Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Judge Kristine Baker ruled today to temporarily block three anti-abortion laws that would have left Arkansas residents with only one clinic providing abortion care. Currently, Arkansas has two such clinics, and only one of them performs abortions after 10 weeks into a pregnancy. That clinic would not have been able to meet new burdensome requirements under one of the blocked bills.
The National Organization for Women applauds Judge Baker for ruling against these bills and temporarily preventing Arkansas from becoming the seventh state with only one abortion clinic, a dangerous situation that puts those who do not have the resources to travel out of state in danger.
We know that these bills were not passed to protect women’s health — because women are safest when they have access to affordable, accessible abortion care, not when clinics have their hands tied or are forced to close. This ruling stands as a strong refusal to value the ideological extremism of a few over the health, safety and constitutional rights of Arkansas women.
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Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745