By Dave Andrusko
Another pro-life bill has made its way to the desk of pro-life Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
On Wednesday, by a lopsided 75-11 vote, the House passed Senate Bill 2 that would protect unborn babies who would be aborted solely because of a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
The Senate passed the same bill, 29-2, on March 20. Abortionists would be precluded from aborting a woman if they know the sole reason is this diagnosis.
Five states—North Dakota, Indiana, Louisiana , Ohio, and Utah—have enacted laws prohibiting abortion for genetic anomalies. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin this week signed a bill into law banning abortion because of the gender, race or disability.
“Abortion-rights advocates have opposed SB2, saying politicians shouldn’t meddle in the personal lives of pregnant women,” according to Hunter Field of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Action was taken in the House on a second bill Wednesday—Senate Bill 3.
Sen. Trent Garner’s bill “would require additional reporting on abortion complications in Arkansas,” Field wrote.
The bill would require abortion providers to report a variety of data about abortions that result in complications, but the data couldn’t be used to identify a patient or doctor.
The Arkansas Department of Health would be required to compile a yearly report on the data, under the bill.
Both bills now head to Gov. Asa Hutchinson to be signed into law.