LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — ArkansasGov. Mike Beebe has vetoed a bill that would ban most abortions in the state at 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
The Democratic governor said in a statement Tuesday he had concerns about the measure’s constitutionality and potential cost.
The bill, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, is based on the disputed belief that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks. It includes exemptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.
Opponents say it runs afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion until the point that fetuses can survive outside the womb, usually at 22 to 24 weeks.
Lawmakers can override Mr. Beebe’s veto with a simple majority.
By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
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