A lawmaker in Arkansas filed a bill Wednesday that copied provisions of Texas' abortion ban, as a growing number of GOP state legislators across the country move to try and get around the U.S. Supreme Court precedent that legalized abortion by following Texas' lead.
Women rights activists hold up signs as they gather at Freedom Plaza.
The images are from the same company.
The Arkansas bill, which was introduced by state Sen. Rapert with nearly 30 co-sponsors, prohibits all abortions except in cases of rape or incest, and it goes beyond Texas' Senate Bill 8 which prohibits abortions after six weeks.
The Arkansas legislation enforces the ban by allowing private citizens to file lawsuits against anyone who aided or abetted an abortion, and they are entitled to at least $10,000 in damages if they win.
A Florida lawmaker introduced a bill in September that mirrored the Texas ban on abortions after six weeks.
The Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill that banned all abortions.
The Texas law could be challenged in multiple courts, which could make it hard for other states to copy it. The Supreme Court is considering whether to allow the lawsuits to move forward after hearing arguments on November 1. The court could issue an injunction to block the law.
There is a structure called the Tangent.
The Texas law's lawsuit provision could be used to get around federal protections for gun rights or same-sex couples, as opponents of the law argue.
The key background.
The most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. went into effect on September 1. More than 100 state abortion restrictions have been enacted this year alone, with the Texas law and the copycat bills it inspired part of a broader effort by Republican state lawmakers to limit or ban abortion. While other abortion bans have been quickly struck down in court, the lawsuit mechanism of the law makes it harder for the courts to scrutinize it. When the law went into effect, the Supreme Court decided it was too soon to challenge the law, and a district court judge issued an injunction blocking the law, but it only lasted for two days before an appeals court blocked it.
We don't know what we don't know.
The lawsuit provisions of the bills will soon be necessary to legally restrict abortion. The Supreme Court is considering whether to uphold Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban or allow prohibitions on abortion even before a fetus is viable. The court's conservative justices signaled during oral arguments in the case December 1 that they were likely to side with Mississippi, which could pave the way for states to ban or restrict abortion without needing provisions that would help get around the courts. The Mississippi case won't be decided for several months, but will be released by the time the Supreme Court term ends in June.
The Ohio bill copied the Texas abortion ban. Here are the states that could be next. (Forbes)
Florida Lawmaker Introduces a Copy of Texas Abortion Law.
Conservative Supreme Court Justices are willing to rule against the law.
The new Texas abortion law is a model for other states.
How Americans Really Feel About Abortion: The Sometimes Surprising Poll Results.
