice is between an abortion and a baby. It is beyond your ability to comprehend that the abortion is going to happen, legally or illegally. Abortions have been going on for at least as long as we have recorded history. The choice is between a medically safe one and one done in a back alley or in a kitchen on a folding table with a butcher knife and a coat hanger. And, these dim bulbs advocating for the latter have the effrontery to call themselves "pro-life".
It isn't about preventing abortions. Legislation is about the least effective way to prevent abortions. It is about the crime of getting pregnant, and they want to sentence you to childbirth as legal punishment.
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JakeTidmore says... February 4, 2013 at 7:10 p.m.
Excellent statement John.
Too much of the anti-choice justice reminds me of the crude water trial a few hundred years ago when the accused were tied up and thrown into the river. If they drowned, they were guilty. If they floated and survived, they were innocent.
Women are still being persecuted in this modern day witch hunt. The modern-day Inquisition calls them murderers. This is what passes for "old-time religion."
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liberte09150851 says... February 4, 2013 at 7:57 p.m.
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade they will have to overturn all the cases that came before based on privacy rights such as contraception and marriage, and that will not happen. The only other way is with a Constitutional amendment and that also will not happen. Politicians that use this as a wedge issue know this so they have nothing to lose, stop taking the bait.
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HotSpringsLawyer says... February 4, 2013 at 8:07 p.m.
Actually, in the witch trials, I believe if they drowned they were innocent. If they floated it was due to Black Magic, so they were killed. And yes, you're right in the comparison.
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PaulRevere says... February 4, 2013 at 9:27 p.m.
I believe that abortion is always wrong, and it is truly hard to fathom how any mother could do that to her child. I also happen to believe the Supreme Court was wrong in its decision of Roe vs Wade. But if Mr. Beebe truly believes the laws are unconstitutional, then he has a responsibility to not sign them. If he has any doubt, then he should let the courts decide. Beebe is a stinking democrat, but he's not so much of the liberal variety and I believe he will do what he thinks is best for Arkansans. His position on the concealed carry in church bill, and other actions over the last few years pretty much proves that to me.
I just wish that all our elected officials (Can you hear me Mark Pryor?) would follow the constitution when they vote, rather than pander their vote to the power-hungry element currently inhabiting the white house.
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drs01 says... February 5, 2013 at 7:30 a.m.
I don't believe abortion is morally right, but it is legal today for women to use any excuse to have one, including recovery from a night of bad choices. That's why there are millions of abortions every year...it's a form of birth control. But, just don't ask me to support the procedure with any tax dollars. That becomes an infringement on my rights. Have all the abortions you want, Just pay for them. Same is true of any birth control. Let the user pay, not the employer or government.
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Vickie55 says... February 5, 2013 at 8:19 a.m.
DRS01, I can get on board with that as long as it also extends to Viagra. Let the user pay for his own.
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inquire says... February 5, 2013 at 5:48 p.m.
It was AFTER women found out insurance plans were paying for viagra that they started demanding their birth control be covered.
As governor of AR, Huckabee was in favor of it.
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