On January 9, Americans United for Life (AUL) released its annual analysis ranking the states in its Life List based on state laws related to abortion, euthanasia, suicide, and bioethics. Arkansas ranks first for the fifth consecutive year.
“Arkansas’s consistent leadership is a testament to its unwavering commitment to protecting life,” Bradley Kehr, Government Affairs director of AUL told Pregnancy Help News.
“With nine new life-protecting laws enacted, Arkansas has set a powerful example for states across the nation,” Kehr noted.
Arkansas Family Policy Council President Jerry Cox responded to the news: “Americans United for Life recognized the many pro-life laws and policies our state has enacted over the years.”
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The Arkansas Family Council highlighted pregnancy help organizations’ efforts in the state to empower women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. The right laws complementing practical help and support continue to promote life in the state.
“Arkansans should be proud of their state legislators for passing the best laws in the nation when it comes to protecting unborn children, the elderly, the disabled, and the terminally ill. That’s something to celebrate,” Cox stated.
Kehr acknowledged the constant challenge to protect life via states’ actions, “As was shown last November, protections for life must be affirmatively pursued or they are one election away from being lost.”
Pregnancy Help News spoke with Rose Mimms, executive director of Arkansas Right to Life, regarding the ongoing work in the state.
Mimms started with the Safe Haven Act as the first of the enacted laws with the second key issue as instruction for students in the public school system.
“From grades six through 12 on the awareness of adoption, we passed that. We want students to know about adoption and what a loving option that is,” she said.
Additionally, among the noted measures, in order assure that any doctor who sees a pregnant woman does an ultrasound, whether the doctor is referring for an out-of-state abortion or not, they are required to do an ultrasound first.
Mimms is also excited about the law that will create a monument to the unborn on state grounds.
“We will be the first in the nation to do something like that. It was a bill that we strongly supported,” Mimms recalled.
“Arkansas is a state of believers, that is undeniable,” she stated. “We want to protect life.”
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The constitution of the state of Arkansas, in Amendment 68, quoted by Mimms says, “It is the policy of the state of Arkansas to protect the life of the unborn child from the moment of conception until birth and that no funds can be used to pay for abortion. This amendment does not affect contraception.”
“That amendment has stood the test of time and last year we were faced with a possible constitutional amendment that would have undone the unborn child amendment, amendment 68,” she added.
“The state of Arkansas loves life. We want to protect both the mother and the baby. We want to support her and protect them,” Mimms concluded.
“That single-minded focus keeps it at the top of AUL’s Life List," stated Kehr.
“Even in the face of opposition, 2024 has been another pro-life year. At least 41 life-affirming laws were enacted, and the dedication of state lawmakers and advocates ensures that the pro-life movement will keep making progress,” Kehr noted from the state-by-state AUL analysis.
“The people have spoken,” Mimms commented. “They voted for pro-life candidates. That is who is representing our state. We are a pro-life state.”
“Many states are nipping close at Arkansas’ heels and would love to take the title of most pro-life state,” Kehr commented. “But Arkansas continues to do the work necessary to protect its citizens from the violence of abortion and assisted suicide.”
“Generally, there are two dozen states or more that are debating assisted suicide. We educate people,” Mimms said.
About pregnancy help, Mimms added, “We have close to 50 pregnancy help centers around our state plus we have the Arkansas Department of Health who has health units all over our state. One in every county and some counties have multiple units and they are there for pregnancy support for mothers.”
The law supporting life opens the door to state agencies coming alongside the efforts to protect mothers and their pre-born children.
Beyond this structure, pregnant women find support through a network of churches in an organization called Embrace Grace which operates in many states, but Mimms noted it as a vital resource in Arkansas.
“We don’t punish pregnant women. We want to give the services, so they don’t have to choose abortion, that it’s unthinkable to them, that they would choose abortion,” Mimms commented.
“Pregnancy is temporary,” she reflected. “You can choose a family for your child if you cannot parent or you can surrender you child in a Safe Have baby box or at a hospital or law enforcement agency or in the arms of a fireman at a fire station with no questions asked, and walk away and know that your baby is going to be taken care of and loved and adopted by a family that will be overjoyed.”
Mimms commented concerning the Love Them Both campaign which she credited for the continued shaping of the pro-life message of Arkansas, “We can love them both.”
