Arkansas Supreme Court Orders Signature Count for Abortion Rights Measure

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court has mandated the state to begin counting signatures collected by volunteers for an abortion-rights measure, with a deadline set for 9 a.m. Monday. This decision follows a lawsuit by Arkansans for Limited Government, which contested the rejection of over 101,000 signatures submitted by the July 5 deadline. The required threshold for the ballot is 90,704 signatures from registered voters across at least 50 counties. In a statement, Arkansans for Limited Government expressed satisfaction with the court's ruling, emphasizing the importance of direct democracy and the voices of the voters involved. However, Attorney General Tim Griffin criticized the campaign, stating that they failed to meet legal requirements for counting signatures collected by paid canvassers, which has left them short of the necessary total. The court's decision reflects a split among justices, with three from the majority-conservative bench advocating for the counting of all submitted signatures. The proposed amendment, if passed, would not establish abortion as a constitutional right but would serve as a gauge of public support for abortion rights in a predominantly Republican state. Currently, Arkansas enforces a strict abortion ban, allowing the procedure only in life-threatening medical emergencies. The proposed amendment aims to allow abortions within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and under specific circumstances thereafter, highlighting ongoing tensions over reproductive rights in the state. Disputes have arisen between Arkansans for Limited Government and election officials regarding compliance with a 2013 state law governing signature collection.