11 states charging hard against abortion

Numerous governors are promoting new limits on abortion – or have already signed legislation. Here’s a rundown:

9. Arkansas: Legislature overrides governor, bans abortion after 12 weeks

Danny Johnston/AP
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe (D) speaks at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., earlier this year.

On March 6, 2013, the Arkansas House of Representatives voted to override the veto of Gov. Mike Beebe (D), paving the way for a ban on abortion after 12 weeks of gestation. On May 20, a federal judge temporarily blocked enactment of the law, known as the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act, saying it was “more than likely unconstitutional.” The Arkansas and North Dakota laws are “clearly intended as direct challenges” to Supreme Court rulings establishing the right to abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

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